2025-11-21 Merit Appeal Board Minutes

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Merit Appeals Board November 21, 2025 more a training tool to get people—it just gives you a nut to start with—and then you work out— it’s a hub, and you work out from that hub to the exercise. Yeah, you could do it with the parachute, and everybody runs under it (inaudible). So, I’ve been—in all my years, I’ve been to some very strange group activities to get people to work together. And it—there was one for—it was one of the Revitalize Puna in the very, very beginning. And there was this thing where we had to touch different trees and I was like, “Why am I wondering around touching trees, I have other things to do with my time”—and it was— people—the whole thing was how you described touching that tree and how different peoples’ opinions work together to create what we were working towards, which was the Revitalize Puna thing. So—but—and I’ve done so many of them that are like—so, like with this one—like I said, every time I’ve taken it, I’ve gotten a different result. So, I’ve never, ever thought that it was something that was “science-cy”—I thought it was more a parlor game as you described it. So—and I think that a lot of these training exercises, when you’re trying to build team—they are parlor games. It’s like Charades or anything else—you build a team. And so, I mean—yeah, maybe this one is not specifically the best, but it is—it’s just a tool. It’s a tool in your toolbox. CHR. CABANAS: Because I’ve taken it myself in the course of my work, but it was really utilized when we did it for the department—how we can connect and work better as Suzi says— as a team in our work unit. So, while we didn’t share it with the whole department, I shared by “style”—if you want to use that word—my “working style” with those that I worked with closely in my division. And then, we shared so that, “Okay, we can understand what’s your communication style, what’s your communication style”—and it just creates an awareness. That’s, basically, what it is. It’s not a label to an individual. It’s to create awareness on how individuals work or how they communicate. It’s just like have four love languages and what is your love language? Well, mine is service. So I do things to serve others more than serving myself. And so, I’m aware of that and my family is aware of that. So, it’s just to be aware and nothing else. And as Suzi says, it’s really a tool. It’s an indicator—it’s a type indicator. It’s not labeling anyone. So, for us, back then when we did it, I found it very helpful. Yeah. Okay, so anything else? If not, may I have a motion to accept and file—you had a question? SPEAKER: (Inaudible.) CHR. CABANAS: May I have a motion to accept and file the Director’s Report? MR. THOMAS: Move to accept and file the report. CHR. CABANAS: Thank you. A second? Page 18