Posted on: Sunday, June 29, 2003
Halau's strength rests in kumu hula's openness to change
By Kelvin H. Taketa
Special to the Advertiser
Big Island kumu hula Michael Pili Pang's talent and passion for hula run deep. Through his Halau Hula Ka No'eau he has helped elevate the traditional dance to an exciting level of artistic expression. Similarly, Pang's strength as a nonprofit leader is just as impressive. His ability to adapt in today's rapidly changing and unpredictable environment is key to meeting the needs of his organization and to better serve the community.
In the past few years, there has been a growing focus on improving the capacity of nonprofit organizations. Recently, the Hawai'i Community Foundation completed a three-year evaluation of a group of cultural and arts organizations. Participants were evaluated for changes in three areas: program capacity (changes in new, revised or discontinued programs); audience size and composition; and management capacity (changes in systems such as personnel, technology and fund raising, and financial performance as well as adaptive capacity).
While investing in training, technology and program goals is important, the study showed that an ability to adapt is associated with better overall organizational performance. Adaptiveness can help identify needed changes to an organization's existing programs and infrastructure, making the organization more resilient and sustainable. Adaptiveness also enables an organization to have the right tools at the right time to benefit its constituents.
Organizational characteristics associated with adaptiveness include: self-awareness (understanding organizational strengths and weaknesses and an organization's place in the larger context of its field and overall culture); an ability to innovate continually; motivation of volunteers and staff; benchmarking; and evaluation.
Adaptiveness also needs to come from the mindset of key leaders in the organization. Leaders who can look beyond their immediate and familiar management challenges are better able to address organizational needs. Leaders who seek new information and relationships inside and outside their fields, and who confer with others more often, are more likely to be successful.
When the world dramatically changed as of Sept. 11, 2001, Pang's halau felt the economic hardship along with other local corporate and nonprofit entities. Faced with the cancellations of major commercial performances on the Mainland, and no idea when travel would again resume, Pang responded to the new environment by breaking the rules.
He focused closer to home, establishing new partnerships with the community and nonprofit organizations. This change created visibility for his halau and fulfilled his dancers' desires to perform at different venues. He worked with local schools, providing hula teachers for students at Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, Waimea School and Parker School on the Big Island. Pang also met with representatives from the business sector to create the international hula workshop at the Hilton Waikoloa Village's Big Island Festival and participate in the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame concerts on O'ahu.
Not only did Pang's ability to chart a new course for his organization help it to survive a crisis — for it continues to thrive today. There are many opportunities and threats that nonprofits encounter as their environments change in ways that they often cannot predict. An aware and flexible mind, and the organizational culture to adapt, will ultimately distinguish those organizations that prosper.
Kelvin H. Taketa is president and chief executive of the Hawai'i Community Foundation. E-mail him at kelvin@hcf-hawaii.org.
