My Strategy of Success

I had the privilege to be interviewed by Ms. Poonam Sagar of Indoindians, where I shared my experiences and tips on being a fulfilled and successful individual.

WHY NOT “WHY NOT!” ?

I was asked this question a couple of days ago,” What do you think about traveling to Georgia next month for a week?”. My immediate reaction was “Why? Why a week? Why Georgia? Seems so short for some place so far away? Seems..crazy.” I justified declining the idea with my busy schedule. I admit, as a travel adorer myself, the invitation was very tempting!

A day later, I attended an event where I heard a guy’s response to what could, for many, seem like an outlandish idea to be “why not!”
We are programmed to intelligently turn down ideas, say no to proposals, reject invitations by asking “why?”. Why this and why that were originally designed for finding reasons as to why something is, but more often than not are actually used as a logical excuse to why something shouldn’t be.

In the movie “Yes Man” out some years ago, Jim Carrey plays a guy that challenges himself to say ‘yes’ to everything for an entire year as a therapy. I’m not advocating that we should throw all our senses out the window and go with our impulses all the time. But then again, maybe that’s exactly the problem! We are shaped by society to use our rationale for all decision-making processes, which in effect our impulses became dull and tend to reject new ideas just because they’re foreign to us, which results in the denial of a myriad of possibilities.

Let’s pause and try something here. If we reversed the above formula and said, if I wanted to experience new things, then I’d have to try new ideas that are foreign to me, and therefore I’d have to give my brain a break and go the opposite of what it would say. Voila, the inverted formula works!

As I’m writing this, I researched the word impulsive, and I was surprised to see a source framing it to be of something negative. “Impulsive actions are typically poorly conceived and often results in undesirable consequences. When such actions have positive outcomes, they tend not to be seen as signs of impulsivity, but as indicators of boldness, quickness, spontaneity, courageousness, or unconventionality”

So I suppose it could just be a matter of words. For all intents and purposes, let’s not call it impulsiveness, but rather courageousness. What if, by saying “why not!” we are in fact practicing courage, honing on our spontaneity, sharpening our quickness. That doesn’t sound bad at all, does it? My challenge now to you is to courageously exclaim ‘yes!’ to a fresh bold idea without a second thought.

As for me, I may not end up going to Georgia next month, but I’m up for other crazy proposals!

This article was published by NOW!Jakarta magazine October 2014 issue. Please click here to see the online version of the magazine. 

Ignorance is Amiss

“The most violent element in society is ignorance” – Emma Goldman

As I was walking to the security check at the Bali Ngurah Rai airport, I was surprised by a young lady suddenly coming behind me who proceeded to put her things on the conveyor belt over mine. I said to her,”Ma’am, there is a line, please queue.” She responded angrily and exclaimed,”It’s the airline’s fault and now I’m late.”. She persisted by raising her voice and telling me to hurry up. I was disturbed by her behavior and to be honest, it made me want to sympathize with her less. I told her that she was being very rude but she relentlessly blamed the airline as her excuse. Alas, she never apologized for her rudeness. The scene angered me, and at the same time saddened me because it resorted me to a thought “Does someone’s hardship give them the license to disregard society and behave with disrespect and ignorance?” My heart of heart says no, and it shouldn’t be so either. From my own personal experience, I find that when I’m in a dire situation and behave sincerely with kindness, other people are more likely to respond helpfully.

On a discussion with a friend about civil society, we talked about Indonesia, specifically about courtesy, obeying rules and behaving for the greater good of people. During the conversation, in my frustrated state I said, “But it is common sense for people to queue, to know who has the right of way in traffic, to let others clear the elevator before you go in it, to hold the door for the person behind you. It is common sense!” She replied quickly,”No, actually it’s not common sense. You have to teach people to know those things.”

