Issue 001 October 2018 thecontentment.co
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Explore the Hidden Joys of Working in A Dynamic Urban Environment 1
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elcome to the first issue of Contentment Magazine, a magazine inspired by meaningful urban living. At times when all kinds of information can be accessed easily without any filter, we wanted to provide you with an access to curated information
in culture, style, self-development, and insights, presented in its most readable form: a printed magazine. This magazine also acts as a counterpart for our first ever menswear collection under the label Contentment. Both the magazine and the apparel collection will share the same emotional core, since they are developed and launched simultaneously. This issue, Nine to Five, explores the hidden joys of working in a dynamic urban environment. The articles speak on behalf of Jakarta’s urban workers, with their unique ways to survive and thrive in a chaotic situation. Amidst crazy traffic, unforgiving weather, and high pressure at work; these people managed to find small bits in their working habits that can bring meaning to their life. From a cup of Es Kopi Susu to a shared work playlist, no matter how simple they might be, people’s sources of energy at work are different and worth celebrating. We are lucky to collaborate with some of Jakarta’s brightest minds to bring this magazine to life. The writers, photographers, illustrators, and layouters that we collaborate with were working on this project outside their daily nine-to-five jobs; exactly just like us, the co-founders of Contentment. We hope that this will bring a fresh and honest perspective on working culture, seen from the eyes of actual young urban workers. We hope that the stories in this magazine can capture what it feels like to work in a chaotic urban environment, yet still being able to find meaning out of it. We really enjoyed the process of putting together this magazine for you, and we sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading it too.
The Contentment editorial team
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Contents
03 06 07 EDITOR’S NOTE
MASTHEAD & CONTRIBUTORS
THE LUNCH MASTERS How Food Can Unite Us All
25 32 36 LOOKBOOK Nine to Five
I WISH I KNEW HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO BE FREE
IS PROCRASTINATION GOOD FOR PRODUCTIVITY?
On Taking a Closer Look at the Life of Entrepreneurs and Freelancers
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When most people perceives work merely as a necessity, through this issue we wanted to portray the act of working in itself as something enjoyable, meaningful, and can bring contentment to our daily lives. In the end, when you spend most of your waking hours at work, why shouldn’t it be something that you actually look forward to?
12 16 20 22 INTERVIEW
Inside the Elusive Mind of Kunto Aji
MY WORKSPACE AESTHETIC
PULLING OFF SNEAKERS AT WORK
DEFINING SMART CASUAL A guide to stay comfortable while still looking sharp in the office.
38 43 46 48 9 TO 5
A Guide to Finish On Time
BUSINESS AS USUAL
THE FUTURE OF COWORKING SPACE
ON WORK AND THE ENDLESS PURSUIT OF MEANING
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CULTURE
Contentment.
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE Wisnu Aryo Setio
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR Praditya Dwi Wicaksono
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OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Kevin Putra Sinatrya FINANCE DIRECTOR Maggie Rosalina Halim
Contentment Magazine Editorial Team
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wisnu Aryo Setio EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Praditya Dwi Wicaksono PRODUCTION Maggie Rosalina Halim Kevin Putra Sinatrya WRITER Raisa Nabila Aisya Putri Nadya Natasha Arnolphus Aditya PHOTOGRAPHER Nadya Natasha Arnolphus Aditya ILLUSTRATOR Yudit Halim LAYOUT DESIGNER Windi Amar Yudit Halim FOR INQUIRIES hello@thecontentment.co Contentment. http://thecontentment.co ©2018
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wisnu Aryo Setio is a business development guy in a fashion-tech startup by day, and an aspiring entrepreneur by night. He enjoys watching musical theatre. His favorite work activity is drinking iced coffee in between meetings. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Praditya Dwi Wicaksono is a part time Entrepreneur, and full time Retail merchandiser. He enjoys boxing and reading illustrated books. His favourite work activity is visiting amazing retail stores and discover what makes them amazing. WRITER Raisa Nabila is an HR professional. She enjoys writing poems before going to sleep. Her favorite work activity is doing exit interviews to figure out why people leave their jobs. PHOTOGRAPHER & WRITER Nadya Natasha is a photographer. She enjoys traveling alone. Her favorite work activity is doing shoots for couple that has strong, wonderful connection between them two.
