Bula vinaka and welcome to Cultural Fit.

With 2023 well underway, I'm excited to discover what this year has in store for us! I am instantly reminded of the sage advice that Arthur Ashe - famed tennis player and winner of 3 Grand Slam singles titles - imparted about the journey to success. Have a read:

Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.

It's pretty clear what he meant right? Success is a process that involves actions on our part. It can't and won't just fall into your lap, no matter how much we want that to be the case. Something to keep in mind as we commence into this year. May you find success in whatever is set before you.

Article Updates

Around the time of the last edition, I got in contact with indigenous knowledge keeper Simione Sevudredre to enquire whether he was willing to join a pet project of mine - to discover whether indigenous knowledge (more specifically iTaukei knowledge) could be applied in the workplace and how it relates to modern work psychology. With this in mind, we begin a collaborative journey of discovery. 

Click here to read more about the project.

Our first article discovered a relationship between an iTaukei ceremony called Vakatokayaca (naming ceremony) and the modern organizational process of Onboarding or new employee orientation. The similarities only confirmed exactly what I had suspected all along - understanding indigenous knowledge provides us with a clearer perspective on modern processes and theories. What does that mean for you? It means that by marrying knowledge passed down by your ancestors with modern business theories, you can have strategic insight into how to make your organization better.

Read our findings here.

Work Psychology Tips - Goal Setting Theory

The outlook for 2023? Globally, things are still looking bleak with companies continuing with their cutbacks.

Just as organizations prepare for the future, we as individuals must do the same. Remember Arthur Ashe and success being a process? Being that this is around the time that resolutions are made and plans are set, I thought I'd talk about the Goal Setting Theory of Motivation. First developed by Edwin Locke, the theory explains how the process of creating goals and achieving it influences motivation. In a time where uncertainty reigns supreme and job and life stress can creep up on you, I think having an understanding of how to stay motivated should be in the forefront of our minds right?

Research in this field has shown 5 components that you can follow in order to get the full effect of this theory. Here they are:

1. Clarity: You need to be clear about what your goals are and how you're going to achieve them. When I say clear, it has to be crystal! For example, if a goal of yours is to get a promotion then be specific about what role you want, with a list of objectives that you must accomplish to get that role. Effective goals are clear and specific goals.
2. Challenge: Setting a challenge has been shown to correlate with motivation. Having an objective that challenges you, increases your motivation to accomplish it, which in turn increases the chances of success. You need to find a balance with goal difficulty - not too easy where it isn't challenging and not too difficult where you know it's impossible to achieve.
3. Buy-in: You need to have buy-in. Whether these goals are for an organization, a team, or for yourself, there needs to be a high level of commitment for the goals. A goal that doesn't really seem attractive isn't going to motivate you to complete it.
4. Feedback: In order to understand how far you've progressed towards a goal, you need to have feedback. Get feedback from your peers, your boss, or from your clients BUT GET FEEDBACK!
5. Task Complexity: Like I mentioned before, you need to break down the goal into manageable tasks! Humans do not like complex things. We break down when you have a math equation that's longer than this sentence or when we're asked to complete a 2000-piece puzzle. Break it down into bite-sized chunks!

These components, through research, were found to increase the success rate of achieving goals. Whenever you're setting a goal for work, school, or life, make sure to include these factors into your goal-setting process to maximize your chances!

Recommendations

Imagine you travel to a time where superstition, magic, and mystery still shrouds the islands of Fiji. Where the old Gods hold sway and traditions need to be strictly observed. Where what we do in this life determines whether we arrive in eternal paradise or get lost along the way. Sala Ni Yalo - Path of the Shades by Clarence Dass will be your guide as you follow the shade of a young warrior as he travels to dwelling place of the gods.

The fusion that comes from showcasing old world traditions and knowledge through modern methods - like through a comic book - adds to the flavor. I can't help but imagine how much more our local artists can offer the world through music, art, and literature.

If you're interested in purchasing this masterpiece then click this link here. If you're situated in Fiji then you can also get it at the USP bookshop and it will soon be available at the Fiji Museum.

As I wrap up this newsletter I wonder what your goals are for this year? Do you think that the goal-setting theory and its steps will help you achieve your goals? What are your thoughts on the crossover between indigenous knowledge and modern theories?

I hope this newsletter is as enjoyable to read as it is for me to write and if you think someone would benefit from reading this article then please share this with them.

As always, stay blessed and stay focused. Until next time, Moce mada.