Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 3, 1 March 2001 — OHA planning [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA planning

Our King Kamehameha must have made plans for his conquest and uniting the islands into a kingdom. Kamehameha is included as one of the greatest of the world's military strategists. He is credited with orig-

inating two great strategies — one, mounting cannons on the front of a ship whieh he had traded for. Prior to this, cannons on sailing ships were mounted on the sides. Second, Kamehameha was first to fight on land with the flanking action. Prior to this strategy, armies simply faced eaeh other and charged. For these two military strategies,

the second u. S. nuclear submarine was named the U.S.S. Kamehameha, some 30 years ago.

OHA trustees need to provide Ieadership as custodians for the trust and guardians for the betterment of Hawaiians. As leaders, trustees must have these six traits — drive, desire to lead, honesty and integrity, self-confidence,

intelligence, and jobrelevant knowledge. To also be a successful trustee — to "soar over the seven Cs of the world," the OHA trustee must possess character, competence, commitment, courage, confidence, compassion and be communityminded. Now to planning like King Kamehameha. The main functions of a

chief executive officer, administrator, executive director, manager or OHA trustee*are to plan,

organize, lead and control. In this article, let's discuss planning. Planning is the process of determining goals and objectives, and assessing the way these objectives ean best be achieved. Planning gives the direction, reduces the impact of change, minimizes waste and redundancy, and sets the standards for use in controlling. OHA has been involved in developing a Comprehensive Master Plan and an OHA Plan. The OHA Plan will involve all trustees and many staff. The trustees shall first develop an agreed upon vision and an OHA mission statement, following whieh strategic plans will be formulated. Objectives, goals, action steps and timetables will then be established to achieve these plans. This document should be completed this summer. You ask, why plan? We plan for the future to have a future. Without

a plan for the future — we have no future! In addition, the State Auditor has reported that OHA has no strategic plans or functional plans. Having plans is the right thing for OHA to do. Now is the right climate and time to plan for a different future for OHA. OHA has new faces and fresh eyes in leadership. The climate is right — politically, economically and socia!ly. The timing is right after the Rice decision, the Carroll/Barrett case, the Akaka Bill, the petition in the Hague, the State Auditor's Report and major State of Hawai'i elections in less than two years. We need to plan now for OHA and our Hawaiians to have a future. ■

Now is the right climate and time to plan for a different future for OHA. OHA has new faces and fresh eyes in leadership.

Donald Cataluna

Vice Chair, Trustee, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau