I kept changing the remote to find something worthy to watch this weekend. I stopped at MetroTV because it caught my attention. It’s always nice to watch models wearing kebaya – traditional or modern. Most of them were body-hugging kebayas with elegant design and intricate details. Later on, I knew that it’s a celebration of Anne Avantie’s fifteen year dedication to kebaya and the launching of her book titled “Anne Avantie: Aku, Anugerah, dan Kebaya” in the ballroom of Hotel Mulia on April 19, 2007. Some of the kebayas looked like a mix of Javanese, Chinese, and Japanese designs. My goodness – those kebayas must be a labour of her love. They were so beautiful!
According to Wikipedia, Kebaya are believed to originate from China hundreds of years ago. On the island of Java before 1600, kebayas were sacred clothing to be worn only by members of the Javanese monarchy. Now kebayas are very popular among Indonesian and Malaysian women.
Anne Avantie is one of the best Asian fashion designer, the one who brings traditional kebaya style to modern fashion design. For some designers, Anne Avantine is a miracle. Her design make traditional and ethnic clothing become luxurious fashions.
Many celebrities go to her to get their wedding gowns made. The latest one was Siti Nurhaliza – the famous Malaysia’s singer. Anne designed a special fuchsia and gold lace and songket Palembang for her wedding.
What really touched me though was her commitment and zeal to make kebaya – her style of kebaya, at least – to be liked and appreciated by all levels of Indonesians. Well, I perceive kebaya as expensive outfit by looking at the famous designers who create it – from Biyan Wanaatmadja to Adjie Notonegoro, Ghea Sukasah, and Josephine "Obin" Werratie Komara of BIN House. Yet, Anne accepted any radio invitation – big or small – as a channel to communicate and spread her skills in kebaya desigining… that kebaya is not expensive, that anybody can afford to wear her-style of kebaya.
Doing something for the country is the reason that motivates fashion designer Anne Avantie. She said she has set aside some time for social activities. For that reason, she decided not to move to Jakarta and remains in Semarang. The main reason is because since 2000 she has committed to helping children suffering from hydrocephalus, a pathologic condition affecting brains, which caused excessive liquid in the brain.
En, kok ya kebetulan… hari-hari ini orang pada merayakan Hari Kartini…
Follow this link (Anugerah Kebaya Anne Avantie) to read more on the above event, or read on for those of you with limited internet access. And this one too.
Anugerah Kebaya Anne Avantie
Kompas, April 22, 2007
By: Ninuk M Pambudy & Ilham Khoiri
Saat jumpa pers serta peluncuran buku Anne Avanti, ”Aku, Anugerah, dan Kebaya”, Kamis (19/4) sore menjelang pergelaran dengan tajuk sama, menjawab pertanyaan seorang wartawan, Anne menjelaskan panjang lebar pro dan kontra seputar kebaya kreasinya.
Bukan sekali ini dia mendapat pertanyaan serupa sejak memilih kebaya sebagai arena kerjanya pada tahun 1999. Anne memilih untuk terus dengan apa yang dia yakini. Dia mengatakan, tidak ingin dibandingkan dan dikritik tidak ikut pakem.
”Biarlah saya diberi kemerdekaan mencipta,” katanya berulang kali.
Melihat pergelaran tunggal pertama Anne yang asal Semarang itu, mau tak mau pertanyaan tentang apa kebaya dan sejauh mana kebaya dapat dikreasikan sehingga masih tetap dapat disebut kebaya kembali muncul.
Anne memunculkan kebaya dalam berbagai bentuknya dengan detail beragam. Variasi lahir dari panjang dan pendek kebaya, detail di sekitar kerah kebaya yang dibiarkan polos atau dihiasi ornamen bunga, permainan payet, bordir, manik yang berkilatan dan membentuk motif bunga atau abstrak.
Lebih separuh dari 65 buah karya yang digelar di Hotel Mulia, Jakarta, dengan berbagai variasi detailnya memberi kesan kuat tentang kebaya, baju atas yang keberadaannya diperkirakan sejarawan Denys Lombard (Nusa Jawa: Silang Budaya Buku 2, Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1996) bermula pada abad ke-15 dan 16.
Terlepas dari kesungguhan Anne mengkreasikan kebaya serta klaim Anne karyanya ditiru penjahit di mana-mana dan mengangkat kembali pamor kebaya, beberapa rancangan Anne memasuki daerah abu-abu antara kebaya atau gaun/blus malam.
Pakaian yang diperagakan model berkulit putih dengan lengan balon berkerah V berikat pinggang dan padanan rok panjang renda bertumpuk, misalnya, lebih mengesankan gaun malam dengan bau pakaian Spanyol yang kuat. Begitu pula baju yang dikenakan Caroline Zachrie dengan rok tumpuk dilengkapi payung senada, lebih mengesankan gaun dari masa Victoria. Atau atasan yang dipakai Aline ketika berjalan bersama mertuanya, Rima Melati, dengan ikat pinggang lebar berbahan kulit lebih mengesankan blus biasa.
