‘Ōpala ‘ole: De-cluttering Work Processes

Since we first talked about it in June of last year, MWA3P, the productivity training we have developed for Managing with Aloha, has evolved into a great success.
[To read more on the 3 components of MWA3P, click in here.]

We bring some specific metrics and ratios to our coaching, so those in our classes can easily measure their progress before and after the training. As a quick overview:

— We start by giving them the benefit of the doubt, that they are working hard, and are not goofing off. The goal is to just work smarter. Therefore, our first assumption is that the work they do represents

100% worth of stuff

— Assumption two is that GREAT management is way more about people-related work than it is about task-related work. In the before, we give them an easy and objective measuring strategy, using calendar tracking to see where their present habits may be. The goal we shoot for in the after, is that they are at a ratio of

70% People / 30% Task

— Third we look at their owning their 100% in another way, and with another ratio, to get us closer to achieving the worthwhile part of working within their Ho‘ohana: This one is . . .

10% ‘Ōpala ‘ole,

70% Ho‘ohana, and

20% ‘Ike loa

= 100%

20% ‘Ike loa is about making room in your work for new learning.

70% Ho‘ohana is about making sure that the day-in and day-out of the work you do IS your Ho‘ohana, and the work that makes your heart sing. This is the work that feeds your soul and makes you feel every minute of what you do is what you were destined to do.

Now those two sound pretty great if we can get there, don’t they.

However I’ve got to tell you, that without exception, every class my coaches and I have brought MWA3P to thus far have told us that their favorite part of the MWA3P 10/70/20 Ratio is that 10% we call the ‘Ōpala ‘ole Rule.

If we own our 100%, and we look for ways we can be fleshing it out to work smarter, not harder, and to work joyfully with 70% Ho‘ohana, and 20% ‘Ike loa, then the “fleshing it out” is actually about a good bit of FLUSHING stuff out.

‘Ōpala ‘ole is about systematically and continually de-cluttering work processes. Literally translated, ‘Ōpala is the Hawaiian word for trash or rubbish, and ‘ole means without.

With ‘Ōpala ‘ole we assume there is at least 10% of stuff in that 100% you presently do, which could drop off the face of the earth and never be missed by you or by anyone else. However, the fact of the matter is that it presently is a big weight dragging on your optimal productivity. It holds you back, drains your energy, and adds to your unproductive stress.

We tend to find a lot of old baggage in this 10%. Stuff like… auto-pilot (one of the 3 Sins of Management) old directives which have become sacred cows (and sometimes, the old boss who made the directive is long gone) and busywork kept up for appearances sake (although no one is even looking, or cares anymore; they like you and are keeping you.)

And often, we eventually get people to admit that they themselves are the culprit. Their old way of doing things has just made them too comfortable, and they aren’t pushing the envelope anymore.

Believe me, the ‘Ōpala ‘ole Rule rocks. It can release way more energy than you thought you had, and open up some capacity way beyond the 10% when you get braver, and start to apply it to the full depth of your 70% Ho‘ohana bucket too.

Be honest with yourself: What’s cobwebbed in your 10%, hmm?

----------------Related posts:
MWA3P: There's no escaping better productivity.
Celebrate your Four-Fold Capacity.

An easy starter exercise relating to Kuleana is in this Talking Story post:
Your Responsibilities, Joy or Clutter?

About that people versus task ratio:
What do the truly great managers of our world believe in?

And who shall we blame? Who’s the real tyrant?
It may be the boss. . . On Lifehack.org:
Don’t Just Add; Replace. Own the 100%