The pearls of the company | People

More and more great companies mention people as their greatest assets behind the company great success. The right people. The talent within. Can we become one of them?


The saturation of a management system...
A decade ago the business secret recipe of the business giant was the "special magic" adopted by the company. In automotive industry giant we heard the super efficient Toyota Production System, with a lot of magic word like Jidoka, Kaizen, Andon, and others Japanese word excluding Ozawa. In the western manufacturing giant we heard about Six Sigma, with the practice of taking advanced statistical class and belting system from White, Green to Black Belt (I don't mean to be cynical, I am also a Black Belt :D). There were a lot more of it like TQM, TPM, Lean System, BPRe, etc.

But as the those best practices management tools now become common knowledge, taught in every business school, and delivered world wide by consultant companies, these system nowadays has became generic, saturated, not much space to do a leap frog improvement. When you are holding a sword fighting against bare hand people, the sword is your cutting edge. But what if everyone now hold the same swords?

I just notice lately, the recent business book no longer talks about this mambo jambo. Off course there is still updates of these management system, these skill sets and tool sets or rewrapping/reassortment of these knowledge. For example, I like the whole concepts of Jim Collins book: the Good to Great series are simple but very true; The Execution Premium by Kaplan, a sequel of the Balance Score Card system is also worth to read. Or the Marketing 3.0 by our marketing guru, Hermawan Kartajaya. For those company who have not come to that stage (or even never heard that) adopting the best practice platform is always a good as a starter leap.

I just read lately the business book are no longer focusing to the updates of  management platform. But, to the people behind it, the spirit behind it, those right people, the talents...

The people behind the swords...
More and more books redefined the story of the great success of the company in people perspective. The Talent Master: Why Smart Leaders put People before Numbers (Bill Conaty, Ram Charan) emphasize that not only the Six Sigma boosted the GE performance but also the "right people" who hold the swords. The book also describe how right/wrong people defines the journey of many companies. In an extreme, the book said talent is the leading indicator of a business is up and down, a success or a failure. "Talent" is the new redefined word for human asset, the company greatest intangible assets.

In the Good to Great by Jim Collins, the first thing in the morning for the company who leap from Good to Great (magnificent company stock values growth versus market growth) are not the business strategy, but the leaders (The Level 5 Leaders), then the right people on the right bus, and the culture within. The business strategy come after the people, not the other way around. It also shows how the wrong people create wrong culture, leading to company crash.

Also in Toyota, the latest book emphasize Toyota Production System is merely tools, the cutting edge come from the people behind it, and the system to create the great people continuously (Toyota Talent, Jeffrey Liker, David Meier, 2009). And without the right people, without the right culture, TPS will only create chaos in the manufacturing process. Many european and US based manufacturing company tried to imitate TPS, but fail because they cant imitate the person/the culture.


From the first chicken who teaches..

For those company who always able to create the great people, we sometime say it is because the culture. The question is: Is the culture create good people, or good people creates good culture? No matter how we argues we will always go back to square one: Chicken vs Eggs. I my self believe that God created chicken, not egg first. Why? because egg cannot learn and egg cannot teach. Even egg finally hatch, who will teach the hatched chicken to live? I believe at first good people created the great culture, and the great culture later creates the great people.

We see it in most of the giants, how the leader shape the culture of the company: Honda in Honda Motor Corp, Jack Welch in GE, Steve Jobs in Apple, Toyoda n Toyota, William Soeryajaya in Astra, to name few. In the Good to Great book, companies who become great mostly have the same pattern of "quantum leap" moment. And it was all started by a level 5 leaders. This level 5 leaders are the source of the company values, the enabler of the culture, the living sample to shape the future, the Inspirational.

So the culture of a company is not a result of evolution -that it happens because random interaction  of the people- but deliberately designed by the great leaders. It meant to be like that, it was visioned, and deliberately and systematically implemented. It was created from the beginning, in the end of mind of the leaders. They are the first chicken who teaches the hatch ling how to live as a great chicken. They are...the source of the culture itself.

And finding the rare talents...
So right people are first. Those great talents, will lead the company through any initiatives that the company would like to go. Those talents are resonances of company aspiration. What defines a person is talents or not? GE use 4E1P (Energy, Energize, Execution, Edge, Passion), some company use 3C (Character, Competence, Chemistry), some others use their own HR matrix.

And as the concept of Talent become world wide accepted, this rare chicken are now treasured at most. Big company spent thousands of dollar hiring a great leaders that can hatch another great chicken. Talent Development Program become hot topic in HR practice. If they can not develop them self then hijacking is the most favorable option.

