(Insight Column for The Jakarta Post 05 July 2006)
“When left unchecked or not confronted jam karet becomes a habit. A habit in which we effectively devalue time, choosing to extent, prolong, procrastinate, postpone or defer in preference to closure, execution, completion or punctuality. Since time is a precious and limited resource this attitude clearly has adverse implications for the individual, businesses and the economy in general. Delays breed inertia that in turn fosters low productivity.”
“As our mothers will confirm during childbirth, very few of us actually arrive on time! Respect for time is a value that is taught to us by our parents, at school and through experiences in life. Remember, disrespecting time involves disrespecting ourselves and those around us. When someone is always late for a meeting or missing a deadline he or she is in a way acknowledging an inability to cope apart from displaying disrespect for others or for the job.
Like other values such as integrity, honesty and truthfulness, respect for time or punctuality is nurtured by each of us based on how important we believe this value is to our own personality. If we do not attach much importance to it then it will always be like a karet – considered cheap and taken for granted.”
