Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Frankenstroot
"Gua"
Gua (pronounced
goo-wah) is a betawinese word for I or Me. In indonesian it means Saya
or Aku. Gua is commonly used by Indonesian people these days, no matter
from what tribe they are. It even considered as the most comfortable
word in conversation between friends, co-worker or even siblings. Some
of the married couple also uses this word for daily conversation, even
those who already have children. Not every couple, yes, but some of
them.For some people, the word Gua is considered to be a kinda harsh word, that's why it only used between the people of the same range of age. Well, actually it's not harsh at all. it is just because, it is so frequently used by everyone, from kids, teenager, and adults. It almost used in every TV show, or movies dialogue these days, because of it's simplicity. And because it is more applicable, and believable to the viewers' mind of what it is a daily conversation people are having. But still, no matter how common that word are used, we still have to respect older people by not using the word Gua. It feels more polite to use the word saya or aku, when talking to older people.
These days, the word Gua is having a slight modification when used by teenagers. The word is pronouced Gue (goo-weh). I don't how it actually started, but some part of Jakarta are really using it. It because some parts of Jakarta have a different style of dialect.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Ondel-ondel Betawi
Ondel-ondel Betawi (Native tribe of Jakarta) is a form of
folk performances which are often presented in the parties of the Betawinese people.
Apparently ondel-ondel are the portray of the ancestors who protects their
grandchildren or the people of a village.
Ondel-ondel are a form of a large doll that stands about 2.5
meters tall, with a diameter of ± 80 cm, made of bamboo,
which is prepared in such a way so a person can fit inside the doll and play it.
The face of ondel ondel are usually painted in red for the men, while women’s
ondel-onel are usually painted in white.
In Pasundan a similar type of this folk tradition is known
as Badawang, in Central Java called Barongan Buncis, while in Bali is better
known as Barong Landung. It is estimated
that these type of art had been performed since before the spread of Islam in
Java.
Originally ondel-ondel serves as a repellent force to
protect the people from ghosts. Today ondel-ondel typically used to add a
festive folk festivals or for welcoming important guests, for example, at the
opening of a new building. No matter how swift currents of modernization,
ondel-ondel is still survive and provide a softer side of Jakarta.
3 Things Successful Leaders Do on Wednesday
It's the middle of the week, and you can hardly wait
for the back-end of the week. You had the usual issues on Monday, and put out
some fires on Tuesday. Thursday is right around the corner, and you are ready
to put it on cruise control.
The successful leaders think a little different.
Each day of the week is important, and gliding into the weekend is not an
option. When they are not executing the plan, they are making sure that
problems are addressed quickly. In essence, they understand the importance of
taking corrective action when a misalignment takes place.
Wednesday is an important day for proactive leaders.
At this point in the week, they still have time to get the critical work done.
You will not hear the following from a go-getter: "Let's do the best we
can. We can always push it to next week." That is a no-no for successful
leaders. If the work is due this week, they will do whatever possible to
deliver on what is promised.
You will find top-notch leaders doing the following
on any given Wednesday:
#1: Review the plan created on Monday to ensure they
are on track.
In project management, we call the initial plan a
baseline. In other words, we want to know what we are expected to deliver
during the week. If the goal is to conduct 20 interviews with key customers
regarding their perceptions of the quality of tech support provided, these
leaders will make sure the work is on track.
The proactive leader will meet with the core team to
identify the progress. By becoming engaged in the process, the leader collects
valuable information to provide ample time to take corrective action when
necessary. Waiting even just one day to gather this time-sensitive feedback may
result in problems that escalate beyond the leader's department, and thereby
causing harm to the entire organization.
#2: Interact with team members to provide support
where necessary.
In MBA school, students learn an important
leadership concept called Management by Wandering Around. A successful leader
is on the floor as much as possible. It's important to know that this person is
not rolling up their sleeves and doing the actual work. Instead, the leader is
interested in learning about the obstacles that are preventing milestones from
being met.
I know of many so-called leaders that sit in their
comfy offices looking at report-after-report. This is akin to reviewing one's
bank account throughout the day hoping unexpected deposits are made. It's not
going to happen. It's much better to take action instead of staring blindly at
one's computer screen.
#3: Keep a moving forward approach.
The recommendation here is to move forward, and to
avoid costing, even worse, sliding downhill. The excellent leader is constantly
looking for potential risks, and is prepared to exploit opportunities. For
example, he might learn that an important resource has available time to work
on a key task. Understanding the importance of this development, the leader
will contact this person's line manager to request assistance.
By staying focused on the key deliverables, we get
more done. Let's avoid pursuing the Big Bang approach where we are mostly
concerned about impressing others. Successful leaders treat Wednesday as
another important day where the plan is executed, and just as much attention is
assigned to quality control. In short, the benefits are realized incrementally.
This is not a flashy approach, but it is effective.
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
Hey! "Keep Your Eye on The Ball"!
How any times have you heard that expression? Was it
as a kid at bat for the first time? It could have been any sport really where
one needs to focus "on the ball". Or, maybe you've shouted it out to
your child during their little league baseball or softball game. Regardless of
whether you heard it or said, it is probably the universal call to pay
attention, focus and avoid distractions.
So, what does this have to do with you and your
business or career? Heck, nobody is perfect 100% of the time. However, I want
to talk about those times where you wasted an opportunity that should have been
yours because you took your eye of the ball - i.e. you allowed yourself to get
distracted and lost your focus.
From my experience, people take "their eye off
of the ball" for several reasons:
• They
either did not have a plan or the one they did have was poorly constructed;
lacking clarity on what was supposed to get done; by when; by whom and where it
fit in to the big picture.
• They
did not have a comprehensive vision of what they were trying to create, with
measurable benchmarks to be achieved over a specific timeframe.
• They
thought that they could wing it. You know make it up as they go. Winging it is
not a strategy or even a realistic tactic. The answer is to plan; have goals
and practice your craft until you can execute it flawlessly on a consistent
basis under all types of conditions.
• They
don't take the time to learn from their mistakes when they took their eye of
the ball previously. Failure to learn from your experiences condemns you to a
life of re-living your mistakes. Geez! Is that what you really want?
• Finally,
a lack of self discipline is probably the single greatest cause for someone not
keeping their eye on the ball. They simply have not formed a strong enough
habit to do the things they need to do consistently, persistently and
systematically.
Keeping your eye on the ball and developing your
ability to focus effectively, is critical to your success. You can dramatically
increase your chances of "keeping your eye on the ball" by having a
clear vision of where you want to go; reflected in an accurate plan with
realistic goals supported by a disciplined approach to execute the plan.
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