The bad side is this talents are now realize that company value them as gems. Talents become greed, salary jumper and tends to be not long timer. Some of them lost the virtue of passion and genuineness and will work to the highest offer.


How much is your price then, talents?...
How to become a considered talent? I don't even know if my company regards me as talent or not :p But from several training and books, it is said that a talents is either gifted or trained. Again, born leaders vs trained leaders controversy, nature vs nurture. But if you are not inherited those great traits from your parents, then one thing for sure you must go to train your self more than those who had.

Somebody just born as pearl, they are just beautiful and valuable as is with not much improvement needed. But the most beautiful diamond come from the highest pressure and temperature underneath the earth. To become a shiny one, it must deal with painful heat, stress and drills.

So, unless you considered yourself as black coal which only serve as burner feed, go find and drill the gems within yourself. It's painful, but in the future it will worth the price..

P.S: That's why I go back to school again now ;-)

Creativity | The new black of competition

Indonesia has a new title in the phone business: "The Blackberry Nation". It was notably mentioned during the launching of Blackberry Bellagio, first in the world, in Indonesia, causing a massive mass assembly leading into a stampede. Indonesia is a country with biggest Blackberry users. An interesting label, as we remember that 5 years ago this kind of product was never exist at all in Indonesia.


The constant changing customer behavior...
Business incumbents may miss the old days, the day when their technology enough to dominate the market, when they just had to focus on the product development, efficient manufacturing, pushing the product with vast marketing, selling the product to the customer. But nowadays, customer decision is not only based on highest technology, price, or ads only. They seek a customized value proposition from a product that will serve what they need. And the real problem is...sometime customers don't know what they really need.

"You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new." (Steve Jobs)

Old school management said business need to know what customer want, but Steve Jobs rejects that idea and emphasize instead that business have to know what customer need. It should know how the customer think, it need to feel the customers experience, the user experience; it need to connect what is the missing values that customer will need; and then bring a product or service that surpass the expectation and then tell them : "This is what you want, this is what you need". This exhausting process need one key word from producers, "Creativity".

Creativity and local wisdom understanding, bring Blackberry into winner in Indonesia, for now; and bring Apple as the champion in the world. Leaving all the incumbents who are now struggling, trying to maintain the old days victory, or setting back into their R&D labs to prepare a comeback with a new proposition, if possible. Good luck Nokia..good luck IBM...

Think Different...
Talking about creativity, we definitely should note the Apple resurrection. As Steve Jobs returned to Apple to lead the company who fired him 10 years before, he redefine how creativity can be the ultimate cutting edge of a business. It is not only redefining the product, but the whole business model giving Apple the sustainable profit ever.

iPod is not the first MP3 Player in the market, but combining the user demand with music industry demand he revolutionized how a user can buy their favorite songs without have to buy a whole CD in affordable prices, with iTunes. iPod is now leading MP3 player in the world and iTunes revolutionized the music industry with revenues more than ever.

iPhone and iPad share the same success. It is not only the product designs, but the whole user experience and from Apple side, the cash generating machine by selling third party application and telecommunication operator shared revenue based on the uses of the device. The profit does not come by selling product only, but more of it, the after sales. Again, creativity revolutionized the market.

Steve Jobs regard himself more to an artist, and encourage all of his team in apple that they are all artists. Thus, every product was brought to customer thoughtfully, artistically, and in the edge of perfections, surpassing what customer want. Now that he is passed way, Apple must insist how to keep the creativity environment stays in Apple. Or their competitors will take the crown

Creativity : Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal ...
Being creative is mostly referred to create a new ideas, invent, break through, etc. Everyone said you must have something original, genuine ideas, to be different with other ideas. That is okay, if you can. But please, we are living in the modern era when everything is already invented in every aspect of our life, from the classic invention of light bulb to the invention of cotton bud for your ear.

We don't have to try to reinvent the wheel, Greek did that hundred years ago. We just need to connect the ideas, gathering the experiences, and try to make it better. Most inventions were in parallel invented by other person, and most leading business nowadays are not the inventor of the business.

But if the inventor, the first one who though of it didn’t make things good enough, then steve jobs gave us a golden rule to follow: “Good artists copy, great artists steal”. What’s the big difference between both you say?

People who copy create duplicates. They adjust a little, tweak a little, but overall, it’s just the same thing. If you where the buyer and given the choice between the original and the duplicate, who would you choose? Of course, you’d still stick to the original. Even if the price difference would be a huge figure, the original would still be the winner. No one, and I mean no one, would like to settle for a ‘copy’. 