ILLUSTRATOR & LAYOUT DESIGNER Yudit Halim is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator. He enjoys music very much. His favorite activity is making music, travelling, and nap. LAYOUT DESIGNER Windi Amar is an Art Designer and Visual Merchandiser. She enjoys reading and anything related to art, music, and films. Her favorite work activity is doing any works in tranquility. WRITER Aisya Putri is a content creator. She enjoys discovering new favourite music to listen to. Her favorite work activity is looking for inspiration from literally anything, for content ideas. PHOTOGRAPHER & WRITER Arnolphus Aditya Pratama is a Product Designer. He enjoys checking out his cactus & succulent at midnight to see if there’s something grew or sprouted. His favorite work activity is observing a process from a product concept into the actual production.
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CH M N U L E H AS T TERS
HOW FOOD CAN UNITE US ALL Of all generally mundane routines in our daily office life, the 60-minutes lunch break is probably everyone’s most awaited mundane activity. Some of us just roll with it casually, some of us take it seriously; weekly meal planning, spending a serious amount of time while working to think ‘what am I going to order today?’, and whatnot. Either way, similar lunch habit between individuals in the same team or office often leads to forming a lunch culture of their own. Writer Nadya Natasha & Wisnu Aryo Setio Photographer Nadya Natasha | Illustrator Yudit Halim
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ost people might take lunch breaks for granted, nothing more than just a short break from hectic work activities. However, Contentment team managed to interview 3 people from different offices in Jakarta, with their unique lunch or food-related cultures that are worth celebrating. The ones that proof us right about an old saying that goes ‘food is the ingredient that binds us together’. These people, along with their colleagues, really make the most out of that one-hour break with their fun habits. Some are formed organically, some are imposed by the office but have turned into a culture. One thing that’s similar is that there’s an underlying theme of togetherness and camaraderie that is united by one of the simplest joys in life: food.
Viandira Athia, British Council
Over a year ago when Viandira, or as we can call her Caca, moved in to Office 8 to start working for British Council, she noticed that the meals sold inside the building were way beyond her lunch budget. She had tried several places nearby her office to eat during lunch time: from an upscale, air-conditioned food court where she had to spend more than IDR 50.000 for each meals, to a simple canteen with cheaper food that’s mediocre in quality. While her colleagues already have their preferred way of eating lunch: some brought in lunch box from home, and some ordered food through online delivery, she felt like both do not really suit her budget and lifestyle. So she went out on an adventure of trying out almost every warteg nearby.
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For those of you who are not familiar with the concept of warteg, it is actually an abbreviation of Warung Tegal. Warung is an Indonesian term for a small mom-and-pop shop or restaurant, whereas Tegal is the name of a city in Central Java. A warteg does not specifically sell a certain local cuisine from Tegal, nor operated by a Tegal-born owner. In fact, it has became a generic term for small, roadside food vendors that sell mostly pre-cooked, simple Indonesian home style food. You can find many wartegs located right behind sprawling skyscrapers of Jakarta, where many office workers can eat tasty food that will not break the bank. Usually, a warteg does not have a menu that you can order from. You will only need to point your finger on the display window of the food cabinet to choose some proteins that are available for the day, then you can pair them with a pile of white rice as your canvas. Caca brought us to where she started; an area located at the back of her office building called Gaza Pathway by her office mates. The idea of the name came from the ongoing mega construction on both sides of that alley that made it look like a battleground. From Gaza Pathway to another alley next to it, there are about five warteg and various street food vendors around. At first she started doing this lunch habit by herself, but since she was so drawn into it, her friends started asking her for food recommendation --especially the cheap but good ones-- for lunch. Then Caca asked them to come with her in her not-so-secret midday adventure. Of course, they got hooked. Apparently this habit was contagious, and organically, she has formed a small group of colleagues who eat lunch in warteg together with her almost everyday. One funny thing is that she has memorized the price of all types of food in her go-to warteg. A warteg usually doesn’t show a clear price tag for each menu, so after you eat, the warteg owner will calculate the cost of the food for you. Caca has memorized all the combinations in her head, including her all-time favorite warteg food: stir-fry eggplant or bean sprout. Even though sometimes these wartegs charge you differently for the same combination of food from time to time, Caca would at least acknowledge the price range that she’s going to pay. That’s how devoted she is to her lunch habit. Over a year later today, Caca’s warteg hopping habit has resulted in warteg connoisseur title regarded by her office colleagues.