Konteks ruang dan waktu
Upaya Anne membuat kebaya tampil sesuai semangat zaman patut dihargai. Apalagi pakaian adalah cerminan kondisi sosial budaya masyarakatnya yang selalu berubah.
Peneliti batik Rens Heringa dalam tulisannya, ”Batik Pasisir as Mestizo Costume” (dalam Fabric of Enchantment, Batik from the North Coast of Java, 1996) memperlihatkan evolusi kebaya bahkan asal kata kebaya. Diduga istilah kebaya berhubungan dengan kata cambay, walaupun ini sebetulnya lebih menunjuk nama cita (kain kapas bermotif bunga) yang diimpor dari Pelabuhan Cambay di India. Nama ini diberikan untuk blus longgar buka depan yang dipakai perempuan dan laki-laki pada abad ke-15.
Meskipun istilah kebaya menurut Heringa berasal dari kata Persia untuk pakaian seperti ini, cabay, tetapi imigran Muslim dari China pada abad ke-15 mungkin juga berperan memperkenalkan kebaya, mengingat baju longgar berlengan panjang buka depan yang dikatupkan pada tepi-tepinya mirip dengan baju China bei-zi. Baju ini digunakan perempuan dari kalangan sosial bawah pada masa Dinasti Ming (abad ke-14 hingga ke-17).
Perjalanan waktu
Perjalanan kebaya dari bentuk awalnya menjadi busana yang dikenakan banyak masyarakat di Nusantara saat ini adalah perubahan karena campur tangan orang-orang yang merasa perlu mengubah kebaya sesuai kebutuhan waktu.
Perubahan dari kebaya longgar menjadi bentuk jam pasir mengikuti bentuk tubuh terjadi setelah Indonesia merdeka dan dibantu oleh perempuan sendiri yang tidak keberatan badannya dibungkus korset demi bentuk seperti lebah secara instan. Sebelum itu, kebaya longgar yang dikenakan dengan kutang katun menjadi pakaian sehari-hari karena nyaman dan cocok untuk iklim tropis.
Materi kebaya pun berevolusi. Bila awalnya cita adalah bahan kebaya, pada akhir abad ke-19 dan awal abad ke-20 perempuan China Peranakan dan Indo Eropa kelas atas menghias kebaya mereka dengan renda.
Bentuk kebaya pun terus berkembang, menggunakan kutubaru, ditangkupkan langsung di depan, ada yang berkerah tegak. Panjang pun berubah. Bila awalnya mencapai mata kaki, kebaya kian memendek mencapai tengah betis, tengah paha, atau di bawah pinggul seperti terlihat dalam buku Indonesia Indah, Busana Tradisional (Yayasan Harapan Kita, tanpa tahun penerbitan).
Bila kini Anne Avantie mengatakan tidak ingin dibandingkan dan tidak ingin dikritik tidak mengikuti pakem kebaya, dia ada benarnya, sebab pakaian akan selalu berubah dan apalagi ada tantangan globalisasi.
”Kebaya memang selalu berubah dari zaman ke zaman. Jadi, terobosan Anne mesti dipahami sebagai bagian dari perkembangan kebaya modern. Anne membuat kebayanya tidak main-main dan orang percaya kepada dia, antara lain karena dia pandai bangun jaringan dan rendah hati,” kata bekas model Okky Asokawati. Pendapat senada juga disampaikan penyanyi Titiek Puspa dan bekas model Dewi Motik.
Proses Kreatif Kebaya Multifungsi
Upaya Anne mengolah kebaya muncul misalnya pada bagian akhir pada kebaya gim dengan hiasan benang emas berbahan beludru hitam yang dikenakan Desi. Menurut Anne, ini adalah upayanya agar orang melirik lagi kebaya beludru yang pernah populer tahun 1950-an.
Meskipun demikian, tetap perlu memerhatikan asal-usul dan konteks budaya ketika pakaian yang saat ini diklaim sebagai busana perempuan Indonesia dan Malaysia itu akan dimodifikasi. Kebaya dalam konteks Indonesia mendapat sebutan kebaya ketika dia dipadukan dengan kain panjang atau sarung. Tanpa pendukung sarung atau kain panjang, kebaya adalah blus biasa saja. Dan, tidak dapat dihindari kesan gaun malam pun muncul.
Anne Avantie yang dihubungi Sabtu mengakui, memang kebaya di luar konteks budayanya akan menjadi blus biasa. Tetapi, dia mengaku melakukan itu setelah melalui proses berpikir yang panjang. Menurut Anne, dia melihat ke tahun 2010 bahwa kebaya harus dapat ditransformasi menjadi bentuk yang dapat diterima secara internasional. Salah satu upaya adalah dengan menyesuaikan tampilan kebaya menurut kebutuhan pemakai dan multifungsi.