People who steal are in to create a bigger game- their own game. Steve Jobs is not the first one to invent a laptop or even an operating system (say hi to Bill Gates). But he was creative. He saw where Microsoft Inc. fall short (in terms of the feel of their hardware and the massive vulnerability of their OS) and decided to make things even better. 

And as you read those two paragraph above, those are a copy from Liane's article. And the part when I steal it, is when connecting those line with the whole story. Also the quotes “Good artists copy, great artists steal” is a Picasso, but the popularity was "stolen" as of Steve Jobs ;-)

Now, when we go to mall to find electronic goods few years ago, you will find a lot of duplicate of leading products, mainly from China. We might not want to buy it, it is cheap, not genuine, and low quality. But as China shifted from "copy" into "steal", we already see few China product with Apple quality. Not duplicate, but equally better and off course, cheaper. The New Apple Spirit will raise from China.

And it is on people, on talent, on company culture...
And the core of the creativity lays on the people behind it. It takes creativity leadership, to combine the hierarchical management and a creative business environment. Some company may think their business is not creativity based, and maintain the old school management style that serve them profit for years.

But, soon or later, the more creative competitor will take the edge. When the business environment changes, what matters will also change. And those company with creative environment will fast enough to adapt, to change the business model, and take the lead on the changes. While those who are not, may laid back, and only realizes the need for changes, when it is all too late...

Just as my Blackberry is getting old fashioned, slow, and error all the time, may be I should buy a new one. And the option is only two, a new Blackberry or a new iPhone. Or maybe a China product. Waiting who of them, are the most creative to serve my needs...

R.I.P | Steve Jobs

Stay hungry, stay foolish...

Many blogs wrote about the lost of the biggest CEO in the last five decades; many mourn to the lost of someone they only know that he is the inventors of their cool earphone music player, or their angry birds Phone, or their fancy thin gaming tablet; but may be few have known the inspiring story, the bullish character, the dreamer, the visionary, the inspiration, the greatness of the technology genius of this century: the late Steve Jobs.

Feel free to come by and visit http://allaboutstevejobs.com

I am not going to retold the whole story. When I heard the news, it was surprising, but not really shocking. I've heard his health is not so good, but just not expecting to hear now when my daughter always waiting me home to play with the latest gadget his creation : watching HUTOS series in iPad.

I just want to note this day - the Man of Inspiration of many technology freak, many brave entrepreneur, many creative director, or just someone like me, has passed away with peace. I just want to note this day - that maybe I should listen to him : to not waste my time anymore living in someone else's life....

"Your time is limited, so don't waste your time living in someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others opinion drawn out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary..." (Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011)

Rush out | Not only loosing talents

The rushing out euphoria...

This might feels familiar to you: "When one of your colleague --or friend at work, or peer manager, or even your director -- resign and move to other company with better position, then the heart beat of the organisation surround it would be temporarily in 'anxious' mode". It will be worst when it's not only one or two, it will feel more tense when it is a talent pool hijack, it will more breath taking when it's a structural rushing out.

People are silently reconsider, gossips are spreading, blackberry or cell phone become more valuable than key car waiting for another call or another news or even...another possible offer. Within these days, Human Resource Dept will be busy calculating the possible investment lost that they have done for several years.

The fact that one started this moment and usually to be followed by series of others is a logical phenomenon. Because when their work mate moved to better position and huge salary, those people who stay sometime reconsider their choices, then try their luck by sending CV's. Some of them get it, some of them not. Then rush out cycle happened...then after a period of anxiety...it will pass...become more calm... and everything is back to normal again....At least until somebody started the cycle again.

...is not only causing talents lost..but more..

During this HR Dept may days, not only the company loose their talents that they have been trying to manage and to invest, but also the euphoria effect during these period is a cancer to employees' commitment to stay. They think that if he/she can, why not I - they reconsider their choice to stay.

During these period then justifications are discussed, all the negatives of the company are become lunch break topic while they forgot what the positive things that company have done. The discussion enlarging when the people who already disappointed with the company take more role. Then in the end, in every mind....they are suspicious..that if they don't do it..than their friend might do it. It will get worst when it happened over and over.

This euphoria again, is a high stadium cancer, to employee loyalty and organization performance.

So, the company to blame?...not really...

Make no mistake, company with high rate of rushing out does not necessarily a bad company who did not recognize their talent. You can name best talent development company like Citibank (yes, they did manage good assets, MD for example), Astra (me! me!), or Danamon Bank. Yet, some of them are ironically the most potential company with the rushing out ratio, because of hijacking. One trainer told me when he give series strategic training to different banks in Indonesia he usually met the same person, means...those talent moved to one another.