Lunch, snack, or coffee break times are rarely considered as a part of our working life itself for it seems just like a tiny mundane activity within a bigger mundane routine, but how wonderful it is that it can bridge the gap of connections between all of us one lunch at a time.
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While in another office building, the team of Kantar Millward Brown definitely know how to add a twist to their lunch time every once in a while. We talked to Pandu about the potluck culture in his office. “There are two occasions to celebrate with the potluck; one is monthly birthday celebration and the other one is monthly Friday celebration,” he said. The one social event that takes time during lunch time is the monthly birthday celebration. Initiated by the office social committee, the whole office is divided into four teams that take turns in taking care and managing the potluck to celebrate employees who share the same birthday month. There’s always the mandatory birthday cake given from the office, and free lunch is provided by the team on duty. The concept of potluck allows people to bring in different food every time, and since its organized by a team, it’s really up to the team’s creativity in bringing food that can make everyone satisfied. For an office like Pandu’s, having an organized get-together is highly important since most of his colleagues are working in different teams to serve different clients. Most of the time, he also spent his day meeting clients outside the office, so it might be a little bit hard to have a recurring lunch habit with his colleagues. Also, since his office is pretty geographically diverse, at times there are certain
Muhammad Pandu, Kantar Millward Brown
barriers that can only be broken through a fun social event that is not fully work-related. Besides the birthday celebration as mentioned, the Friday celebration --albeit doesn’t conducted during lunch-- isn’t less interesting at all compared to the birthday potluck. It is usually held in the first week of the month at the office’s pantry that is designed to accommodate this kind of social event. What differentiates this event is that most of the times, the Friday celebration has a specific theme. Pandu recalled the last one that he attended, in which the theme was Asian Games. The committee provided healthy food and conducted fun games to bring everyone together in one team spirit. For really special themes like Halloween, they are required to attend the event in costumes. In each themed potluck they throw, not only the kinds of food goes accordingly to it, but so does the decoration at the pantry area. Pandu’s office lunch culture has shown us how food can actually unite people, and can be used as an effective tool to celebrate special occasions. It’s interesting to see how his office actually supports and cultivates a certain food-related habit that was not created organically, but has transformed into an integral part of the office experience.
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members who wanted to join will excitedly reply to that message. Since his office provides catering during lunch, they seldom order heavy meal for lunch. However, during the first few days after payday, they love to indulge themselves in lunch food that’s different from what they usually eat.
Abdullah Fikri, Ruangguru
Inside one of the rooms in an emerging edtech startup, Ruangguru, Abdul also has a really interesting story to tell. He told us about a WhatsApp group his office colleagues created, called Semar Jajan, that basically stands for Sales and Marketing snacking group. Long before he joined the company, there is a room where the creative, product and content marketing team works everyday. Some people, leaders of the pack in the room, decided to create a Whatsapp group with one specific purpose: to order food together. Now since he also works inside that room, automatically he got invited to the group so he can share his unique experience to us. Today, they have invited employees from other rooms to join forces in the Whatsapp group. There are total over 50 employees enlisted in the group where they would order food, especially snacks, together. One thing that’s unique from this group is that they have a tendency to try new and different stuff everyday. Well, for sure there are some staple stuff that they order every now and then, like many other Jakartans and their craze over a daily dose of es kopi susu, lately they’ve been ordering Iced Coffee from Kopi Cuan . But most days, one of the group members usually just came up with a food idea (“Let’s buy gorengan! Or martabak!”) and other
After deciding on what to eat, usually someone coordinates the food order through online application. At times, one person can go out of the office and buys food for everyone who ordered. They split the bill and enjoy the food together while they continue working. The funniest culture that Abdul shared with us is when someone goes out and buy some food for him or herself, every time they walked back to the office, everyone in the room will start mocking until he or she finished the food. “Why don’t you tell us if you want to buy something!?” they asked. They may only chat virtually through Whatsapp about food in the beginning, but the bond that this group has created goes way stronger than that. The group finally evolved as a random chat group, where people can share from office gossips to funny memes. What’s even more surprising is that the people who have resigned from the office usually stayed in the group, and some of them who live nearby sometimes still order food together too!