Her statement brought me back to reality, the reality of Indonesia. We are a growing and developing nation. We are still going through growing pains and we don’t have everything right at this point. Our new elected president Jokowi’s main campaign is Revolusi Mental (mental revolution), which aspires for “ethos transformation” that he defined as a basic change in mentality, in way of thinking, feeling and believing that will manifest in behaviors and daily practices. He firmly believes that education plays a crucial part on this endeavor and puts it as a top priority on his 5-year program. Moreover, I truly believe that in order to succeed, a mental revolution must be a nation-wide program that is imparted on, adopted and implemented by all people through all aspects of life, ie families, communities, corporations, government policies etc. I dream of Indonesia whose people are abiding to the laws, honest and full of integrity, kind and respectful to one another and that queuing is common sense!

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.” – Walter Cronkite

This article has been exclusively published by Now!Jakarta magazine September 2014 issue

Unity in Adversity

The past few weeks I have witnessed two presidential candidates and their running mates promote, campaign, and debate profusely to win the hearts of 250 million Indonesians for the July 9th election. Their diehard fans are relentless in their expressions of support. Black campaigns have even surfaced in light of this presidential election. Social media is plastered with articles and comments about favorite candidates that frequently spawn negative reactions from the opponent’s side. In fact, many people whom I thought were non-partisan bystanders have stood up and defended their idols passionately. On a larger scope we have seen disputes or disparity in opinions become conflicts, fistfights even, spread from politicians in the capital down to farmers in the village. One might ask, why does diversity have to turn circumstances into adversity and people into adversaries?

George Washington once said “True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity.” His quote parallels with my theory that adversity can somehow create unity. One of many personal experiences to illustrate my hypothesis took place two decades ago during a canoeing expedition in which my friend and I partook. The 2-day journey in the blistering heat, added with exhaustion and lack of paddling skills and coordination were a test to our synergy. Alas we failed it, the unfamiliar and far from comfort conditions took us to a place of disharmony. On the bright side, the experience of adversity also forced us to communicate, build mutual respect and to realize that we must overcome challenges that arise no matter what because we had one common goal. Until this process occured, her and I could become closer and more effective as teammates. Challenges bring out our real self, sometimes the best and sometimes the worst versions of us. This goes for teams as well. If everyone works together to overcome adversity the experience will bring the individuals closer.

 I am re-reading a classic book by the great author Dale Carnegie called “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. One of my favorite parts of the book is when he talks about building relationships and building success by avoiding arguments because he believes that they essentially can’t be won. He says that we could either have “an academic, theatrical victory, or a person’s good will.  We can seldom have both.”

 To me, this rings true in my professional and personal relationships. Sometimes we get caught up in disputes for the sake of winning something, feeling superior, and being heard. In the end, have we really won anything if it’s a win-lose outcome? I feel fortunate that I’m often reminded that diversity is to be celebrated and adversity to be overcome and that they are the true essence of all relationships. I hope this article can help us reflect on our relationships and the ways we take to grow them. I’ll conclude with a quote by Epicurus, “You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”

This article was written exclusively for NOW!Jakarta Magazine July 2014 issue and is now available. Visit their website where you can also find my article.

O Culture, Where ART Thou?

An art exhibition at Galeria Fatahillah in the Old Town of Jakarta

Last month, I saw a play at Taman Ismail Marzuki produced by Butet Kartaredjasa entitled “Matinya Sang Maestro” (Death of the Maestro). A theatrical performance about a forgotten art maestro who leads a poor life with his wife and daughter who is to be rewarded a large sums of money upon his death. Similarly 1.5 centuries ago, Van Gogh was a poor artist, his work didn’t garner fame and fortune until after his passing. One might say, is art worth more in heaven than earth?

I’ve heard many tales from my dad about his father’s hopes for his eleven children to become doctors. Three of them made it. My dad wasn’t one of them. Instead, he took on chemistry as his pre-med major before continuing his MBA degree and eventually became a businessman, outside of the medical realm altogether. My dad’s story is common in Indonesia, maybe even Asia, for science to be valued more than other subjects. Quite simply, scientists are expected to be more successful in life than artists.