The most hijacked company is perceived by the pirates/hijackers as a company with high quality talent, a good value and working culture, and a good people development program. The hijackers see that hijacking person from these company are off course cheaper than to train a new person for years to get the same competence, working culture and character.

Talents are hard to get, but when they are yours, then you can bet the performance and the future of the company with them. But don't forget...they are also still have option.

Then, why they go...

May be I am wrong, but I see that is because their character and competences are already developed enough, sufficient to get a higher position or bigger responsibility - but the talent competition within, or the rigid structure, or the development of the company does not provide enough challenge and opportunity for everyone to grow. So no body's mistake...it's how the life goes...always balancing.

Not all folks...

Well, Astra, in the other hand, are one of the company who always have good talents, good people development, good culture - yet, they can maintain most of their talent even until retirement. Are they paying big salary? hmmm..not really. So how they do it? Well again, if you are one of them -or formerly one of them- you will know how :-)

So, should 'you' go also? Well folks, not all those rushing out end happily ever after. That you are now lived in the well structured, caring and appreciating work environment may indulge you that out there offers the same. While actually, out there...when structure is less or even none...survival of the fittest will take role. If you don't survive...then you'll be a prey. Those people who left Astra for rest of their life may think Astra have the most convenient working experience. The feel of protected, secured...is indeed a basic human need.

Well, my dear colleague talents, then beware of the those pirates...they may offer gold...but if you meet someone like Captain Jack Sparrow...he will leave you for shark feed for his own benefit.

Chemistry | The x factor of performance

Ole..ole...ole...!!

About two weeks ago, football euforia stroke Jakarta again - bars and restaurant performed big screen TV shows and always full . This time it was not Irfan bachdim as hot topic, but the Messiah and friends. Yeah, it was BARCELONA played against MU in the Champion final. It seemed like they taught MU how to play pass and go, excellence team work and we all notice how they beat them beautifully.

What we see is not only individual performance of the Messiah, but more to team performance. Barcelona is not collecting mega star and compile it to Galactic like Real Madrid. But they develop and maximize their player talent, build the chemistry and Voila! each of them becoming a superstar. They deliver better than those with expensive stars but without chemistry in playing.

When Messi played in Argentina in World Cup, the star did not shine at all. Why?...my opinion is his team mate were competing with him, they did not regard Messi as a superstar and trying to prove that they can also do what Messi do. It was not their fault, but it just creating bad chemistry within. While they could instead support each other, and still everyone would perform well and showed their class.

The victory of team play..

Most of the top performing companies have excellent human resource in it. Each deliver their excellences, sinergize, and the company received the operational excellent as a return. But does not mean that when you collect multiple talent into a team, they will straightly deliver excellent. Some of them ended in unnecessary politics that more to distract the team performance rather than enchancing. Especially when personal egos, and competitiveness take more role rather than the common goal.

So before decide upon adding new star to the team, the first question shall be is the star will be able to play as team or more to individual performances. A star will always try to perform best, they have experience and have the past of glory on their life. A company should put the star in a position that they can perform, to put them in the bench will only detonating a time bomb.

...is more to chemistry, not just individual quality

I just like the term used by one of most admirable business man in Indonesia regarding recruiting a new talent or treating the talent within. He said the most important thing are the gimmick of 3 C (compare to 4E and 1P by Jack Welch) :

- Character, how it suit with company values

- Competences, how it suit with the job they do

- Chemistry, how they suit with others

Most of stars have the first two, but not necessarily the third. Of course, if the person is Christiano Ronaldo then who will cares about chemistry as long as he scores a lot.

But then again, how much will Christiano Ronaldo cost?

Customer Loyalty (feedback to IM2)

Now, learn this...

Customer loyalty is a special attachment from customer to a product or service to consistently use or buy certain product/service because of trust, satisfaction, delighted in the previous consumption process.

Some company yield most of their income for this special preferences attachment. We can say a product like customer goods, banking, insurances, car maintenance, and telecomunication mostly have more than 50% of their income through this loyal customers.

...so you should have done this...

For a well managed company with high awareness of how important customer loyalty is, their main strategy is to maintain this segment while doing expansion to get a new customer that aimed to be converted to a loyal one. Doing so will preserve their current market share and also increasing their market share in the sustainable way.

...but...

But for some company, they are so eager in expansion. To get more new customer as much as possible, without seeing the capability to maintained their old, loyal, and premium customer. Certain company do a massive marketing on getting new customer, offering the product/service without realizing this might reduce the quality of service received by their current customer.

...ok, you wanna now what I am talking about...?