These three stories are actual snapshots of how Jakarta work culture look like behind the everyday hustle and bustle. Lunch, snack, or coffee break times are rarely considered as a part of our working life itself for it seems just like a tiny mundane activity within a bigger mundane routine, but how wonderful it is that it can bridge the gap of connections between all of us one lunch at a time. Whether you’re lucky enough or not to be experiencing a unique lunch or food-related culture in your office, you can always step up your food game with your colleagues because it’s the fun, small things like these that people will miss the most from their work life. It’s a moment where we forget about our deadlines, KPIs, meetings, and just focus on what matter the most: sharing a piece of happiness with the people whom we meet everyday, through the food that we share. C·
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INSIDE THE ELUSIVE MIND OF
KUNTO AJI
Writer Wisnu Aryo Setio Photo Kunto Aji's Personal Collection
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I
t was midnight when I first listened to Kunto Aji’s latest album, Mantra Mantra. I opened my Spotify and I clicked on the first song, called “Sulung” (an Indonesian term for a firstborn). A stream of beautiful, repetitive melodies haunted me. “Let go of what’s not meant to be yours,” he sang. He repeated the same lyrics for several times before closing it with a very bold statement, “The one that you should protect first is yourself.” All of a sudden, tears were streaming down my face. It’s an honest anthem for self-care in the age where everyone is always in constant societal pressure. The remaining songs in the album are as beautiful, with lyrics that are guaranteed to fill in your friend’s tweets and Insta captions for months on end. Mantra Mantra is an album of our generation. If you’re looking at the album cover, or reading Kunto’s press interviews, it is obvious that the album is talking about a very serious mental issue of anxiety, or in his own word, overthinking. This album tries to manifest that feeling by bringing in a clashing cacophony of various different musical instruments. All the different sound bytes are composed into a modern-day lullaby for anxious adults to soothe their wary hearts. I’m sure, this album is a result of months (or even years) of hard work in the studio; trying to translate an abstract notion into beautiful songs that carried a very important message. That’s why, it’ll be interesting to talk to Kunto Aji directly in order to understand the process of creating this album, while also learning about his work life as a full time musician.
The Contentment team is lucky to be given a slight glimpse on how Kunto Aji’s elusive mind works through a series of questions that he virtually answered through WhatsApp. You can read the full excerpt of the interview below. Why do you choose anxiety and overthinking as the main topic of your album? Isn’t it something that’s considered off limits in Indonesia? I’ve always wanted to write about mental health issues, but I haven’t done enough research on my first album. Now that I’ve learned more about it, I think it’s time for me to talk about this through my music. I don’t think mental health is considered as
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a taboo, it’s just... I think the society has a very low awareness about it. Since it’s an issue that’s close to me, I believe that all my research are mostly done inwards, except for the more theoretical parts like psychology in which I studied a little. I combined both my personal experiences and my knowledge about it, and finally the second album was born. I believe it is more personal album for me (compared to my previous one). One of the songs in your new album, “Jakarta, Jakarta” has really caught my attention. I feel like this song can be an anthem for all the young, mid-level workers in Jakarta that are trying to make it big here. What is the special inspiration behind this song? This song is very unique. I came from Jogjakarta, and of course Jogjakarta is my motherland. However, for me Jakarta has became my “father land”. Like what I wrote in the lyrics, Jakarta is a really tough city to beat, but it will forge us to become a stronger, more resilient person. It has also taught us to be more optimistic, since most people here always have a target to pursue. If you’re not full with spirit, you can be defeated by time, or defeated by the competition and peer pressure around you. So initially, I wrote Jakarta, Jakarta from a perspective of a new comer. Interestingly, my producer for this song, Petra Sihombing, was originally born and raised in Jakarta. So this song finally has a complete perspective, because I believe everyone has a different way of loving this city, based on their own perspectives. On the topic of Nine to Five, can you share us a little bit of your work schedule as a full time musician? Some people might say that becoming a full time