”Lengan yang menggelembung seperti dipakai Caroline Zachri itu saya rekat memakai pita dan bisa dilepas. Di dalamnya lengan dibuat dari tulle. Tampilannya memang jadi seperti noni Belanda ketika dipadu dengan rok tumpuk (dan payung). Juga bagian leher pada kebaya kartini dapat dilepas. Lalu yang dipakai Aline, ikat pinggangnya dari kulit. Dengan begitu orang dapat memakai kebaya sesuai acara yang dihadiri atau sesuai budaya mereka,” tutur Anne.
”Saya tetap menghormati kebaya yang pakem, karena itu tidak saya apa-apakan. Tetapi, saya berpikir jauh bahwa kebaya itu juga dapat diterima di Eropa, misalnya, sehingga harus dapat sesuai dengan kehidupan mereka,” tambah Anne.
Memang hal ini akan terus menjadi wacana, sejauh mana proses kreatif dapat dilakukan tanpa kehilangan konteks.
”Muncul pertanyaan sejauh mana proses kreatif dapat dilakukan. Mungkin penyebutan pakaian Indonesia dapat lebih luas menampung proses kreatif itu,” kata perancang yang pemain film dan sinetron Robby Tumewu. (Ninuk M Pambudy)
Anne Avantie Mewujudkan "Djiwakoe"…
Kompas Minggu, August 3, 2003
Hotel Candi Baru yang kuno dibangun tahun 1919 dan menjadi hotel sejak zaman pendudukan Belanda, hari Sabtu (26/7) bermandikan cahaya. Keadaan itu memang lain dari biasanya karena pada hari-hari sebelumnya hotel yang dahulu bernama Hotel Billevu itu terlihat "buram", apalagi bila dibandingkan dengan sejumlah hotel baru yang banyak bermunculan di Kota Semarang.
Malam itu, Anne Avantie-desainer ternama Kota Semarang-merayakan 14 tahun perjalanannya sebagai perancang busana di Hotel Candi Baru. Dia memilih hotel nuansa kuno, berornamen artistik pada dindingnya, dan berberanda untuk melengkapi perjalanan penampilan karyanya diberi tema "Djiwakoe". Tema sengaja dituliskan tata bahasa lama itu dikaitkan dengan kekunoan lokasi yang dipilih.
Anne mengakui, memang ingin menampilkan eksotika dalam pergelarannya. Sebab itu, dia memilih sebuah hotel kuno sebagai tempat memamerkan 45 karyanya. Dan kali ini bukan hanya kebaya yang ditampilkan, melainkan juga sejumlah rancangan pakaian yang lebih eksotik, bahkan seksi. Dia menampilkan sejumlah rancangan pakaian funky yang hanya cocok dipakai oleh remaja putri perkotaan.
"Selama ini, saya memang lebih dikenal sebagai perancang yang menonjol di pakaian kebaya. Tetapi, bukan berarti saya tidak bisa merancang dan menampilkan jenis pakaian yang lain. Sekarang, saya mengikuti keinginan jiwa saja. Karena merancang busana itu kan harus dengan jiwa. Bukan sekadar pesanan. Karena itu, saya ingin begitu saja mengikuti jiwa," jelas Anne. Karena itu, pergelaran 14 tahun karyanya bertemakan Djiwakoe.
Walaupun merayakan perjalanan karyanya, tetapi malam itu Anne Avantie tidak sendirian. Dia melakukan kolaborasi dengan sejumlah perancang lain, seperti Musa Widyatmodjo, Popy Dharsono, Yongky Komaladi, dan Elisabeth Wahyu dari Jakarta, serta Ardianto Pranata dan Afif Syakur dari Yogyakarta. Perancang dari Jakarta dan Yogyakarta itu "menyumbangkan" karyanya berupa kain khas dan batik, sepatu, maupun aksesori lain. Rancangan mereka "memperkuat" busana karya Anne Avantie.
Mengapa Anne tetap berkolaborasi? Dia menjelaskan, saat ini bersama dengan desainer lain dirinya bergabung dalam kelompok yang dinamakan The Catwalk. "Kami ingin sekaligus mengenalkan keberadaan kelompok ini sebagai bagian dari mengembangkan dunia fashion di Indonesia," jelasnya.
Pergelaran "Djiwakoe" berlangsung dalam tiga sequence dengan koreografer Ananta Khanapi. Penyanyi Yuni Shara serta pembawa acara Alya Rohali dan Bagas pun mengenakan pakaian karya Anne Avantie, mulai dari kebaya yang dipadukan dengan kain batik yang dimodifikasi maupun busana malam yang lebih "fresh". Yuni pun mengakui, selama ini menjadi pelanggan karya Anne Avantie, yang juga membuka butik di Jakarta.