I will point directly to telecommunication and broadband provider to be more precise. Their quantity of customer will correlate directly with quality received by each customer to certain quantity. This is because bandwidth is like a bus with certain passenger. When a premium bus carry passenger in numbers of their available seat, then all pasengger will be comfort sitting there, air condition work well, and the bus could go with optimum speed. They will use the same bus everyday.

But imagine if the driver knows they have only 30 seat, but still want to add up to 50 passenger. The bus will full, and all the passenger will feel uncomfort and probably decide another bus for another day. They had paid premium price but still get lousy service.

yeah...speaking of the devil...

I think you know what kind of service I am talking about. A lot of website or blog complaining about their service if you search their name in Google. Yes, I am using IM2. Massively marketed as broadband with 3,6 Mbps using UMTS/HSDPA technology. Ownly claimed as the best internet service provider in Indonesia. But what I have in the last two month is sometime only GPRS, or HSDPA with on/off connection with off rate nearly every minutes. Or only HSDPA in midnight when limited user is using the bandwidth.

IM2 should have said :

"Broadband up to 3,6 Mbps - when you are lucky"

"Broadband up to 3,6 Mbps - when everyone else is sleeping"

"Broadband up to 3,6 Mbps - special location only"

The problem is when doing purchase, it was said it is broadband, fast, and wide area of coverage. When I showed my location in Jatibening, they provide a satellite map that my location was fully provided with HSDPA. Seeing the bandwidth limitation I only took package with up to 384 Kbps unlimited, because that speed is actually enough. But like the bus in Tanah Abang, 30 satisfied passenger probably not enough. They keep adding customer without seeing that their capacity of service is already run out. Right now, in the last three month their service is very lousy.

..uhmm, whay don't you call them...?

Yes there is customer service to call, but what can they do? It's the "bus driver" who order to collect more passenger. I think their employee uses Kopaja or Metromini too much so they think "hey, if Kopaja and Metromini could be loaded with a lot of passenger why our company not finding customer as much as possible?".

But then again, I don't think so. They yield a lot of profit this year. Their employee should have high salary and bonus. Probably their employee never use Kopaja so they don't know how uncomfortable a bus with overloaded passenger. They take their profit too much, while it should be given back to paying customer as a good service.

See..shame on them...

It's a shame a big company like them does not understand about maintaining loyal customer is more important then getting a new one. I know a lot of you will advise to change provider, and a lot of people already did. But doing so will not give lesson to them because they probably think they will get a lot of new customer anyway, those will be substitute those who left. Just wait until all candidates of new customer hear about bad image of IM2 service.

I am not ruining, I am helping you...

So Voila, here is my feedback for all broadband providers. To all of you who use IM2 feel free to comment, probably they will here us, probably not. Just like Kopaja or Metromini, you can't do anything for that. Take it, or leave it.

To other company who provide services, just remember this thing :
A customer loyalty shall be maintained, they are not just there for granted

P.S : if you have facebook, search for petition to broadband provider to provide real broadband as advertised. Soon will be launched :-)

Sustainable Development | Sekali lagi, untuk generasi mendatang

Tahun 2008-2009 ditandai dengan tantangan yang datang silih berganti. Sempat naiknya harga minyak mentah dunia di pertengahan tahun 2008 sempat membuat industri yang sangat bergantung pada bahan bakar minyak mengalami dampak yang cukup berarti. Krisis finansial yang menghantam di penghujung 2008 masih membayangi perkembangan industri di Indonesia tahun ini. Menghadapi badai demi badai ini hanya perusahaan yang mempunyai strategi jangka panjang yang tepat yang akan bertahan. Strategi yang tidak hanya memikirkan keuntungan di masa sekarang tapi juga kemampuan perusahaan dalam bertahan di masa mendatang.

Dapat diperkirakan di tahun-tahun ke depan tantangan akan semakin bervariasi. Meningkatnya populasi, berbanding terbalik dengan ketersediaan sumber daya alam. Ancaman pemanasan global dan perubahan iklim mengharuskan industri untuk menurunkan jejak karbon (carbon foot print). Kelangkaan bahan bakar fosil yang tidak terbarukan menjadi ancaman untuk ketersediaan energi. Disinilah konsep Sustainable Development menjadi sebuah kebutuhan bagi dunia industri dan pemerintah untuk dapat bertahan.

Sustainable Development secara definitif diartikan sebagai, “Strategi pengembangan untuk pemenuhan kebutuhan di masa sekarang tanpa mempertaruhkan kemampuan generasi mendatang untuk memenuhi kebutuhannya” (Brundtland Comission, terjemah, 1987). Dari perspektif bisnis, ini dapat berarti strategi yang tidak hanya memikirkan keuntungan yang didapat di masa sekarang namun juga kelanjutan bisnis di masa depan.