musician is a privilege, since you are not bound by a tight schedule. Contrary to popular belief, in my opinion, a freelance worker works everyday in their lives. That’s if they don’t enjoy it. So f you don’t work nine to five, you must really, really like what you’re doing, because you’re going to do it for 24/7. Trust me, your brain will never stop! Like now, I’m answering to your questions through voice notes at 10.30 PM, so anytime, anywhere I always think about what should I create next. I try to always sensitize myself to capture my feeling, my surroundings, that can inspire my next body of work. How do you compare your work life with other fulltime corporate workers out there? There’s always an upside and downside to it. For those of you working nine to five, when you’re on a holiday or during weekends, you can really take a break from your work and focus on doing your hobbies. If what you’re doing everyday is different from your passion and interest, you can always do your passion as a hobby. But us, we’re making our hobby as our main source of income, and that comes with its downsides too. For me, the key is to be grateful all the time, with anything that I’m currently doing. What do you like the most from being a full time musician? What I like the most is when I write, I make songs, I do it independently without any limitations from a record label. Well, now I work with Juni Label, but they’re super supportive of my creative decisions; they just focus more on improving the business side. So the things that I’m most grateful of is being able to create music the way I want it to be.
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When we have faith in ourselves it can be a huge source of energy. Our failures will only be seen as God’s way to direct us to another path of opportunity.
Had you decided not to pursue your musical career, what kind of career path would you choose? This one has a clear answer. Since I was a kid, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I really liked selling stuff, even simple things like bonus toys from packaged snacks, I collected them and I resold them. I always wanted to study in business school, and music was just a hobby for me back then. If I didn’t choose to be a musician, I think I would still pursue a career in accounting before starting my own business, since I studied accounting in college. Thankfully after years of my musical career, I just figured out why God wanted me to pursue my current path. Currently, both of my dreams (to be a musician and entrepreneur) are colliding. As a businessman, I distributed my first album independently, and in the end I have to take care of my own music business. At the same time, I can also be a musician. So in a way both of my dreams came true. Did you ever feel burdened by the constant stream of praises that you’ve received for this album? No, I actually expected that the album would give an impact for those who are feeling what I am feeling right now. But I didn’t expect that there will be so many people out there can relate to this album. I’m very thankful to God, and it did not burden me because I do it out of love, and I have a very supportive team, friends, and record label. These are the things I’m most grateful of. Other than expressing it through music, can you share with our readers, what are your other ways in dealing with anxiety and over thinking? It might be helpful for our readers who didn’t realize that they need help.
First, we really have to find ourselves. We need to understand what kind of problems that we are facing, and try to increase our resilience and confidence. However, when everything feels so dark, and you can’t find the bright side of things or the positive side in you; that might be a sign of depression. At this point, you will need a professional help, be it from a psychologist or psychiatrist. What’s most important is, when you feel like you need help, seek for help! Don’t feel ashamed or even be afraid that it’ll cost you money -- you can actually find professional help for free. It really depends on the chemistry between you and your helper, so if you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to search for another type of help until you find someone that you really can trust. Or maybe, find someone that you can talk to and feel comfortable sharing your burden with. One thing for sure, just like the core message of my second album, when we have faith in ourselves --no, not the overconfident kind of faith-- it can be a huge source of energy. When we believe that we can pass through all this, when we believe that everything has been written down by the One; our failures will only be seen as God’s way to direct us to another path of opportunity. We have to be able to let go. The toughest battle is always on deciding whether we have to continue fight for something, or just surrender and let go. Only through life experience you’ll know when to stop, or when to continue the fight. But again, like what I said before, believing in yourself and letting go of things are the most important keys for navigating your way in life. C·
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MY WORKSPACE
AESTHETIC Writer & Photographer Arnolphus Aditya Pratama
For me working desk is a reflection of ourselves. Of who we are, of what we do. As a product designer for a leather goods company I was lucky enough to be able to bring my own table and set it up as my working space. It gives me a familiar feeling, which makes me comfortable. This table has always been with me since my junior high school year. That’s why it’s full of patina, wear-tear and sign of my youth, just look at those nonsense marker scratches and silly stickers. I took many photos and I love to just stick it on the wall. It serves as a short escape from work. At times I get creativity block, I see those photos to take my mind wander and recall all the memories. Although I have one big clothes hanger on the left, you just can’t resist to throw your jacket on the back of your working chair. I know you all have done it too….for the sake of functionality or just pure laziness.
