Executives scramble to keep up with technology

JAKARTA (JP): It was lunchtime, and lawyer Rudhy A. Lontoh was in his new BMW 740i, set to eat out with his associates. Then something went horribly wrong: he could not adjust the car's sophisticated rearview mirror.

The problem was not with the vehicle. It was Rudhy who did not know how to operate the device.

"You can imagine what it would be like, driving in a city like Jakarta without a rearview mirror. I called my son because he knows the car better than me," he said.

He had to wait an hour before his son showed up.

Musician Iwan Fals knows that sinking feeling. He had problems operating his new computerized keyboard and micro-composer.

"It's a technology gap," he said of the problem.

Sukyatno Nugroho, owner of the Es Teler 77 food franchise, owned up to his run-in with an advanced gizmo.

He wanted to show off his new microwave to his wife and colleagues. But an hour after he had put the meat inside and pressed the "on" button, the oven was still cold.

"I read the manual over and over, and I still couldn't work it out. So I called the distributor and ordered a new one," he said.

Technology can confuse us all, especially because it seems to change overnight. Many people are flummoxed by the constant stream of innovation.

Some executives, who have to deal with advanced technology devices in the workplace, confess to feeling awkward when they use them. The quandary is in whether to wholeheartedly adapt to the shock of the new, or stubbornly resist change.

Ati Krisjanto, managing director of advertising and communications firm MACS 909, admitted she was confused the first time she had to use a fax machine. That was 10 years ago when she started work as an account executive.

The user's manual was no help as it was in Japanese. She relied on trial and error, and, after many tries, finally succeeded in sending the documents.

Such patience may not be the norm.

Different reasons prod people bite the bullet and adapt to technology. Some adjust for entertainment or for personal prestige. But some have to because of their job.

Attitudes of the latter can be classified into three categories. The first is the so-called "fast forward" type.

People in this category adjust themselves to technology because they need it to save time and work more efficiently -- they understand operation of fax machines, printer scanners or xerox machines.

The second category is the "techno-striver", or people who zealously follow technological developments.

The "handshaker" is the third category, and covers executives reluctant to adopt technology as they are more interested in interpersonal contact. They pass off tasks requiring technological savvy to their subordinates.

It seems age is a determining factor in whether executives embrace or shun the developments.

Rhenald Khasali from the School of Economics, University of Indonesia, referred to Indonesian teenagers living in big cities as the "technology generation".

He categorized people born between 1961 and 1970 as the "computer" group, and those born between 1970 to 1978 as the "Internet" group.

But he grouped those born between 1951 and 1960 as the "Cold War" group. This is a dominant group among executives here; unfortunately, they have a predilection to be "handshakers" as they believe success is determined by good relations, not the latest gadget.

The technophobic will find it tough going in the future.

"If we don't master technology, the technology will overpower us," said Adrian Mitra Budiman, marketing manager of PT Samafitro, distributor of Canon products.

He was not joking.

"I see that many senior executives who have not mastered technology are being replaced in offices by younger ones who have the educational background, or knowledge of technology."

Senior executives, he said, tend to depend on their formally bestowed authority instead of improving themselves with mastery of technology.

Like it or not, executives such as Ati Kisjanto know there is no option but to keep up with the changes.

She pores over foreign magazines and regularly visits technology exhibitions. She even studied the subject at the Monterrey Institute in the U.S.

"What else can I do, as technology is like the company's heart," the 32-year-old said. "We would have difficulty breathing with limited knowledge of technology."

The above is an excerpt from the forthcoming Tiara lifestyle biweekly. The complete article with sidebars will appear in the magazine when it goes on sale Tuesday. It is printed here courtesy of Tiara.