During my secondary education in Jakarta, students were divided into 3 classes based on our grades, which were science, social studies and literature class. These classes would help determine your university major, and may even be your life course. The science kids could pick any major available, from engineering, medical, architecture to international studies. The social studies kids had a more limited selection, such as law, accounting, design, psychology. The literature students had the littlest of choice, such as political science, foreign literature. These divisions inevitably created an intellectual prestige, the science kids were an upper class compared to others.

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.

John F. Kennedy

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/culture.html#8lXdVkhVtjojpw3V.99

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.

John F. Kennedy

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/culture.html#8lXdVkhVtjojpw3V.99

John F Kennedy said,”If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” Developed countries in the western world do a better job at appreciating and preserving heritage, evident by the abundance of art (and other types of) museums, historical buildings, national parks all around.

Should Indonesia be hopeful about the future of our creative industry? Absolutely! Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy under Mari Elka Pangestu is an avid campaigner for fostering creative sectors of the economy. Consequently, society has begun to shift its outlook on this vast “untouched” sector. Nowadays, there are more platforms available for young entrepreneurs, architects, those in tourism, designers, cinematographers and other artists to create.

This article was written exclusively for NOW!Jakarta Magazine and is now available. Visit their website where you can also find my article.

If I were Indonesia’s Next President…

Taking advantage of the day off, I took my time getting up that morning, but could feel the excitement building up. I get to cast my vote today, which meant that my choice could determine the course of this country’s future. Arriving at the polling place, I immediately signed in and was handed three ballots. The energy was electrifying, everyone seemed to be excited about the elections. But of course, the presidential seat is up for grabs!

On the same day, I received an email on Fortune magazine’s “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders”. Topping the list was Pope Francis, followed by Angela Merkel at number two, while Bill Clinton sat on fifth place. As I scrolled along, I was very surprised (and very proud) to see Jakarta’s number one man, Jokowi placed no.37 on this prestigious list. The article talks about Joko Widodo’s governance in Solo before his big move to the capital city,”(he) cleaned up the city and rooted out corruption, thrilling an Indonesian public weary of the status quo.”

I started thinking about this list, specifically about Pope Francis and Jokowi. I started thinking about what it is that makes them so loved by the people. What’s so special about them? Servant Leadership came to mind. The two individuals exemplify service, putting the people first and making leadership as a calling, not power. Pope Francis is known to personally cold call people who wrote to him to talk to them. Jokowi has coined a new term “blusukan”. This is a style of leadership he’s implemented since his time in Solo as mayor where he goes to the streets for a meet-and-greet with the people. Jokowi and Pope Francis embody “leader of the people” leadership, humility, inclusivity and immersion. Jokowi participates in bike-to-work following the new policy which requires Jakarta city officials not to use cars on the first Friday of every month. The Pontiff opts for an old ride versus a fancy car provided for the Pope.

If I were Indonesia’s next president, I would aspire to be a true servant leader for it may just be the kind that the people need and look for towards a better future. In the meantime, for the 2014 elections I look forward to having a stand-up citizen with great vision for the nation who is ready to serve the people as RI 1.

Written exclusively for Now!Jakarta‘s May 2014 issue (in the Business & Economy section)

My latest write-up for BritCham’s UpDate magazine

I am so grateful that I get to live my dreams. I’ll be speaking at this event, the Jakarta Fabulous Working Ladies gathering. My talk will be about stretching our comfort zone.

Why We Must Constantly Push Our Limits

The literal definition of Outward Bound is the moment a ship draws its anchor and sets sail, due to the nautical origin of the term. The significance of the word is the notion of facing the unknown and overcoming challenges. We each have our own comfort zone, and they are formed by habits, but also by fears of trying something new. However, growth and discovery will only take place when we step out of our comfort zone. A well known motivational speaker Brian Tracy said, “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

Imagine you’ve been taking the same exact route from home to work for a whole year and never once tried a different way. And one day you decide to try a new route altogether. How would this make you feel? Worried that you might go the wrong way perhaps? Or disoriented because you’ve never been in the area? There could be 2 outcomes, you either get it right or get lost. If the first happens, you’ll feel glad because in the future you could take this road again as alternative. If the second happens, then you’ll learn that there are roads that won’t reach the destination. Either way, by taking risks and trying something new, you will discover something you wouldn’t otherwise find and expand your knowledge about yourself and the world around you, in other words you will grow.