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I keep a lot of leather swatches scattered on every corner of the desk, because no, I don’t like my desk to be fully organized, it gives me a cold and artificial feeling. People might think that those scattered things give you an extra headache, well maybe for some it’s true, but for me it means that I really use those things frequently. My work revolves around leather, so to understand each character, I need to touch and feel the piece. Only after that I could borrow some magic, pair it with functionality, and transform the design into a well-made leather goods.
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Ideally I want to have a work-life balance. So here I am trying to bring my “life” (well, it’s more of a hobby actually, either way it is similar for me) into my “work” : a mini garden! And since my working desk gets a lot of sunlight I thought it would be the perfect environment. I love plants especially cactus and succulent. Recently the love grow even deeper. There’s something lurking in their xeric looks, and to be able to pair it with the perfect planter that match each of their character is something that brings joy to me. However, nurturing a plant requires you to have self-discipline, when to water them, when to soak them under the sun, or when to change the soil. Surprisingly, this has also affected my work ethics, I realize that I’ve been working in a more disciplined manner, and it has helped me a lot in changing my working habit, cause you know that stereotypes about design people is somewhat true.
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Working desk is a reflection of ourselves. Of who we are, of what we do.
Moving on to this stack of books and magazines, It really serves its purpose whenever I need an instant door stopper or a higher place to put my stuffs around...I’m joking, but on a serious note, for me book is the most effective and classic way to get inspiration from. Whenever I get tired of those pixels on the screen, I pick a book, flip the page randomly, and then start reading the line. It might not gives me a direct inspiration, but I know it will trigger my mind to think of another way. These stack of books and magazine become an essential element of my working desk, and who doesn’t have the ambition build and own a mini library? Mine definitely starts with these stacks. C·
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STYLE
PULLING OFF
SNEAKERS
AT WORK
Writer Praditya Dwi Wicaksono & Wisnu Aryo Setio Illustrator Yudit Halim
In 1964, the founder of Nike, Phil Knight, had a single vision: he fantasized a world where everyone uses track and field sneakers on their daily activities, in any type of occasion that one could imagine. His vision finally came true today, an era when we can easily spot sneakers in everyone’s feet since it has become the common norm for one’s essential footwear. Now we can all agree that rubber-soled sneakers are the most comfortable companion for all types of activities, from the court to the boardroom.
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e all know that wearing casual sneakers is becoming an acceptable way to show up to work, but one thing for sure, not every pair is work appropriate. With various options available in the market, it is hard to distinguish which pair of sneakers that are suitable for a
working occasion. Contentment team can share you a simple guide on how to pull off the right sneakers at work, based on several fundamental aspects.
COLORS
Your go-to hype sneakers might come in crazy color combinations, but when you’re bringing them to work, try to stick with safe and neutral colors. While bright, all white sneakers or plain black ones may seem basic, the simplicity of these color choices actually makes the sneakers super versatile. You can pair them with any kind of outfit color without looking like you’re trying too hard. However, at some other days when you want to impress, you should not be afraid in letting your sneakers color pop as long as you put it in the right proportion. Remember, the dominant surface color should still be monochromed, because if you’re mixing 5 primary colors on your shoes, it has a potential to distract your colleagues from your million-dollar ideas. Also, at days when you feel like wearing colorful shoes, try to balance it out with a more neutral outfit so the two elements will not clash.
