It is employees - not glitzy public relations or fancy ads, campaigns or tag lines - that reinforce an organization's character and the values that it wants to project. And an organization's character cannot be divorced from the character traits displayed by its employees, both within the workplace and externally, to a variety of stakeholders. Just as educational institutions, family, cultural and social networks and role models influence character building, so do corporate enterprises. For the reality of contemporary careers is that individuals spend 60-hour weeks, year in and year out in career pursuits. Therefore, companies do bear a responsibility to support character building and instill values that are aligned to what they are publicly professing.

Support for such character building can come from a variety of sources, and in Indonesia one valuable source is Outward Bound training that takes employees outside of their comfort zone and subjects them to activity-based learning. In this week's Expert Talk, Amol Titus, CEO of IndonesiaWISE, a leading management consulting company with expertise in local talent and competency development, speaks to Djoko Kusumowidagdo, founder and CEO of Outward Bound Indonesia about his insights on employee character building.

Question: What are some of the employee character building attributes that companies can support through programs and activities like Outward Bound?

Answer: Corporate support is necessary in employee character building today. What companies expect from employees in terms of behavior and performance must also be supported through training and development, both inside the company and through external programs like Outward Bound. Such programs can try to instill in the minds of trainees values such as responsibility, integrity, honesty, trust and serving others. These values are essential for character building and crucial for a successful corporate career.

As corporate structures become more complex and performance management more individualistic teamwork is seen to be suffering. What is the value of teamwork in the Indonesian work culture?

In villages and small towns, Indonesians still practice the ancestral value of "gotong royong" meaning carrying a heavy burden together. But this value is diminishing, especially in a large city like Jakarta. Some professionals want to get ahead at all costs and don't care much for teamwork.

In an external setting with demanding physical activity the importance of teamwork becomes clear to all. When someone is about to give up, for example during activities like "high ropes" or "rock climbing" or "building a raft" or when someone falls sick, you realize that only the team members will come to your rescue.

In pressure situations we also notice that people become emotional and start to open up, often sharing experiences, unloading burdens and reaching out. If this is done in the true spirit of give and take then good bonding can develop. This emphasizes the value of teamwork when companies also go through difficult times or crises, as is happening now.

What are some of the "bad habits" or styles of management that such activities can help overcome?

Unfortunately, in Indonesia the "ABS or asal bapak senang" management style is still practiced in both local and multinational companies. In such a situation there is little questioning of authority and an atmosphere of fear and lack of motivation. Senior managers are far removed from their subordinates.

In our activities we prefer to have mixed groups in which senior managers are forced to interact with middle and junior managers without any barriers. For example, we have one wall climbing activity where there are no supports. Team members have to climb a four-meter wall without ropes or accessories and the only way is to climb on top of each other. In this situation it does not matter who is senior or junior and irrespective of rank the executive must shoulder his or her share of the burden. This type of activity can be a good eye opener and help some senior managers learn to appreciate other team members more consistently.

What have been some of the memorable experiences that you can share - some amusing, others thought provoking?

One memorable experience would be a senior manager who was not demonstrating any leadership or motivation. He was also exhibiting low self-esteem. After a high impact activity of rock climbing on the third day he became a different person. It was like day and night. Not only did he become a role model for the group but also for other senior managers.

I have also found that generally our women participants are tougher, quicker to learn and adapt. Often in a group activity they overcome fears faster than men - fear of heights or injury or drowning. I believe this has to do with their ability to do so many difficult things at the same time, such as managing a career, family and stresses of city life.

Amusingly, there have been instances where our programs have led to a few romances and marriages. Happy and lasting marriages, I might add.

Once the activities are completed and executives return to their offices how must learning be reinforced?

This is an important follow-up point and I hope companies continue to support character building at their workplaces. This is important because our objective is to change someone's paradigm. The positive values we emphasize should be the basis for future assessment and career development. But we are also thinking of providing post-program support so that companies can consolidate the learning and make changes while lessons are still fresh in the minds of participants.

Background

Name: Djoko Kusumowidagdo

Birth Place: Tegal, Central Java

Education :

- Bachelor of Science in Chemistry,

Portland State University

- MBA, Portland State University

Work Experience :

- Import Manager, PT Berca Indonesia

(1976-1981)

- GM, PT Sanga Kencana International

(1981-1985)

- Managing Partner, PT Sanga Kanaka Consulindo (1986-1993)

- Founder and Executive Chairman,

PT Outward Bound Indonesia

(1990 present)

Interests :

Active in several clubs, such as Lions Club and Indonesian Lawn Tennis Federation (PELTI). Engaged in helping financially disadvantaged youth and villagers in Telagasari near Karawang.

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