Dalam beberapa konsep yang dikembangkan untuk Sustainable Development, 4 faktor dibawah ini merupakan strategi yang dapat dikembangkan :

1. Renewable Energy (Energi Berkelanjutan)
Industri harus siap menghadapi bahwa dalam beberapa dekade ke depan pasokan bahan bakar minyak akan semakin langka. Dan tentunya harga akan menjadi semakin mahal. Maka strategi untuk beralih ke energi yang berkelanjutan (Renewable Energy) untuk transportasi dan pembangkit listrik merupakan sebuah kebutuhan dan akan menjadi sebuah daya saing di masa depan.

2. Cleaner Production (Produksi Bersih)
Dengan meningkatnya populasi manusia dan kebutuhan industri yang mengimbanginya, maka permintaan terhadap sumber daya alam akan semakin meningkat . Di sisi lain SDA semakin menipis. Penggunaan yang lebih bijak terhadap sumber daya alam akan menentukan kemampuan sebuah industri dalam bertahan di masa depan. Contoh yang nyata adalah konservasi air bersih dan penggunaan bahan baku daur ulang.

3.Corporate Social Responsibility (Tanggung Jawab Sosial Perusahaan)
Masyarakat sekitar tidak saja merupakan pemangku kepentingan terhadap sebuah industri. Lebih dari itu merupakan bagian tak terpisahkan yang dapat menentukan masa depan dari sebuah industri. Tidak hanya sekali kita mendengar industri yang harus ditutup akibat tidak adanya dukungan masyarakat sekitar terhadap keberadaannya. Tentunya ini diakibatkan oleh keberadaan industri yang tidak memberikan manfaat terhadap mereka dan lebih memberikan dampak negatif baik untuk lingkungan ataupun masyarakat. Corporate Social Responsibility tidak hanya sebagai pembangun citra perusahaan, tapi juga menentukan keberadaannya di masa depan.

4. Continuous Improvement (Peningkatan Berkelanjutan)
Tantangan di masa depan tidak hanya berasal dari sisi eksternal bisnis. Dari sisi internal bisnis kompetisi akan semakin ketat. Kemampuan untuk menyediakan produk atau jasa dengan kualitas yang unggul, dan harga yang kompetitif merupakan daya saing yang tak bisa ditawar. Dengan semakin cerdasnya konsumen, citra perusahaan juga menjadi salah satu pertimbangan dalam memilih produk atau jasa yang ditawarkan. Maka Continuous Improvement adalah suatu hal yang mutlak, menjadi motor sebuah perusahaan dalam melangkah secara Sustainable.

Tidak hanya untuk perusahaan, pemerintah pun sebaiknya berpikir secara sustainable. Bukan hanya strategi pengamanan politik 5 tahunan yang hanya memikirkan kemenangan partai dalam pemilu berikutnya.

Keyword : Sustainable development, pembangunan berkelanjutan, renewable energy, Indonesia, produksi bersih, energi berkelanjutan, energi terbarukan

Renewable Energy | Pembangunan Berkelanjutan Untuk Generasi Mendatang

Post kali ini sedikit lebih serius, mudah-mudahan jadi masukan untuk pemerintah dan generasi muda Indonesia. Terinspirasi dari blogger-blogger yang menyuarakan kebangkitan bangsa Indonesia. Majulah terus komunitas blogger nasionalis :-)

Tidak dapat dipungkiri lagi bahwa dalam beberapa puluh tahun kedepan dunia akan kesulitan mendapatkan bahan bakar fossil. Dengan tingkat produksi saat ini di Negara kita, Indonesia, dapat diperkirakan apabila dalam 50 tahun ke depan tidak ada sumber minyak baru yang diekplorasi maka cadangan minyak Indonesia akan habis bis bis.

Then what? Sementara jumlah kendaraan bermotor meningkat, industri semakin digalakkan, pertumbuhan perkotaan semakin meluas – sebuah fenomena yang menjadikan ketergantungan akan bahan bakar minyak menjadi mutlak. Dalam film Mad Max kita melihat bahwa krisis bahan bakar ini memicu perang antar Negara, hingga dunia hancur dalam peradaban yang barbarian dimana bahan bakar adalah titik ketertarikan utama.

Sebuah peradaban akan tetap hidup ketika mampu beradaptasi dengan lingkungan. Dan untuk itulah istilah Sustainable Development (Pembangunan Berkelanjutan) harus menjadi isu utama untuk Negara ataupun perusahaan. Sebagai sebuah entitas, perusahaan dan Negara memiliki perilaku yang sama. Membutuhkan resource, memiliki proses yang majemuk dan menghasilkan output yang bernilai tambah, serta tentunya membutuhkan profit untuk tetap hidup dan berkembang.