Pada sequence pertama, Anne menampilkan 16 busana rancangannya, terutama berupa kebaya. Jenis pakaian inilah yang selama ini menjadi keunggulannya. Akan tetapi, ia tidak sendirian menampilkan karyanya, melainkan kebaya yang ditampilkan peragawati senior, seperti Dona Harun, Ira Duati, Catherine Wilson, Aline, Arzety, dan Endita itu dipadukan dengan kain karya Musa, batik rancangan Ardianto atau Afif, dan karya lain dari Poppy Dharsono, Yongky, maupun Elisabeth.
"Saya suka kebaya karya Anne Avantie. Kreatif. Lihat saja ini," ungkap Alya Rohali, yang malam itu memakai kebaya warna merah dengan bukaan dada yang asimetris. Ny A Mbay, istri seorang perwira tinggi Polri, yang membuka pergelaran itu pun mengaku merasa pas dengan kebaya karya Anne. Malam itu, ia mengenakan kebaya renda berwarna putih.
Pada sequence kedua, Anne menampilkan 15 busana rancangannya yang lebih ekspresif. Pada bagian ini, hampir tidak ada kebaya-sebagai kekuatan Anne Avantie-yang ditampilkan. Justru desain yang memadukan gaya ekstrem yang dimunculkan. Busana funky dengan lebih menonjolkan eksotisme yang lebih mendominasi. Ini karya jiwa dan hati Anne Avantie.
"Saya mengikuti hati dan jiwa saja dalam berkarya. Sekarang saya memang merasa lebih menjadi diri sendiri. Tidak lagi terpengaruh untuk membuat karya yang mirip dengan karya orang lain. Saya mengikuti hati saja," kata Anne lagi.
Anne kembali menampilkan karyanya sebanyak 14 busana, yang sebagian besar merupakan kebaya artistik. Inilah unggulannya. Kebaya yang dimodifikasi menjadi gaun malam itu tidak hanya berbahan baku kain, melainkan juga dibuat dari bulu, bebatuan, dan serat alam. Rancangan itu tampak feminin.
Sebanyak 45 karya rancangan yang diperagakan malam itu memang sangatlah beragam. Perjalanan jiwa Anne Avantie, paling tidak malam itu, memukau ratusan pengunjung yang setia mengikuti pergelaran sampai usai. (TRA)
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Going Global: The Way Forward to Indonesian Companies
The title is exactly what appeared on The Jakarta Post (April 18, 2007) in Management Section. My boss wrote it. You can either read it on... or follow this link.
The article was based on research and work done by Fortune magazine in partneship with Hay Group, titled "What Makes the Most Admired Companies Great". It explored the study on corporate reputations among Fortune 1,000 and Global 500 companies. We separated the rankings of the World's and America's Most Admired Companies based on 9 attributes as follow:
The results are very interesting and provide insights to survive the global competitive world. Do you know who's The Overall "All Stars" for 2007? *smile* It's General Electric for both World's Most Admired and America's Most Admired!
And here comes the complete list....
World's Most Admired
1. General Electric
2. Toyota Motor
3. Procter & Gamble
4. Johnson & Johnson
5. Apple
6. Berkshire Hathaway
7. FedEx
8. Microsoft
9. BMW
10. PepsiCo
America's Most Admired
1. General Electric
2. Starbucks
3. Toyota Motor
4. Berkshire Hathaway
5. Southwest Airlines
6. FedEx
7. Apple
8. Google
9. Johnson & Johnson
10. Procter & Gamble
Top Non-US Companies
1. Toyota Motor
2. BMW
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Nokia
5. Honda Motor
6. Nestle
7. Toyota Industries
8. Tesco
9. Samsung Electronics
10. BP
"Boards of Most Admired Companies are not only demanding a more significant role in the succession planning process, they are devoting much more time and effort to it than other boards are. Increasingly, 'rigor' has replaced 'rolodex' as the watchword in CEO succession planning. The best boards aren't looking for a rolodex of outside candidates whe it comes to the corner office; they are looking for rigorous processes to help them develop and assess their interal executive talent to make smart decisions about corporate leadership."
Beverly A. Behan
Managing Director
Board Effectiveness Practice, Hay Group
"My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too."
Jack Welch
Former CEO - General Electric
"The people we hire, and the focus we put on their development as leaders, are critical to P&G's ability to innovate and compete. Nothing I do will have a more enduring impact on P&G's long-term success than helping to develop other leaders."
A.G. Lafley
Chairman and CEO - Procter & Gamble
And, if you want to know more... you can contact us at Hay Group.
Going Global: The way forward for Indonesian companies
Supplement - April 18, 2007
Each year, Fortune magazine publishes its list of the world's most admired companies, based on a detailed survey of prominent business figures across a range of industries. Produced in partnership with the Hay Group, the survey asks participants to assess their peers in terms of global readiness, innovation, employee talent, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, financial soundness, long term investment, quality of products and services and quality of management.
