The Common Sense of Professionalism

Back when the Gojek app still had its Go-Auto service, I would occasionally use it to have my car washed.

I loved Go-Auto. I thought it was a gem! It offered car-washing, tyre and oil-changing, and car-waxing services, the works! It solved the annoyingly time-consuming car maintenance issues that I'd always procrastinate day after day, in favour of running parallel meetings or chasing deadlines.

On one occasion I had ordered a car-wash service via Go-Auto. It was on a weekday rush hour and so, understandably I expected a 10-15 minute grace period under the unpredictable Jakarta traffic conditions, especially since I had only punched in the order an hour before.

"I am at Tower A lobby. Sorry, I am deaf.", my Go-Auto service man texted. Carrying his bulky gear on his back, he was actually hardly 4 minutes late and profusely apologetic,

My driver was deaf and read lips. I was appreciative of his professionalism.

When Gojek founder Nadiem Makarim became Education Minister, he nailed it when he said that the biggest whinge that businesses in Indonesia have on talents today was not on their technical knowledge, but predominantly their communication skills, lack of initiative, team-working skills and discipline in respecting time - all key elements of professionalism.

* BTW just to note this article is not #Gojek endorsed nor sponsored :-)

Sadly, anyone who has been working in Indonesia for a few years can attest to the same.

Arriving late at meetings with neither apology nor reason, radio silence with no communications for failed commitments, lack of initiatives to problem solve, lack of responsiveness, lack of follow-through or updates on accountabilities - are just some of the situations that business leaders across industries often face on a day to day basis.

Indonesia is still taking baby steps when the pressure is already on to elevate our work creed, not because the world is going borderless and growingly more competitive, not because artificial intelligence is advancing by the second as we speak, not because our jobs and livelihoods are at risk if we don’t start changing, but because many of these so-called “professional” behaviours are common sense and basic etiquette.

It is my hope that the advantages of having easy internet access that the present generation has over its predecessors can be used wisely, not just to find out about the latest news and technologies, but also to observe and reflect on the work ethics needed behind every success.

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