Stick out your thumb and pinky; curl your index, middle and ring finger toward your palm and rotate your wrist from side to side, knuckles inward then outward. You know the gesture. Chances are you associate it with surf culture, Hawaii or Polynesia — maybe with the phrase “hang loose” or the name “shaka.”
If you’re a Hawaiian local, you might recall car commercials featuring David “Lippy” Espinda, the “King of Pidgin.” Espinda, according to the Honolulu Star Bulletin, popularized the gesture in television spots featuring the signature catchphrase “shaka, brah” in the 1960s.
Hamana Kalili of Laie, Hawaii, is typically credited with its invention. After losing three of his fingers in an accident at the Kahuka Sugar Mill in the 1940s, Kalili developed his signature wave while guarding trains carrying sugar. Children in the area imitated him to signal that the coast was clear to sneak onto train cars. Quickly, it spread throughout Oahu to the surrounding islands — eventually becoming a popular salutation and sign of good humor.
Senior Director, People Operations, Karen Kuhn and the Order team have a celebratory tradition steeped in its own mythos and centered on a talismanic wooden sculpture making just this gesture.
Known throughout the company as the “Mahalo Hand,” this statue has its own storied past as an emblem of one of Order’s core values.
“Its ever-evolving origin story is what keeps the pageantry of the Mahalo Hand alive,” explained Kuhn. “The Mahalo Hand has been around since the dawn of Order. What began as a token of gratitude for employees who embody our values has now evolved into a hugely important symbol of who we are and a reminder of what we stand for.”
Read on for more on how Order celebrates its team member’s successes and how you can join in on their efforts.
Order operates a guided business-to-business marketplace that makes it easy for companies to place and track purchases across all their vendors. Through Order, businesses can control spend, make payments from a single, consolidated bill and take advantage of tailored insights and purchasing recommendations.
What’s a unique way that the Order team celebrates wins?
One of the most unique ways we celebrate wins is with a very important piece of company history and culture known as the “Mahalo Hand.” The Mahalo Hand is a simple wooden statue of a hand in the shape of the shaka sign with a deep and winding backstory.
When team members observe their peers exhibiting any of the company values, they can submit an anonymous nomination through our home-grown recognition platform — aptly named “Mahalo.” Each week, our CEO Zach reads out the top vote-getters at our all-hands meeting. And at the end of the month, the team member with the most values nominations wins not only one-of-a-kind swag and a cash prize — but for the month they are also awarded ownership of the Mahalo Hand.
It means that we lead with gratitude and humility, and we care deeply about what we do and the people we’re surrounded by.”
How does this celebration reflect your Order’s culture?
We have seven company values here at Order that drive everything we do — from how we operate the business to how we assess talent, manage performance and celebrate wins. “Mahalo” is our North Star core value — hence the Mahalo Hand. It means that we lead with gratitude and humility, and we care deeply about what we do and the people we’re surrounded by.
We are a team that thrives on lore, and we never miss an opportunity to “commit to the bit.” The Mahalo Hand is the perfect example of that. It is not only an important symbol of our company values and a celebration of those who embody them, but it truly reflects how we approach solving problems and working together with humor and gratitude.
How did the hand come into our possession, you ask? You’ll just have to join the team to find out!
