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Radiating the Spirit

Radiating the Spirit

Submitted by: Jimmy Mapu, Manager – Guest Services and Cultural Presentations Administrator

jimmy mapu story

Lolo shows Aloha to some recent guests

At the close of each day, for just a few minutes, I gather our student leaders together to debrief and review the happenings of the day.  What did we do right?  What did we do wrong?  Where do we see room for improvement in the way we operate?  How can we do better for our guests?  How can we help our team members continue to see success?  Since we’re far from perfect, a lot of what we discuss is “improvement points” and if we’re not careful, seeing all the work that needs to be done in order to reach our goals can sometimes get us down.  So, to keep us focused on the positive, I go around the conference table and ask each leader to share an experience from that day where they could highlight someone – either our outside of our department – to show Appreciation for great work, Recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty, or Encouragement of behaviors we should model.  Lee Cockerell, former Disney executive, and best-selling author call it “doling out AREs”.  We close our day sharing these great examples in order to remind us of how wonderful our people are, and how blessed we are to be able to work with and learn from them.

The other day, Tyrone Brown, one of our Student Supervisors for Tours, shared this ARE:

“I was walking through the villages on my regular rounds, checking on guides and making sure everything was going smoothly for our guests.  While passing through Tonga, I noticed an older couple making their way down the sidewalk a few yards ahead of me.  The white-haired man was pushing a wheelchair with (I assumed was) his wife in it.  Lolo, a Tonga Village employee, was positioned a few feet ahead of them, greeting guests.  The man wiped the sweat from his brow as he passed Lolo and said, “It’s so hot today!  And we’re tired.”  I don’t think he expected Lolo to do anything about it.  He was just expressing how hot it was.  But very typical of Lolo, who is always helping guests and finding ways to serve others, grabbed a chair for the man and invited him and his wife to have a seat under the shade of a nearby coconut tree to cool down.  She stood with them and had a fun and genuine conversation, learning about who they are and little about their lives.  Lolo stayed engaged with them and listened intently as they shared and it was a beautiful thing to see.”

I’m sure that anyone who was there could see that a beautiful connection was made in those few minutes.  It was the birth of a friendship.  I’m not sure if these three will remember their conversation, what they talked about that day, or even whether or not they will stay in contact.  More likely than not, they’ve all forgotten about it and are going on with their everyday lives.  But the kindness this young lady from Tonga showed to a couple from thousands of miles away, who she did not know, and probably will never meet again, was witnessed by others.  And their sharing what they saw, as simple an experience as it was, brings a smile to our faces.  This is what ‘Radiating the Spirit’ is all about.  Seemingly small acts of kindness, without knowing anyone was watching, performed simply out of love for our fellow man because if the Savior were here, that’s what He would do.

Malo lahi ‘aupito to Lolo for exemplifying this cultural belief for all of us.  And fa’afetai tele lava to all those who continually do these same kinds of things for our guests and for PCC ohana members every single day.

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