Inclusion in the list garners more than mere prestige -- since its inception 10 years ago, shareholder returns for the "World's Most Admired Companies" have regularly exceeded the Standard and Poor 500 index.
Yet in Asia, only companies from Japan and South Korea make the top 50, while emerging economic giants China and India are conspicuously absent from the list, as are companies from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Chinese companies are widely seen as the new rising stars of the business world, but, while 19 rank among the Fortune 500, the World's Most Admired Companies List still eludes them.
So what can Asian -- and in particular Indonesian -- companies do in order to take this leap onto the global arena? A challenge that Indonesia faces today is the search for leadership. Since the financial crisis and the subsequent collapse of established corporations, the nation is still waiting for business leaders it can trust.
We believe that some of Indonesia's reputable organizations like Sampoerna, Bank Mandiri, Astra International, Medco Energy Group and Telkom have what it takes to become global firms. What makes them stand out is that they are able to attract, retain and develop talented people. Procter & Gamble (P&G) President Alan Lafley spends as much as half his time on fostering talent. For him, it is the crucial factor that saw P&G place 3rd overall in Fortune's list. With the support of effective human resource professionals, Indonesian companies can also become global players to be reckoned with.
Research indicates that the world's most admired companies apply strict quality criteria for their leading people, by which they can measure efficacy. Criteria vary according to the strategic requirements of the company, but they are applied at every level of staff development, from recruitment through selection, fostering, performance assessment and promotion of leaders.
In Indonesia we see many companies spending their entire talent development budget on many people. While this is good for unity and morale, the impact on revenue and profitability is relatively low considering the outlay. Our work with clients here indicates that the best-performing companies are the ones who identify a few critical "tipping-point" talents and choose to invest heavily on them instead. These people will be the leaders who take their companies to the next level.
The Hay Group's research indicates that it is crucial to identify and develop talented people at organizational and team levels, not just at the individual level. Companies on Fortune's list use a range of methods to develop their staff, including coaching, pre-planned job development programs, rotational training and assessment and tailored training rather than a traditional one-size-fits-all approach.
Once a strong leading team keen on mutual reliance and co-operation is established, a culture of teamwork will filter through the company. Indonesia's work ethic is well-known for its co-operative and teamwork culture. What is critical is for this natural co-operation and team work to be directed towards a common purpose -- the organization's purpose.
It is the overall responsibility of the leaders to establish behavioral standards by which all must abide. Staff assessment and reward should include these behavioral factors, such as teamwork and customer orientation. If these do not exist, problems may not be discussed openly, leading to lack of consensus and confusion throughout the entire company structure.
Establishing organizational structures conducive to teamwork interdepartmental communication in the world's most admired companies is a crucial factor in delivering customer service of the highest quality. Many of these companies set up inter-agency teams whose principal functions are to solve problems for customers and provide a forum for experts and managers from different fields to brainstorm.
In Indonesia, where customers are becoming more demanding and the marketplace increasingly competitive, companies need to take a more flexible approach to organizational structure. One of our clients, a technology company, recently re-organized from traditional "functional" departments to customer-oriented teams, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and improved internal cohesion.
Companies on the Fortune list invest a great deal of time and energy in executive power development via effective communication of strategies, clear decision-making processes, appropriate authorization and requirements on employees to fulfill particular responsibilities.
In Indonesia, there is an additional challenge for some emerging companies. Having started out as family-run businesses, they are now run by second- or third-generation family members. Often educated in Europe or America, their outlook is very different from their founders. The sooner they can align their views, the better the two can leverage their different strengths to take their companies onto the international playing field.
The world's most admired companies do not restrict decision making to the senior level but rather the most appropriate level, the employee(s) with the relevant knowledge, skills and experience.
Like many Asian organizations, companies in Indonesia often have problems with appropriate authorization -- management overlap is found even at the highest levels, resulting in lack of clarity in decision-making and consequently, delays in the execution of instructions. Junior managers often have no decision making powers whatsoever, even if they're in a better position to decide on something than a senior manager who is removed from the situation and whose energy could be better employed elsewhere.
In the world's most admired companies, performance indices are correlated with company strategy and salaries with performance goals. There are clear lines of responsibility and accountability. When departments or groups are being 'jointly responsible,' the result is actually zero responsibility.
Companies need to have teeth to win against the competition. Employees need to know exactly what their responsibilities are and what they are being held accountable for. They also need to know what happens to them personally if they fail or succeed.
Finally, many Indonesian companies are pushing outwards in search of new markets, thereby exposing leaders to overseas experience. With these experienced people at the helm supported by committed employees and effective organizations, we may well see Indonesian companies appearing on Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies list. The opportunity is there and it is a goal that is wholly achievable.
Sylvano Damanik is president director of the Hay Group in Indonesia, a global management consulting firm.
