Indonesia keeps its own time in ever-hectic world<\/p>\n
Maggie Tiojakin, Contributor, Boston<\/p>\n
In some parts of the world, where a 15-minute service delay could
\nturn into a million-dollar lawsuit, punctuality is every bit as
\nimportant as the relationships it sustains.<\/p>\n
Over the years, global enterprises have striven not only to
\nmeet their deadlines, but to create time management which is
\nfaster, more reliable and more efficient than their competitors.
\nFrom overnight package deliveries to a 60-second food service --
\nor your cash back -- to the milliseconds we spend to connect to
\nthe Internet, punctuality pays.<\/p>\n
Or does it?<\/p>\n
Last year, Ecuador made a bold move to eradicate their
\nnotorious reputation for being late by launching a crusade
\nagainst lateness.<\/p>\n
Their particular habit, apparently, has cost them US$2.5
\nbillion per year due to lack of productivity, which is a
\nsignificant loss considering the country's gross domestic product
\nis $24 billion.<\/p>\n
By synchronizing their clocks and watches at high noon on Oct.
\n1, 2003, Ecuadorians pledged to keep to their schedules. Though
\nit is much too soon to tell whether the campaign is successful in
\nits effort to herd millions of people to take individual
\nresponsibility for their time-management issues, observers are
\nquite optimistic in its long-term results.<\/p>\n
Looking at the world's busiest regions in countries like the
\nU.S or Japan, where clock towers are planted in every corner and
\nworkers move rapidly through the city streets, one gets the
\nfeeling that everybody has some place to be at any given hour.<\/p>\n
In New York City, pedestrians are famous for fast-pacing, and
\nit is almost a sin to amble-walk. Perhaps, only in NYC may we see
\nthe glorification of take-out coffee enterprises (Starbucks,
\nSeattle's Best, Peet's Coffee and Tea, etc.) located within a
\nblock from each other.<\/p>\n
Getting a cup of coffee has never been easier, faster, and
\nmore convenient -- especially because most New Yorkers are always
\non a neck-and-neck race with time. Some say it is an indication
\nof economic success, whereas in countries or cities where the
\neconomy feels stagnant, so does their awareness of time.<\/p>\n
Jakarta, by comparison, also portrays what appears to be a
\nnever-ending rush hour. At any time of day, the chance of getting
\nstuck in a long line of traffic is almost inescapable. Whether it
\nhas to do with street constructions or accidents or vehicles'
\nline-ups going haywire, one's ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) is
\nas good as a guessing game.<\/p>\n
More often than not, traffic becomes the only acceptable
\n(sometimes abused) alibi to lateness, which could range from 15
\nto 45 minutes.<\/p>\n
Local terminology for chronic lateness, \"rubber time\", aside
\nfrom being widely used, is also widely tolerable. Whether it is
\nof a personal or professional nature, time management in the
\ncountry seems to leave a lot of room for improvement. But, what
\ndoes it say about our work ethic?<\/p>\n
\"I think one of the bigger problems is that a lot of people
\nstill don't know how to manage their time table,\" said Sulastri,
\na marketing employee at PT Daiti Carbon Nusantara. \"But, most
\ncompanies in Indonesia -- both local and international -- have
\nimplemented the concept of punctuality to their employees.\"<\/p>\n
Thilma Komaling, an assistant general manager at PT IEV
\nIndonesia, acknowledged the same issue, though she argued that
\nsome people have \"different biological clocks\" which does not
\nmean they lack productivity.<\/p>\n
\"I think we should let people work whenever they are prepared
\nto,\" she said.<\/p>\n
For Novi Suryadi, an account manager at RTM Global
\nIntegration, punctuality shows class and integrity.<\/p>\n
\"If you want to appear credible and trustworthy in front of
\nyour clients or colleagues, you need to always be on time,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Even so, \"There are people who take deadlines less seriously
\nthan others, and they hand in reports whenever they want to hand
\nthem in, instead of when (the reports) are due\".<\/p>\n
The impact of punctuality, according to Sri Yuni Hartati, an
\naccount executive officer at IT Solution, is hard to miss when
\nyou're dealing with \"a large investment\" and \"customers who
\ndepend on timeliness\".<\/p>\n
Referring to her own experience of working with foreigners,
\nshe suggested that when it comes to a work ethic, they tend to
\nhave stricter values.<\/p>\n
\"(Foreign workers) are usually very systematic and well-
\nscheduled,\" said Sri Yuni. \"I find it quite valuable as my
\npersonal benchmark.\"<\/p>\n
Yet, not everything is in a day's work. What happens to
\nquality time with friends and family?<\/p>\n
In an overly punctual world, time-management needs more than
\ndiscipline, it requires a whole bible all to itself: a schedule.
\nAnd in a community where everyone consults their date book as a
\nway of life, there is very little room left -- if any -- for the
\nunplanned.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, time becomes a rarity. People no longer spare time;
\nthey have to make time to function socially. There has been one
\ntoo many cases where one's career overshadows one's personal
\nobligations (like canceled vacations) that one couldn't help but
\nwonder if punctuality means we're placing ourselves ahead of
\ntime; or if it means we're letting time take control of our
\nlives.<\/p>\n
\"You schedule your time-table based on your priorities,\" said
\nNovi, whose priority remains her family and friends. \"Meanwhile,
\nyou have to be flexible, depending on who needs you most when.\"<\/p>\n
Obviously, punctuality pays. Within 10 years, Ecuadorians may
\nbe looking at some major changes both in their economy and lives.
\nHowever, punctuality establishes order. Order suggests sanctions
\n-- it doesn't matter how minimal the violation is.<\/p>\n
Indonesia may not be the most orderly country -- and certainly
\nnot the most punctual -- but it is never short on tolerance. In
\nthis part of the world, a 15-minute service delay is nothing more
\nthan a 15-minute service delay. If you're running half an hour
\nlate for a friendly dinner, your friends will still be there
\nwaiting, eager to see you.<\/p>\n
\"You cannot buy human relations with money,\" said Thilma, who
\nthen insisted that \"productivity does not only come from being
\npunctual\".<\/p>",
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