Sustainable Development | Sebuah keharusan untuk generasi mendatang
Sustainable Development adalah strategi bagaimana entitas ini mampu beradaptasi menghadapi perubahan lingkungan-dalam hal ini kelangkaan bahan bakar minyak, energy, dan natural resource (sumber daya alam). Secara definitive Sustainable Development berarti strategi untuk dapat memenuhi kebutuhan saat ini dengan memperhatikan kemampuan generasi mendatang untuk dapat memenuhi kebutuhan hidupnya juga. Ya benar, pikirkanlah masa depan generasi muda meski gokil-gokil macam Johanas anak SMA dari Bogor yang naksir temen sekelasnya (Hahaha, loe masuk Koran lagi Jo !!)

Salah satu aspek penting dalam Sustainable Development adalah inisiasi energi terbarukan (Renewable Energy). Yaitu sumber energi yang berasal dari sumber alami, yang dapat diperbaharui dan ramah lingkungan. Dan Indonesia lebih dari cukup memiliki seluruh potensi yang dibutuhkan untuk itu. Yang diperlukan adalah bahwa pemimpin bangsa menyadari dan menggerakkan bangsa untuk mewujudkan itu.

Potensi Renewable Energy Indonesia yang tak terbantahkan :
1. Geothermal
Geothermal adalah pembangkit listrik tenaga panas bumi. Prinsipnya adalah menggunakan panas dari situs vulkanik untuk menjalankan boiler (pemanas uap) sebagai pembangkit listrik tenaga uap. Indonesia dikenal sebagai Negara kepulauan dengan gunung berapi aktif terbanyak di dunia. Meski ini merupakan potensi bencana namun juga di sisi lain sebagai potensi energy geothermal terbesar di dunia.

2. Biofuel
Biofuel merupakan konversi produk dari tanaman untuk menjadi sumber energy hidrokarbon yang lebih ramah lingkungan. Sempat booming di tahun 2006 namun tanpa strategy dan peraturan yang mendukung Biofuel ini (Biodiesel, bioethanol) semakin pudar dan tidak terarah. Meski presiden SBY sangat aware dan concern terhadap masalah ini namun implementasi ke dunia industry oleh jajaran pemerintah masih sangat kurang. Indonesia harus belajar dari Brazil yang menjadi Negara penghasil biofuel terbesar di dunia dengan agraris menjadi kekuatan utama.
Indonesia telah menjadi negara penghasil CPO terbesar di dunia mengalahkan malaysia. Tidak boleh dilupakan Indonesia telah dianugrahi tanah tersubur dengan tongkat dan batu jadi tanaman. Fokus, ke arah pembangunan agraris berbasis ketahanan pangan dan ketahanan biofuel akan menjadikan Indonesia berjalan dengan tegak diantara negara-negara besar dunia.

3. Solar Voltaic
Saat ini matahari yang bersinar sepanjang tahun di Indonesia baru dimanfaatkan untuk bikin ikan asin dan pabrik sumur di pantai Kuta (Sumur = susu dijemur :-p). Padahal potensi ini dapat dikonversi menjadi energy tenaga surya yang tanpa emisi karbon. Sudah saatnya sumur di Kuta diganti menjadi solar cell. Apalagi sudah ada UU anti pornografi. Hehe gak ada hubungannya.

Masih banyak potensi Renewable Energy Indonesia jika mau dikupas satu persatu. Namun fokus pada hal yang menjadi kekuatan lebih baik daripada bermimpi banyak tanpa aksi.

Why not us, Indonesia, become the most Sustainable Country since we have all the resource to do it
Why not us, Indonesia, become the leader of Renewable Energy technology development since we have a lot of intelligent people (yes, we won all the science olympic every year)
Why not us, Indonesia, become a respectable nation, known for our spirit and passion to build a world that last for generations

Why not you
Become a part of it...

Luck | When Opportunity Meet Preparation

"Anda Belum Beruntung". Sedikit kecewa, sambil tersenyum aku membuang tutup botol minuman teh dingin kemasan botol plastik itu ke tempat sampah. Ini kalimat terhalus dari produsen untuk menyampaikan bahwa aku adalah pembeli segmen keberuntungan terbawah dengan jumlah sekian juta yang mensubsidi pembeli segmen dengan level keberuntungan lebih.

