Jakarta Globe July 03, 2009 By Erik Stern Malcom Gladwell, in his latest best-seller, “Outliers,” discusses how effort defines success. He says that a minimum of 10,000 hours of effort defines expertise. But people must also continuously work on those areas that they have not mastered and the building blocks of their activity. Take an Indonesian example: Taufik Hidayat won the men’s singles badminton gold medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Imagine how much practice he must have endured before he heard the “Indonesia Raya” in Athens. Consider how many hours of cardiovascular and resistance training and stretching Taufik did in living his sport. But will he play once he retires? He will probably never lift a racket. Most athletes run from their sports when they retire. Yet he did what was necessary to rise to the best in his sport and win the ultimate accolade for himself and his country. Indonesia has developed expertise in badminton. The coaches and facilities exist to allow someone like Taufik to achieve the highest level. The game is institutionalized. It is like football in Brazil and cricket in India. V ictory for many is far less than the gold medal. Happiness can come from simply beating a personal best. Nonetheless, achievement is not easy. Few truly have the energy to press ahead after every defeat. But most people who are successful and who achieve the highest in their field have this mind-set. It is a performance mind-set. Those that coach them provide a performance-based culture. Complacency and risk aversion do not exist. Entrepreneurial nerve, courage, bravery and audacity reign. The Indonesian Badminton Federation (PBSI) must think this way. Goldman Sachs does. GE does. Microsoft does. How many Indonesian corporations do? Indonesian business culture lacks performance-based thinking. The legal system defeats a performance mind-set. Indonesian education does not encourage practice or going beyond what is taught. Complacency wins. The country has entrepreneurs, but current market position or limited competition allows established businesses to thrive. Businesses, as in many other nations, are successful despite their management. Yet few are international champions. None have a global brand name. None have technology that is known throughout the world. Investment in intangibles — research, development, training, brand building — is not a high priority. Indonesian business remains based on nature, on natural resources in the ground, not in the natural resources in the Indonesian brain. Knowledge workers do not prevail. Few businesses have gone beyond their core: from agriculture into manufacturing food and from manufacturing food into developing world-branded food. Indonesian businesses provide loads of training for employees, but these are passive perks, not active and deliberate practice. The culture encourages positive thinking and does not like to differentiate winners and losers. Competition does not raise the competitors to the next level. Where is the Indonesian Tata? Tata of India has built the world’s cheapest car and bought Range Rover, Tetley Teas and Corus. Tata thinks that they have global advantages. Singapore Airlines is Southeast Asia’s only global brand. Where is Indonesia’s global brand? Malaysia’s tourism advertisements are everywhere. Where are Indonesia’s ads? Indonesia has nothing to fear except complacency. Indonesians and Indonesian organizations must invest and believe in themselves. Erik Stern is president international and managing director of PT Stern Stewart International consultants