In Outward Bound, through physical challenge, we essentially teach individuals to constantly push their mental limits. When you go mountain hiking in a group, you are not only responsible to carry your own backpack. To reach the mountain peak successfully together, as a team member you must strive your best to carry your load, have a positive attitude and a fighting spirit, you must work together, trust each other, rely on one another, overcome personal ego, make decisions that are in the best interest of the team, you must be resourceful and innovative, you must also be compassionate with one another. Comparatively in a business, in order to achieve success together, your people need to live and breathe those values.

In Outward Bound, we help individuals to break away from their comfort zone, and facilitate self-discovery and growth. Our training programs, using Experiential Learning through Adventure methodology compel individuals to face the unknown and overcome challenges individually and as a team. Outward Bound Indonesia has been giving coaching, training and development programs to more than 80,000 alumni for 23 years. Our professional programs are catered for executives from all business, private and government sectors. Our youth programs are designed to complement the character development of adolescents. As part of a global organization (Outward Bound International), Outward Bound Indonesia strives for excellence in all aspects of our operations, especially safety, program curriculum and trainers. To learn about Outward Bound Indonesia and how we can help you develop the character of your People, visit www.OutwardBoundIndo.org or email us: info@outwardboundindo.org.

This article is written and contributed for Outward Bound Indonesia. Check out their blog for other inspirational articles.

Does Customer Care Boil Down to Acts of Kindness?

Just the other day, I had to go to the grocery store for my monthly provisions. My first instinct was to head to a local convenience store that I happen to have been frequenting for over two decades, that amazingly has everything you need, from fresh produce to fabric softener, from radios to badminton rackets, from instant coffees to portable ovens. This place truly provides a one-stop-“we-have-it-all” service! What’s more amazing is that the prices are well below those of chain hypermarkets. And if that’s not enough, you can truly experience customer service at its best! I walked into the store and looked at my shopping list that I had to fulfill in a hurry. I got lost looking for a box of tissue. I inquired a staff member for help. To my surprise, not only did he stop stocking the shelves to tell me where to find it, he walked to show me where it was. I smiled and said “thank you”, to which he replied with a smile and a polite “you’re welcome”.

I’m not certain whether showing a customer to a product is a standard operating procedure for this store. I can’t even be sure if they have a sophisticated and organized SOP in customer care at all for that matter, considering the scale of the business.Then how does customer service work? The general rule of caring for another person seems to lie in the smallest details that they least expect us to pay attention to. The same way with customers, they are most satisfied when they expect less and given more. Therefore the key is to make your customers expect less, but blow them away and surprise them!

The first order of business is to go internally and make your People feel proud to be part of your Company. If your people are happy about their employment, they will intrinsically do a good job caring for your customers – and vice versa. I always tell my clients, give your People a sense of purpose in their job. Purpose is the drive for someone to get up in the morning. Match up your People with their talents or passion as much as possible. The right person in the wrong position can be counterproductive for your business.

Secondly, talk with your teams and explore again what you can do to surprise your customers. Remember, it may be the smallest detail that you have overlooked for years that your customer will actually appreciate. Who knew that saying the name of the customer could be the new trend of call center customer care. Or if you’re in a restaurant business, serving food at the same time for people in the same table is in fact a wow-factor in this city.

Customer care isn’t rocket science, most of the time, it’s the smallest, most sincere act of kindness from one person to another. In fact, it may solely be that. Find what works for your business, catch your customers off guard and surprise them with it!

This article has been published on NOW!Jakarta Magazine, April 2014 issue.