Engaging with Clients / Te Toro atu ki ngā Kiritaki Flashcards
uara Māori
Māori values
tikanga
practices
Uara
Values
Akoranga
Lesson
Kaimahi
Employee
Kawenata
Covenant, agreement, treaty
Aotearoa whānui
wider New Zealand
karakia
blessings
hui
meetings
waiata
songs
kaikōrero
speakers
mana whenua
tribal authorities
Work hard to develop reciprocal relationships with your hapū / local tribe and marae. Take note and learn their kawa / local protocols and kōrero / stories, but ensure this is led by them. This relationship will take time to foster, but their input and support is essential if you hope to truly embody Te Tiriti and honour your Tangata Whenua / local indigenous people.
mahi
work
kaupapa
Initiative, theme, topic, purpose, plan
kawa
local protocols
kōrero
Stories, history, narrative
Tangata Whenua
local indigenous people
mihimihi
introductions
Offer opportunities for your team to learn about mihimihi / introductions and their variations – personal and professional, Māori and Non-Māori versions. Allocate time in virtual or face-to-face hui to develop whakawhanaungatanga / establishing genuine relationships, before launching straight into business.
whakawhanaungatanga
establishing genuine relationships
“E kore e taea i te rā te waru”
A beautifully carved waka cannot be fashioned in one day.
Long-lasting, meaningful Partnerships are more likely to develop and be maintained through respectful interactions, patience, integrity and an open mind and heart.
The tikanga / practices outlined will assist you and your team in achieving authentic unions as well as the support, approval and respect of your mana whenua.
Te Ao Māori
The Māori World
He Mahere Mauroa
Create a long-term plan
What do you hope your organisation looks and operates like after 6 months, 1 year, 3 or 5 years?
Things to consider
- Do you have an overarching plan in place to reach your vision?
- Do you have a vision?
- How will your vision/aspirations be implemented?
- Do your company values align with this new direction?
- What needs to be done to align key stakeholders, team members and your communities to these changes?
Te Ara Whakangungu
Build internal capacity
If you and your team are engaging in this course, you have already taken steps to build internal capacity, nō reira, ka nui te mihi ki a koutou – congratulations, and well done!
Some things to be mindful of as you advance on this cultural journey:
- Be careful not to lean too heavily on your Māori employees, even those recruited for the very purpose of growing cultural confidence and capability within your organisation. Māori people and communities are still in a phase of language and cultural revitalisation and the pool of competent human resources is still very low, so, if your team is lucky enough to have a cultural guide amongst you, they need to be wrapped, supported and resourced to do this mahi / work effectively.
- Do not assume that because your employees/colleagues identify as Māori that they are capable or comfortable to lead in this area – many of us are still on our own personal journeys of discovery and reconnection and there are layers of intergenerational trauma that need to be acknowledged and handled with the utmost care.
Manaaki Manuhiri
Receiving and caring for Visitors
Develop and implement internal protocols for receiving guests in your office or space, beyond the usual sign in process.
- Build internal confidence to hold and run Mihi Whakatau / Speeches of Welcome guided by tikanga Māori. Design a ‘guide’ that can be used for your team to prepare for these ceremonies and for those who are looking to visit your offices.
- Ensure that your processes reflect local etiquette – this is where a connection and input from mana whenua is imperative.
- It’s also very important that those from your organisation who reach out to groups or individuals to arrange hui / meetings use the appropriate language in their communication when doing so. Ensuring correct pronunciation of personal, iwi or business names is extremely important.
Ngā Whakahaere
Facilitate Hui via tikanga Māori
Tikanga
Ensure your attendees are fully aware of the tikanga in which you will conduct the hui / meeting. As hosts, you will determine the procedures, so be clear of the expectations and what each attendee will need to do to meet these.
Karakia
Begin and conclude hui / meetings with karakia. Karakia can be delivered in any language, but the advice is that the conductor chooses karakia that are appropriate to the occasion and are of a non-denominational nature to include all backgrounds and representations present.
Mihimihi
Allow the opportunity for people to make connections before business takes place. This can be done in the form of mihimihi / introductions. Mihimihi doesn’t demand that you deliver your introduction in te reo Māori / the Māori language (though it is applauded when it is done!), using the Māori language that you know, bilingualising your delivery or using your native language are all accepted and highly encouraged.
Honouring our commitment to tangata whenua and Te Tiriti
Following the protocol of this engagement is the most important factor. These steps and procedures will connect individuals present and empower attendees, their culture and identity. Following tikanga also honours our commitment to tangata whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
manuhiri
guests
wawata
aspirations
“He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka.”
A tumultuous sea can be navigated by a vessel.
Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui!
Be strong, be brave, be steadfast!