Antara lain segmen seribu yang tersenyum mendapatkan satu botol gratis, segmen sepuluh yang berjingkrak mendapatkan uang seratus ribu dan segmen satu (yang oleh produsennya didoakan semoga tutup botolnya terbuang ke kali dan tidak ditemukan) yang berhadiah 100 juta.
Hahaha

Beruntung vs tidak beruntung
Seorang yang sukses seringkali dikatakan orang yang beruntung. Padahal mungkin untuk mencapai itu perlu berdarah-darah, orang lain hanya melihat hasilnya dan seenaknya memberikan label.

Kaum pesimis menganggap keberhasilan banyak disebabkan oleh nasib, atau keberuntungan yang sepenuhnya dikendalikan oleh Tuhan. Sehingga dapat memberikan pembenaran bahwa mereka gagal juga diakibatkan oleh ketidakberuntungan (berarti Tuhan yang salah?). Sedang kaum optimis menganggap nasib adalah sesuatu yang bisa dikontrol, bahwa keberuntungan memang membantu tapi kerja keras dan air mata lah yang memberikan hasil akhir.

"I am the captain of my life", begitulah bunyi kaset-kaset pencuci otak yang biasanya disebarkan MLM kepada calon convertee-nya supaya lebih optimis.

Luck | Keberuntungan | Fu
Dalam filosofi china huruf yang menggambarkan keberuntungan disebut dengan Fu. Dan menurut urban legend China huruf ini terdiri dari 2 karakter yaitu kesempatan (Opportunity) yang bertemu dengan persiapan (Preparation). Keberuntungan adalah kesempatan yang datang saat kita siap untuk menerima dan mengambilnya.

Dalam ruang takdir, seringkali kesempatan datang tanpa dikenali. Berjubah malaikat dalam bentuk tawaran kerja, kenalan menawarkan barang, undangan ikut MLM, adsense berisi internet bisnis, kenal cewek cantik di busway atau hal-hal lain yang sepertinya terlihat remeh. Dan persiapan melibatkan niat, motivasi, kecukupan kompetensi atau bahkan keberanian untuk mengambilnya.

Di lingkungan kerja kesempatan promosi kadang datang sekali dalam hitungan tahun. Sebagian orang berpendapat siapa yang mendapat promosi adalah tergantung nasib, dan orang-orang yang berpendapat seperti itu biasanya gigit jari ketika pengumuman mengatakan orang lain yang dipromosikan. Sebenarnya mereka yang dipromosikan itu adalah mereka yang siap untuk dipromosikan.

Entah karena faktor kompetensi yang cukup, reputasi yang baik, kenal baik dengan bos, punya darah bangsawan di keluarga perusahaan atau bisa jadi tidak ada orang lain yang terlihat berminat (biasanya yang komentar,"ah saya sih bekerja gak muluk-muluk, gak ngejar karir", nah itu yang tidak terlihat berminat). Tidak peduli apapun persiapannya mereka sudah punya, dan saat kesempatan datang ya akan jangan disalahkan jika promosi itu jatuh ke tangan mereka.

Serendipity | Kebetulan yang sebenarnya bukanlah kebetulan
Preparation adalah suatu hal yang kendali penuhnya adalah kita. Termasuk menyiapkan kompetensi, menyiapkan niat, menyiapkan motivasi, menyiapkan modal, berdandan supaya kelihatan keren, belajar bahasa asing, memiliki blog pribadi dan hal-hal lain. Sedang Opportunity adalah faktor probability alam semesta. Datang tak diundang, pergi tak kembali. Seringkali datang melalui kejadian-kejadian kecil tak terduga (Serendipity).

Coba masuk kembali ke ruang takdir anda, ingat kembali titik-titik perubahan yang membawa anda ke titik ini. Bukankah penuh dengan kejadian yang tak terduga? Pertemuan dengan pujaan hati, pertama kali melihat pengumuman lowongan kerja, pilihan jurusan kuliah, perkenalan dengan rekan bisnis, memulai menulis blog, atau bahkan jalur yang menyebabkan anda tiba di situs blog ini pertama kali? penuh dengan kebetulan. That's serendipity.

Maka laws of attraction, the secret, Quadrant Kiyosaki, Seven Habits semua itu adalah tentang preparation. Menjadikan manusia yang siap untuk mengambil kesempatan. Menjadi manusia yang selalu beruntung.

Tahun 2009 dikatakan tahun krisis, dan sekali lagi dalam filosofi China huruf krisis terdiri atas dua karakter : bahaya (threat) dan peluang (opportunity). Apa maknanya bagi anda-hanya andalah yang bisa mengartikan.

Selamat tahun baru 2009, semoga tahun krisis ini dapat menjadi peluang yang siap untuk diambil saat Ia datang...