The article was based on research and work done by Fortune magazine in partneship with Hay Group, titled "What Makes the Most Admired Companies Great". It explored the study on corporate reputations among Fortune 1,000 and Global 500 companies. We separated the rankings of the World's and America's Most Admired Companies based on 9 attributes as follow:
- Ability to attract and retain talented people
- Quality of management
- Quality of products and services
- Innovativeness
- Long-term investment value
- Financial soundness
- Wise use of corporate assets
- Social responsibility to the community and the environment
- Effectiveness in conducting business globally
The results are very interesting and provide insights to survive the global competitive world. Do you know who's The Overall "All Stars" for 2007? *smile* It's General Electric for both World's Most Admired and America's Most Admired!
And here comes the complete list....
World's Most Admired
1. General Electric
2. Toyota Motor
3. Procter & Gamble
4. Johnson & Johnson
5. Apple
6. Berkshire Hathaway
7. FedEx
8. Microsoft
9. BMW
10. PepsiCo
America's Most Admired
1. General Electric
2. Starbucks
3. Toyota Motor
4. Berkshire Hathaway
5. Southwest Airlines
6. FedEx
7. Apple
8. Google
9. Johnson & Johnson
10. Procter & Gamble
Top Non-US Companies
1. Toyota Motor
2. BMW
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Nokia
5. Honda Motor
6. Nestle
7. Toyota Industries
8. Tesco
9. Samsung Electronics
10. BP
"Boards of Most Admired Companies are not only demanding a more significant role in the succession planning process, they are devoting much more time and effort to it than other boards are. Increasingly, 'rigor' has replaced 'rolodex' as the watchword in CEO succession planning. The best boards aren't looking for a rolodex of outside candidates whe it comes to the corner office; they are looking for rigorous processes to help them develop and assess their interal executive talent to make smart decisions about corporate leadership."
Beverly A. Behan
Managing Director
Board Effectiveness Practice, Hay Group
"My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too."
Jack Welch
Former CEO - General Electric
"The people we hire, and the focus we put on their development as leaders, are critical to P&G's ability to innovate and compete. Nothing I do will have a more enduring impact on P&G's long-term success than helping to develop other leaders."
A.G. Lafley
Chairman and CEO - Procter & Gamble
And, if you want to know more... you can contact us at Hay Group.
Going Global: The way forward for Indonesian companies
Supplement - April 18, 2007
Each year, Fortune magazine publishes its list of the world's most admired companies, based on a detailed survey of prominent business figures across a range of industries. Produced in partnership with the Hay Group, the survey asks participants to assess their peers in terms of global readiness, innovation, employee talent, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, financial soundness, long term investment, quality of products and services and quality of management.
Inclusion in the list garners more than mere prestige -- since its inception 10 years ago, shareholder returns for the "World's Most Admired Companies" have regularly exceeded the Standard and Poor 500 index.
Yet in Asia, only companies from Japan and South Korea make the top 50, while emerging economic giants China and India are conspicuously absent from the list, as are companies from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Chinese companies are widely seen as the new rising stars of the business world, but, while 19 rank among the Fortune 500, the World's Most Admired Companies List still eludes them.
So what can Asian -- and in particular Indonesian -- companies do in order to take this leap onto the global arena? A challenge that Indonesia faces today is the search for leadership. Since the financial crisis and the subsequent collapse of established corporations, the nation is still waiting for business leaders it can trust.
We believe that some of Indonesia's reputable organizations like Sampoerna, Bank Mandiri, Astra International, Medco Energy Group and Telkom have what it takes to become global firms. What makes them stand out is that they are able to attract, retain and develop talented people. Procter & Gamble (P&G) President Alan Lafley spends as much as half his time on fostering talent. For him, it is the crucial factor that saw P&G place 3rd overall in Fortune's list. With the support of effective human resource professionals, Indonesian companies can also become global players to be reckoned with.
Research indicates that the world's most admired companies apply strict quality criteria for their leading people, by which they can measure efficacy. Criteria vary according to the strategic requirements of the company, but they are applied at every level of staff development, from recruitment through selection, fostering, performance assessment and promotion of leaders.
In Indonesia we see many companies spending their entire talent development budget on many people. While this is good for unity and morale, the impact on revenue and profitability is relatively low considering the outlay. Our work with clients here indicates that the best-performing companies are the ones who identify a few critical "tipping-point" talents and choose to invest heavily on them instead. These people will be the leaders who take their companies to the next level.
The Hay Group's research indicates that it is crucial to identify and develop talented people at organizational and team levels, not just at the individual level. Companies on Fortune's list use a range of methods to develop their staff, including coaching, pre-planned job development programs, rotational training and assessment and tailored training rather than a traditional one-size-fits-all approach.
Once a strong leading team keen on mutual reliance and co-operation is established, a culture of teamwork will filter through the company. Indonesia's work ethic is well-known for its co-operative and teamwork culture. What is critical is for this natural co-operation and team work to be directed towards a common purpose -- the organization's purpose.
