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Irni Palar: Managing work-life balance with open communication
JP/Jerry AdigunaMasterCard Indonesia country manager Irni Palar believes in the power of collaboration between experienced, capable and competent staff in growing a business
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JP/Jerry Adiguna
MasterCard Indonesia country manager Irni Palar believes in the power of collaboration between experienced, capable and competent staff in growing a business.
Conflicting feelings face most married Indonesian women who work, commonly arising from their responsibilities as a mother and a professional, but Irni Palar, an executive of a payment technology company, has found a recipe to balance family and work.
Irni said that culturally, Indonesian women are viewed as family oriented, leaving women who are married and who work in a frequent state of bewilderment when it comes to the issue of taking care of their children.
'I think it is about time management. There should not be a woman that 'cannot' as long as she can manage the work-life balance between her family and work ['¦] and how to become a professional and a role model for her family,' said the country manager of MasterCard Indonesia.
According to Irni, how she plays her roles as a leader in a company and a mother to her family have something in common ' the importance of open dialog and communication.
'In order to groom people, you have to have a sense of collaboration, a habit of having open dialogs and communications. I say to my staff, 'You can talk to me about anything. Don't be just too constrained about your job. We have time and it's good to always be open.' I think the same principle goes when I face my family, my children,' she said.
'I like communication. I always say to my children, 'You can talk to me at any time. I'll try to help you out'. So, they have a shoulder to cry on and hopefully, they will feel comfortable,' she added.
Irni's conclusion that married and working women need to have a good life balance did not occur overnight or from theory-based learning but from her life experiences, starting from her childhood and teenage years, when she studied abroad and gained work experience.
'I was a bit 'naughty' in my childhood compared to the rest of my sisters. I dared to rebel and go out of comfort zones as I had a dream of pursuing higher study overseas,' she said.
She acknowledged that when it came to education for female children, her parents, especially her father, initially had somewhat conservative views as they thought completing senior high school was enough for female children.
'My father told us that it was unnecessary for women to pursue higher study,' the 44-year-old recalled. 'His comments held a deep meaning for me. It meant it was enough for women, like in the view of most parents in the old days, to raise a family and be a companion in the kitchen,' she said.
'They initially objected to my strong will to go abroad for study because they did not want something bad to happen to me while I was away that might upset them. But finally they agreed to my idea,' she recalled.
'Individually, I stubbornly continued to pursue [higher education], which has led me to have a good position and to use my time to work,' the mother-of-three said of her current job.
Changing mindsets
Her success in pursuing higher study, followed by holding a good position in a company, have assured her parents that she plays roles as both a mother and a professional, which eventually changed their mindset regarding education for female children.
'Now they think that if parents have money, it is better to use it for sending their children to pursue further study abroad. They say giving knowledge is better than giving money,' Irni said.
Explaining the benefits of overseas study, she said that apart from establishing the good habit of being independent, children who study abroad are also directly trained to solve real problems, which they do not do when they live with their parents. 'When I was still with my parents I was spoiled as parents provide the necessary facilities.'
'My English was very limited when I first came to the US but this drove me to learn English because I had to communicate in the language,' she reminisced, giving a concrete example from life abroad.
'Living in an advanced country is also a plus. For example, when it comes to technology, they find out the problem and know how to solve it because they already have a 'bible' which can answer any related-problems,' she said.
While overseas study benefitted her in terms of knowledge, character formation and broadening her view of life, Irni has also found worthy life experiences from her workplace, such as the importance of the frequently discussed collaboration in achieving business success, human resources development and continually nurturing strengths in women's leadership.
When it comes to leadership style, Irni, who loves meeting new people, has found that a team player is better than a one-man show in terms of sustainability.
'Collaboration of competent, capable and experienced staff is key to success in growing a business. I always say to my staff that we have our respective roles to play. Each makes his or her own contribution. If you were a bulb, I would be a smash ball, which means we complement each other. There must those who are strong in execution and others strong in strategy, concepts and lobbying,' she said of her strategy as a manager.
That's why, she said, when hiring new employees, she considers two things: potential and eagerness to grow. 'Of course, education and training are also important. And secondly jam terbang [lengthy experience] ' something that cannot be purchased,' she added.
MasterCard is a lean organization but filled with the right and quality people, Irni disclosed. 'We employ a few people but they are top guns. They are capable, competent and able to translate what the company wants,' she said.
'As the company grows, the company's role has changed. In the past, MasterCard Indonesia played a background role as it supported what banks wanted but the role has changed as we are [now] more aggressive. Before banks ask for anything, we offer them [our products] in advance,' she said.
Highlighting female strength in leadership, she said that in terms of approaching and solving problems, women were more collaborative because 'usually they are more sensitive. If there is an issue, then she will be able to seek the best solution for all.' A good leader, Irni said, should be able to add value to other people's lives.
'To me, that's very important. They will respect you as a leader if you add value, which means a leader should be able to give suggestions and direction instead of just giving instructions,' she said.
'From the viewpoint of a corporation, we are aware that facing today's environment, technology and challenges, a female leader is capable of bringing a company onto a better track and into better growth,' she remarked.
According to Irni, many female leaders have achieved success. 'A key part of success for a female leader is to show that she is able to showcase her capabilities, and that she is able to compete with the opposite sex. I think Indonesian women should step up and come out of their comfort zones and be more expressive,' she said.
Indonesia is in an advantageous situation for women wishing to pursue a higher career. 'We have support facilities. We can hire a baby sitter or entrust our child to our parents or parents-in-law for short period of time. So we have peace of mind knowing that our children are taken care of, allowing us to continue to do the work.'
'So, Indonesian women should not be afraid of achieving their dreams because of their situation,' she concluded.
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At EASE
Time for family
There is always time for me to spend with my family. We take holidays twice a year and that's when I have the chance to spend time with them. I usually make the plans for holidays with my children.
Morning communication
Every morning I accompany my kids to school before heading to the office. That's the time I ask them how their school is going, if there is anyone that bullies them and so on. That's the communication that happens in the morning and I try to spend as much time as possible communicating with my kids.
Culinary travel
We spend most of the weekend engaging in culinary travel. We always ask 'What new things [foods] are there?' We look at [new foods] through photos posted by people on Instagram. Let's try new foods, or a light activity, such as watching a movie.
Because I love eating, all kinds of foods are my favorite. The important thing is that it's delicious and I do not fuss about food.
Career highlights
Country manager of MasterCard Indonesia (from 2012 to present). Previously served as vice president of PT Bank Mega, head of global establishment services at American Express Bank, Ltd. and at Coca Cola Amatil.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration from Portland State University, the US
Birth
July 30, 1971
