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The best transformation story of all times is told in Hans Christian Andersen’s famous fairy tales the Ugly Duckling.  The ugly duckling ran away from the whole duck yard because he was chased, bit, and pecked by other animals who cannot stand of his ugliness. 
 
Only one day in Spring when he saw three beautiful swans ruffled their feathers and floated gracefully on the water, that the ugly duckling filled with a strange feeling and wished with all his might to fly straight to them, and ready for whatever fate might fall upon him – peck to death because his ugliness.  At least he thought to himself "better to be killed by these beautiful royal birds than to be bitten by the ducks, pecked by the hens in the duck yard". 
 
“Just kill me,” said the poor duckling, and bowed down his head toward the surface of the water and awaited his death. But what kind of reflection he saw in the water?  He saw himself no longer ugly and disgusting creature; he was transformed into a swan himself! He was beyond happy: “I never dreamed of so much happiness when I was the ugly duckling.”
 
Transformation is the process of changing completely the character or appearance of something to improve it (Cambridge Dictionary).
 
As such transformation involves changes – it’s also an identity question “Who am I?”: Andersen described transformation elegantly in the tales: a once upon a time an ugly duckling – chased, bit, and pecked by other fellow animals – has now turned into a pretty creature, a swan.
 
What kind of measurement used to tell if a digital transformation is a success? 
The recent study by Bain & Company mentioned one of the indicators to measure the digital transformation success is using aspirations, not benchmarks, to set goals.
 
Only people are capable of conceiving aspirations. If management cares about process and outcomes; leadership is all about people. 
 
Great leaders inspire others. It takes persistent and perseverance to inspire – like in Andersen’s tales, the ugly duckling endures many hardships throughout summer, autumn, winter but keeps going and stays alert until one beautiful spring he saw what his heart sets to be part of -- magnificent birds. 
 
It’s the digital age. Companies may embrace advanced digital technologies, devise great business strategy, and attract great talents, however unless their leaders inspire these talents to desire something bigger than its sum: to collaborate as one to develop collective leadership and capability and use technologies to co-create greater beneficial value with and for all stakeholders, no digital transformation ever delivers sustainable result. 

​In Digital Transformation in Accounting and Auditing: Navigating Technological Advances for the Future --published by Palgrave Macmillan, London UK,  Sandy Arief PhD, one of Arc Australia Consulting team members contributed one chapter Digital Transformation in Accounting: The Nexus between Technology, Leadership, and Beyond (pp. 29-59). Link to the chapter: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-46209-2_2

In the chapter Sandy investigates the relationship between leadership and digital transformation and the impact of digital transformation on future employment:

"Digital possibilities need to come together with skilled organizational members and leaders in order to reveal its transformative power. Therefore, digital transformation requires both technology and people." p.29

Even if innovation drives technology but only inspired people who will successfully execute every innovation in any transformation initiatives. And again it's the role of leadership that really makes duckling -- individual contributor -- turns into magnificent swan -- high-value creating team!

Jakarta, 18 May 2024
Fourteena P. Dewi
Arc Australia Consulting PTY LTD
Founder

We invite you to have a conversation with our Team

Fourteena recent visit to UNNES secure-path-to-the-future-not-what-we-gain-but-what-we-give.html

It's been a great honour for us, Arc Australia Consulting, to be invited and warmly welcomed by key leaders and members of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at Universities Negeri Semarang (UNNES), Semarang (Central Java, Indonesia) on Monday, 13 May 2024. 

One of UNNES FEB's outstanding goals is to offer its graduates and post-graduates views of global business world. For this reason, Arc Australia Consulting with its string of real world-class business experiences is offered to collaborate with UNNES' FEB and invited to be a visiting lecturer to UNNES.

In Conversation and Intellectual Journey
Two main activities on that day were one-to-one interview "In Conversation" hosted by Sandy Arief PhD, an associate professor at FEB who is also one of the consulting team members at Arc Australia Consulting and the 2-hour Exclusive Conversation with UNNES Master of Management Program's students where Fourteena exclusively shared her "intellectual journey" featuring more than 25-years of "her all seasons stories from global business arena".

"In Conversation", Fourteena tells her remarkable revelation of her life's work: how Arc Australia Consulting was born and she found her vocation in life's work in 2012, when she unexpectedly met five overseas students in Sydney who in need of help and guidance how to be business professional. Why she walked away from the corporate world when she was at the peak of her career at the end of 2016 and launched into the deep Arc Australia Consulting in March 2017. 