It is the overall responsibility of the leaders to establish behavioral standards by which all must abide. Staff assessment and reward should include these behavioral factors, such as teamwork and customer orientation. If these do not exist, problems may not be discussed openly, leading to lack of consensus and confusion throughout the entire company structure.
Establishing organizational structures conducive to teamwork interdepartmental communication in the world's most admired companies is a crucial factor in delivering customer service of the highest quality. Many of these companies set up inter-agency teams whose principal functions are to solve problems for customers and provide a forum for experts and managers from different fields to brainstorm.
In Indonesia, where customers are becoming more demanding and the marketplace increasingly competitive, companies need to take a more flexible approach to organizational structure. One of our clients, a technology company, recently re-organized from traditional "functional" departments to customer-oriented teams, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and improved internal cohesion.
Companies on the Fortune list invest a great deal of time and energy in executive power development via effective communication of strategies, clear decision-making processes, appropriate authorization and requirements on employees to fulfill particular responsibilities.
In Indonesia, there is an additional challenge for some emerging companies. Having started out as family-run businesses, they are now run by second- or third-generation family members. Often educated in Europe or America, their outlook is very different from their founders. The sooner they can align their views, the better the two can leverage their different strengths to take their companies onto the international playing field.
The world's most admired companies do not restrict decision making to the senior level but rather the most appropriate level, the employee(s) with the relevant knowledge, skills and experience.
Like many Asian organizations, companies in Indonesia often have problems with appropriate authorization -- management overlap is found even at the highest levels, resulting in lack of clarity in decision-making and consequently, delays in the execution of instructions. Junior managers often have no decision making powers whatsoever, even if they're in a better position to decide on something than a senior manager who is removed from the situation and whose energy could be better employed elsewhere.
In the world's most admired companies, performance indices are correlated with company strategy and salaries with performance goals. There are clear lines of responsibility and accountability. When departments or groups are being 'jointly responsible,' the result is actually zero responsibility.
Companies need to have teeth to win against the competition. Employees need to know exactly what their responsibilities are and what they are being held accountable for. They also need to know what happens to them personally if they fail or succeed.
Finally, many Indonesian companies are pushing outwards in search of new markets, thereby exposing leaders to overseas experience. With these experienced people at the helm supported by committed employees and effective organizations, we may well see Indonesian companies appearing on Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies list. The opportunity is there and it is a goal that is wholly achievable.
Sylvano Damanik is president director of the Hay Group in Indonesia, a global management consulting firm.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Indonesia's Way: A brand new form of discrimination against Chinese
In Indonesia, if you (in this case anybody that holds public service positions) can make things "difficult" to get money, then you'd do everything in your power to make sure your channel of "easy money" will not cease. And, the Chinese-Indonesians are those sapi perah (money-making machine), kelinci percobaan (guinea pig), kambing hitam (scapegoat), and kambing congek (one who is present but doesn't count as taking part) - depending on the situation - that are easily (and most of the times legally or politically justified) coerced to accept their "fate".
There are several positive notes on the good will to reduce discrimination but there is no penalty or punishment to enforce the regulations. Ya, itu lagi... kalau ada yang bisa dibikin susah, kenapa dibuat gampang?
Below is what we still need to fight from continuing....
Discrimination is not over for Chinese-Indonesians. Several brand new restrictions have been declared for the Chinese in the country since the end of last year.
It is now "illegal" for Chinese-Indonesians to sign a cheque or to have an insurance policy. The Civil Code and the civil litigation procedure law is no longer valid for the ethnic group. The implications are, among others, that they can not file complaints, or be complained about, in state courts for tort or breach of contract, remedies and others.
At the end of last year, The 2006 Resident Administration Law was enacted. Article 106 of the law revokes several Dutch colonial laws in the administration of resident matters, including those on the conducting of civil registration for several important events in a life of a person, i.e. birth, marriage, divorce and death. This registration has significant legal implications in areas such as inheritance rights.
The revocation of the Dutch colonial laws was a blessing because they discriminated and segregated residents into three different groups: European, Eastern Foreigner and Indigenous. Each of them was administered under different laws. Biological identification decided which law should be implied. A Caucasian with Taiwan citizenship should be registered as European and not Eastern Foreigner. That was part of the history.
The problem is, however, that the 2006 law incorrectly revokes a regulation that actually should not have been scrapped. What was revoked by article 106 C was a regulation that brought into force several laws in business for the Chinese: The Civil Code, the trade law, the bankruptcy law, the civil litigation procedure law, the firm law and the adoption law. These regulations were well known as Staatsblad 1917-129.2. Before 1917, these laws only applied to the Dutch and Europeans.
However, after these laws were accidentally revoked, they were no longer effective for the Chinese. As the Chinese play a significant role in business, it will be a "business jam". In short, it's a catastrophe.
How could this blatant discrimination happen? Has the dream of non-discriminatory treatment just evaporated?
