When it comes to communicating and building relationships with employees, all business executives adopt their own approach, a reflection of their respective leadership style. For one senior property executive, it comes down to getting to know his employees.

Budi Lesmana practices a business management style that he calls '€œmanaging by walking around'€, touching base with his employees as he makes the rounds of the office.

'€œIt has a positive effect on employees, which contributes to the company'€™s continued growth,'€ said the 48-year-old, whose informal manner is reflected in the casual way he dresses.

The Jakarta-born director of PT Triyasa Properindo said his management style helped employees to feel valued and it also boosted their morale, sense of organizational purpose, ownership and productivity.

With the top-down approach, he fosters communication by meeting face to face with each manager of different divisions and employees.

'€œAlmost every day, I come and sit down with each of my employees at their desk to discuss work, progress reports, problems and complaints if any, etc. This way, I can have a more open discussion with them and I can gain more valid and first-hand information than I would if I called them into my office,'€ said Budi, who spends most of his time outside the office.

 '€œWell, perhaps this is not the best (approach) but based on our recent employee opinion survey, their level of understating of things such as our vision, for example, tends to increase.'€

He decided upon the approach during a previous position.

'€œI frequently hung out at our company'€™s security guard post and discussed subjects of common interests with them, such as soccer, while we drank coffee with them,'€ he said.

Shared dream

A corporate leader, he said, should have a feasible dream or vision with respect to his or her primary task to advance or develop the company and that the dream should be shared by all employees. '€œIn this context, the downward communication approach has proved effective,'€ he said.

'€œInstead of just being memorized, the dream should be understood and carried out by all members of staff. That'€™s why efforts should be made to simplify it so that low level employees, such as office boys/girls can understand it.'€

In addition to the walking around approach, he also initiated a '€œLet'€™s Talk'€ forum held once every three months, through which he shares progress reports on the shared dream and gets views, input, opposing opinions and even perspectives on minor issues.

'€œBy doing so, we can exchange information and find a mutual understanding,'€ he said, adding that with regard to communication, what mattered most was not the frequency (of the meetings) but how the information was conveyed and understood.

'€œOnce the dream is understood by all, everyone is motivated to achieve the shared goal,'€ he said.

'€œWe create a working environment with an emphasis on solid teamwork because people need each other. We apply this mantra in the way we conduct our business.'€

Under his leadership, the company has experienced robust growth.

'€œWe targeted Rp 500 billion worth of assets (land) in 2015. I thank God that this was achieved within seven months,'€ he said.

In addition to walking around and taking to his employees, he also frequently talks to tenants of the company'€™s buildings, which assists him in controlling any customers-related situation.

'€œBy frequently checking on the various buildings, problems such as faulty air conditioners can be detected in advance to avoid customer complaints. By doing things this way, we also promote a principle that solving a problem before it becomes a complaint is the best way to go.'€

Budi'€™s successful career journey, as he acknowledges, was, to some extent, a result of '€œcoincidence and luck'€.

He started worked in his first managerial post in 1995 when he joined property consultant PT Collier Jardine Indonesia as property manager, he later became president director of PT Patra Logistics in 1999, general manager of the Taman Rasuna Apartment Tenants Association (PPATR) in 2007 and general manager of Tiara MargaTrakindo in 2009.

According to Budi, each company he has worked for provided him with valuable lessons, which he used as references for managerial improvement.

'€œI used to feel that I was always right because I had a big ego. But then I realized that when it comes to leading people toward a shared goal, it does not work,'€ he reflected.

The civil engineering graduate of Trisakti Univeristy noticed a boom in the property industry in Jakarta in 1992. After completing his university education, he took a two-year property management course at Singapore'€™s Open University.

'€œIn those days, post-graduate programs in property management were not available and that'€™s why I joined an open university, despite not having internet back then,'€ he recollected.

After several years working in different property companies, he enrolled in the MBA program at Monash University'€™s Jakarta campus, which he said, has influenced him much, not only in terms of expanding his knowledge on business management but also on how he looks at employee-related issues.

 '€œWe were encouraged to learn and analyze cases facing multinational companies on a global level. For different cases, there is framework that we can apply for managerial, employee or technical issues.

'€œIt won'€™t be exactly similar but the process of solving problems is worthwhile noting,'€ said the father of five who is a passionate tennis fan.

'€œIn regard to underperforming employees, for instance, we do not explore the weaknesses of the underperforming employees but instead find a solution by providing them with an opportunity get relevant training,'€ he said.

The study period at the university was a time for molding students'€™ character in which participants were trained to see issues more comprehensively and wisely.

'€œWe learned how to appreciate others'€™ views and inputs, whether agree or disagree,'€ he said.

'€œThat'€™s why management by walking style best fits for me.'€

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Budi Lesmana

Place and Year of Birth: Jakarta, 1966

Profession

Director of PT Triyasa Properindo from 2012 to present. Previously, worked at Tiara Trakindo as general manager (from 2009 '€“ 2012), the Taman Rasuna Apartment Tenants Association as general manager in 2007, PT Patra Logistik as president director (from 1999 '€“ 2006) and PT Davis Langdon and Seah Indonesia as project quantity surveyor.

Education

Master'€™s degree in Business Administration at Monash University in Jakarta (from 2002 '€“ 2005); Master'€™s degree in Management at Institut Pengembangan Manajemen Indonesia (2000 '€“ 2004); Bachelor'€™s degree majoring in Civil Engineering (1984 '€“ 1990).

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At Ease

Finding balance
I think everything must be balanced: Work and rest, carrier and family, world and life after death.

Health and wellness
To maintain my health I avoid eating too much and I never eat until I'€™m full. Regarding the types of food I eat, nothing is off limits. I like goat meat, lobster and crab but I always eat in moderation.

Responsibility as a family head
I never take my work home with me, once I reach my house my family is my priority. We always have a meal together as a family every Sunday. We talk about what'€™s going on in our lives and if there is a problem we try to solve it as a family.

Passion or hobby
I love playing tennis very much. If a golfer says, '€œyou can only beat yourself'€, then a tennis player would say, '€œYou win by beating others'€ If I didn'€™t have to work I would play tennis every day.

Besides playing tennis, I also play playstation games with my youngest son. I loved playing games when I was a kid and I still enjoy it. Games that we play are competitive in nature, such as car racing and soccer video games.