In Intellectual Journey: Path into the Future (featuring all seasons stories from global business world) -- Fourteena exclusively shared her more than 25 years experience in global business arena -- winning many high-profile tenders/bids for airport IT infrastructure at airports across Asia Pacific countries (New Zealand, Australia, India, China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, etc.) and South Pacific Islands (Fiji, Tonga, Rarotonga, Vanuatu, Papeete); how she gave herself entirely to good work -- how this good work has turned into most precious jewels of expertise and experiences hard to measure their worth. 

This has made her life full of meaning not because of what she gains but what she gives. All these years she has always given her best to whatever her hands found to do; whomever she worked with, wherever she went.  

At last, having been through her intellectual journey in the world out there for the last 25 years, Fourteena firmly believes that:

"There is no path to the future more secure than that of giving ourselves wholeheartedly to good work and in serving others."

All the best to all students, key leaders, staff members of UNNES. May this journey continues on.

Jakarta, 17 May 2024

I was with a friend on one Sunday afternoon (4 February 2024) at the Queen Victoria Building (QVB), Sydney. As I passed by (which usually) a lonely piano, I saw someone was playing; and as I saw the hands that dancing on those keyboards ... I just stood there in awe. Instantly I can recognise that the one who played it was a talented pianist. She finished her "Fur Elise".

After that, she composed herself effortlessly as a maestro waited for the next piece to play. Then ... her fingers on the keyboards again. I was again in awe as I listened to a very beautiful piece she was playing. I didn't recognise it at all. My friend with me is an accomplished pianist told me it's a waltz type... but can't recognise what she was playing either.

As she finished, quickly I approached her and congratulated her, and asked what piece it was.

It was "Waves of the Danube" -- composed by Ion Ivanovici, a Romanian military band conductor and composer of Banat Serbian origin. He was best remembered for his waltz -- Waves of the Danube. The Danube is the 2nd longest river (after the Volga) in Europe.

"Waves of the Danube" -- composed in 1880 -- is one of the most famous Romanian tunes in the world. In the United States, it is referred to as "The Anniversary Song" -- a theme song from a musical biographical  movie of Al Jolson in 1949.  

I thank God for meeting her. For introducing to my soul ... yes my soul this "Waves of the Danube". I shall listen to it again and again. A piece that brings not just delight but also a great inspiration! 

Too bad I was in a hurry I didn't get the chance to ask her name; she's from Korea and she spoke only a little English.

Do stop when you listen to something beautiful, dear friends. Because God is sharing with you a great plan and many blessings He has in store for you. He will inspire and enlighten your heart and soul through it.
​
Sydney QVB
Sunday, 4 February 2024

In June 2023, I wrote “Uncommon Win”, a story about 'little' David against 'many' Goliaths. A start-up with no local reference and experience was competing with major players of IT outsourcing in a Canadian Government Tender and selected. This time, this little David — Kairos IT Corporation, a Toronto-based company (HQ in Jakarta) — wanted to adventure further into a thousand acre wood to catch another giant. With just a sling not a sword? Really?

It was in mid-September 2023, Kairos CEO, Laura, informed me of her intention to participate in another Canadian Government tender. Only this time a very high profile one: a finance institution that plays a major role in shaping the Canada’s financial system.

10 days before the deadline. I was asked to help. The tender indicated strict instructions and requirements. The published Q&A showed the participating incumbent and big players had their say. This “little David” Kairos? It said nothing.

How can you sing a winning tune amidst such powerful crowd in a high profile court, and your voice be heard? 

I was nervous. If it were 10 years ago I’d take up the challenge and fight. But this time. NO! Like Bilbo, I don’t want any adventures here. NO, Thank you!

But, wait. True gold is tested in fire. I took a few more look. As I reviewed the tender again; each page I turned, I felt like climbing a steep mountain. And finally made it to the top, I saw a bright light. 

If in “Uncommon Win” I saw a powerful sling for this little David, this time, I found a bag of powerful “stones”: a stream of collective capability that even Kairos hasn’t seen in itself.

We worked around the clock with Kairos team. The response was submitted on 11 October 2023. 

At about 7:40pm, on Tuesday 21 November, a flowers box addressed to me delivered. I don’t believe it! Seeing isn’t believing. 

Kairos IT Corporation was selected. Still, I don’t believe it. And then Laura forwarded to me the email with a subject line: “Award Kairos”

Then, I believed. Praise God on high, where all our inspirations from.

To: Kairos Corporation IT. Congratulations and thank you. I look forward to our hopeful future together. 

True gold is indeed must be tested in fire. May this success story continue.

How can you help a newly born start-up with no local reference and experience to compete with major players of IT outsourcing in the global tender arena, and be selected? Unreal.