What the 2006 law should revoke is the colonial law widely known as Staatsblad 1917-130, or the Regulation for Civil Registration for the Chinese. This regulation is stated the birth certificate of every Chinese person in Indonesia. And it is also written as the legal basis for civil registration ordinances in every regency and municipal administration. Please note that as the Staatsblad 1917-130 has not been revoked, it still is in full power to force the Chinese into a different registration scheme. And that is discrimination, at least segregation.
The case is just the same for article 106 E that revokes Staatsblad 193-74, a regulation on marriage for Christian Indonesians in Java, Minahasa and Ambon. This Staatsblad had already been revoked by Article 66 of the 1974 Marriage Law.
What the 2006 law should revoke is known as Staatsblad 1933-75, or the Regulation for Civil Registration for Christian Indonesians. Again, just like Chinese, this regulation is stated on the birth certificate for every Christian Indonesian and used by every regency government. Still, it has been wrongly typed.
Suppose this flaw was not a result of negligence. The lack of proficiency in the Dutch language could be the primary cause, as the colonial era is long over.
On the other hand, should those who drafted the law on resident administration have intentionally formulated the law as it is now, then it is a disaster for our nation and character building. It is a reconnaissance of minority groups. The present careless regime theoretically has full power to continue discrimination.
Carelessly or intentionally, the Home Ministry must be responsible at least for an immediate revision for the law.
By: Ivan Wibowo, Jakarta
The writer is a member of the Advocate-Youth Chinese Network. He can be reached at ivanwibowo@gmail.com
There are several positive notes on the good will to reduce discrimination but there is no penalty or punishment to enforce the regulations. Ya, itu lagi... kalau ada yang bisa dibikin susah, kenapa dibuat gampang?
Below is what we still need to fight from continuing....
Discrimination is not over for Chinese-Indonesians. Several brand new restrictions have been declared for the Chinese in the country since the end of last year.
It is now "illegal" for Chinese-Indonesians to sign a cheque or to have an insurance policy. The Civil Code and the civil litigation procedure law is no longer valid for the ethnic group. The implications are, among others, that they can not file complaints, or be complained about, in state courts for tort or breach of contract, remedies and others.
At the end of last year, The 2006 Resident Administration Law was enacted. Article 106 of the law revokes several Dutch colonial laws in the administration of resident matters, including those on the conducting of civil registration for several important events in a life of a person, i.e. birth, marriage, divorce and death. This registration has significant legal implications in areas such as inheritance rights.
The revocation of the Dutch colonial laws was a blessing because they discriminated and segregated residents into three different groups: European, Eastern Foreigner and Indigenous. Each of them was administered under different laws. Biological identification decided which law should be implied. A Caucasian with Taiwan citizenship should be registered as European and not Eastern Foreigner. That was part of the history.
The problem is, however, that the 2006 law incorrectly revokes a regulation that actually should not have been scrapped. What was revoked by article 106 C was a regulation that brought into force several laws in business for the Chinese: The Civil Code, the trade law, the bankruptcy law, the civil litigation procedure law, the firm law and the adoption law. These regulations were well known as Staatsblad 1917-129.2. Before 1917, these laws only applied to the Dutch and Europeans.
However, after these laws were accidentally revoked, they were no longer effective for the Chinese. As the Chinese play a significant role in business, it will be a "business jam". In short, it's a catastrophe.
How could this blatant discrimination happen? Has the dream of non-discriminatory treatment just evaporated?
What the 2006 law should revoke is the colonial law widely known as Staatsblad 1917-130, or the Regulation for Civil Registration for the Chinese. This regulation is stated the birth certificate of every Chinese person in Indonesia. And it is also written as the legal basis for civil registration ordinances in every regency and municipal administration. Please note that as the Staatsblad 1917-130 has not been revoked, it still is in full power to force the Chinese into a different registration scheme. And that is discrimination, at least segregation.
The case is just the same for article 106 E that revokes Staatsblad 193-74, a regulation on marriage for Christian Indonesians in Java, Minahasa and Ambon. This Staatsblad had already been revoked by Article 66 of the 1974 Marriage Law.
What the 2006 law should revoke is known as Staatsblad 1933-75, or the Regulation for Civil Registration for Christian Indonesians. Again, just like Chinese, this regulation is stated on the birth certificate for every Christian Indonesian and used by every regency government. Still, it has been wrongly typed.
Suppose this flaw was not a result of negligence. The lack of proficiency in the Dutch language could be the primary cause, as the colonial era is long over.
On the other hand, should those who drafted the law on resident administration have intentionally formulated the law as it is now, then it is a disaster for our nation and character building. It is a reconnaissance of minority groups. The present careless regime theoretically has full power to continue discrimination.
Carelessly or intentionally, the Home Ministry must be responsible at least for an immediate revision for the law.
By: Ivan Wibowo, Jakarta
The writer is a member of the Advocate-Youth Chinese Network. He can be reached at ivanwibowo@gmail.com
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