Well, here's the story of an uncommon win...

For more than 20 years, I was involved in countless intellectual battles against all odds most of the time in the world of bidding in the air-transport industry: major-players against dominant-players; Goliaths vs. Goliaths. Sophisticated technology against more sophisticated ones in the airport world of here and now.

This one, too? No. None of the above. Strictly uncommon.

This one is a ‘little’ David against ‘many’ Goliaths. Moreover, I was approached and asked only 5 working- day before the tender submission. 

5 working days instead of 6-week tender effort? And participating in one of Canadian Government Tenders for its IT Professional Services? No! Unreal! 

Yet. I was intrigued. I knew something that could be the ‘powerful sling and stones’ for this little David – a newly born start-up in Toronto, Kairos IT Corporation (Head quartered in Jakarta) – who desires to be part of the global arena in the IT outsourcing world. 

So, with my freshly minted experience in team coaching, wide-angle lenses, and tacit knowledge in strategic bid management, I enriched Kairos’ tender responses with a NEW HARMONY in the world of IT outsourcing as part of its tender offering. Submitted on 6th March 2023.

Don’t we often ask our friend or others to describe someone – whom they know – who is coming to meet us? Is he tall or short; slim and thin or chubby and bubbly? Or how glad we are, when finally had the opportunity to meet-in-person someone whom we’ve worked with remotely for quite sometime or talked on the phone before. They say putting a name to the face makes conversations alive. 

From the late 1990s till 2009, I worked with many colleagues and clients all over the world remotely. I worked or spoke on the phone with them for a number of years without seeing what they looked like. In those days smart devices and social media have not yet exist, if they began to exist it wasn't widely used.

I had one story to share: one day, someone, a tax expert, from our headquarters (in Geneva) whom I worked with for tax-related matters for countless projects for almost 10 years came to Sydney, and one of his intentions was to meet me in person. 

The day came. In the first hour he stepped into our office he requested to be brought to where I was in the office. At last, face-to-face we met after so long; we chatted away about this and that, and planned for a dinner. It was while we walked toward the dinner place that he told me that he was surprised to see what I looked like (in terms of age). He'd imagined me someone older, perhaps in late forties or fifties (I was in my late thirties then). He assumed I must be in that maturity age range because of the way I demonstrated my professionalism all this time. Nevertheless, it was a very happy occasion; seeing him in person made a great impact. To this day, I still happily remember him as one of the most enjoyable persons to work with even when working on most complicated matters (i.e. cross-countries taxes)!

Now, about professionalism. We talk about it endlessly, sometimes thoughtlessly. Expect it, demand it to be in every one and in every business. But can anyone describe it eloquently – what is actually professionalism?

I often wonder myself. 

Professionalism could mean different thing to different people. Perhaps, it is easier to answer it, if we allegorically imagine “professionalism” as a human being. What does “he/she” look like?

Again, describing what professionalism looks like can be as abstract as describing love. But not to Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430). He can describe what love looks like vividly: What does love look like?  
 It has the hands to help others.
 It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.
 It has eyes to see misery and want.
 It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.
That is what love looks like.

Brilliant and timeless description. To me it can also be a perfect description for professionalism.

If you look at it closely: the work of the hands and feet is related to discipline and commitment, while the work of the eyes and ears is referring to empathy.

If I may elaborate further – the work of the hands and feet is the task of management, to get things done, and done well; while the work of the eyes and ears is the role of leadership, to understand the human side of work and businesses.

In business – nowadays, everyone in business is in “service” business – it is a mere lip-service if it is without discipline and commitment. And without empathy, it is no less than the business of capitalists or utilitarians. In both settings, professionalism is either deform or no form and face altogether.  Any one with skills or talents will never flourish working in and for such businesses.

What does professionalism look like, then?

Borrowing from St Augustine's description on what love looks like, this is what professionalism looks like to me:

It has the hands to work and deliver commitment with diligence and discipline.
It has feet to hasten to guide, support others in the team, and foster team spirit – bring out the best in    them and do something great together.
It has eyes to see if others are overburdened with work and in need of relieve, or emotional support.
It has the ears to hear their issues, difficulties, and challenges, and deal with them kindly.

Perhaps you prefer the description that St Augustine gives about love for professionalism to mine. Go ahead and do likewise. After all, professionalism and love do look alike, don't they! So, go forward unafraid even in these tough times, even if you just lost your job or your business, show your professionalism. I am sure with such an attitude you shall find it again. For whatever you do, you will do it well. Someone like you will be sought-after!