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SHAPE
Yes, chunky and outlandishly designed sneakers are on trend right now, but we believe it’s best for you to keep it for your leisurely weekend stroll. To give the right impression in the boardroom, stick with minimalist and clean design that will not stand out too much. Basic silhouettes from Converse and Vans will work really well, or you can opt for a retro sporty look by experimenting with classic silhouettes like Adidas Stan Smith or Nike Cortez. If you have more to spend, go with understated luxury sneakers such as Common Projects, Maison Margiela, or Lanvin, because most of the times, the simplest design speaks the most.
MATERIALS
Although the line between lifestyle sneakers and performance running shoes might seem blurry, keep yours separated to ensure your looks remain professional.
We really recommend wearing leather sneakers to the office, since it will somehow still blend with majority of other dress shoes that your colleagues might be wearing. A full-leather option will work best, but canvas sneakers are also acceptable as a substitute. What you can avoid is wearing a sock-like material since it is not very flattering for your feet shape, especially when paired with formal office-wear.
FUNCTION
If you’re thinking to invest in a pair of sneakers that can be worn to work, always browse the lifestyle section, not the performance one. Lifestyleoriented sneakers might not be as light and comfortable as your running or gym shoes, but that’s exactly the reason why they exist. Although the line between lifestyle sneakers and performance running shoes might
seem blurry, keep yours separated to ensure your looks remain professional. Whether it’s your Ultraboosts or your Flyknits, we don’t recommend you to mix your workout shoes with your fashion ones.
OCCASION
For highly formal meetings or presentations, we don’t recommend you to wear something that’s too casual. A pair of sneakers can be incredibly versatile, but sometimes you just need to wear a nicely made dress shoes to give the right impression. You can still get away with sneakers for any off duty days, where you can pair them with some casual, unstructured work jacket. Our take: we’d rather be overdressed than underdressed.
MIX AND MATCH
Your classic, tailored office-wear can really shine when paired with the right sneakers. Pieces that might even look slightly boring on their own will get a fresh update with the help of sneakers. With pants like chinos or work trousers, combining them with minimalist sneakers will give you that dapper but laid back look at the same time. Lastly, to maintain the effect, always keep your sneakers clean. No matter how nicely designed they are, it doesn’t matter if it is not squeaky clean. Always maintain your sneaker by sending it to sneakers laundry, or you can do it yourself by washing the laces, brushing the outsoles, or using shoe trees and sneakers shield sprays that can help keeping their condition as clean as new. C·
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STYLE
DEFINING
SMART CASUAL
A guide to stay comfortable while still looking sharp in the office. Writer Praditya Dwi Wicaksono & Wisnu Aryo Setio Illustrator Yudit Halim
F
irst, it’s the appearance of the ping pong tables in the office. Then, all the cubicle partitions are gone and replaced with open office layout. Lastly, the HR department start sending emails to all employees, encouraging them to work from home and attend social events. With the prevalence of startup culture around the world, companies are embracing the forward thinking notion of blurring the lines between work and play. It’s one of the ways for employers to attract the millennial crowd and trying to still be relevant in the age of Instagrammable office space and crazy office parties. Of course, another thing that is also disrupted by this movement is the way people dress up to work. Gone are the days when employees are obliged to show up in the office wearing a threepiece suit and shiny tie. Now, people can go to the office wearing (almost) anything that they like, since companies are embracing comfort over appearance. So, spotting people going back and forth in CBDs wearing t-shirt and jeans is not a strange thing anymore.
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Casual
Appear sporty
Smart casual is a way of dressing up neatly yet comfortably, while considering your work environment and objective, in which it requires creativity in mixing style and mood towards particular occasions.
Somewhere in between Smart Casual
Formal
Appear elegant
The main question is, at times when wearing casual outfit to the office becomes acceptable by the general society, is it actually... appropriate? The idea of wearing casual attire to the office might feel liberating, yet it feels so blurry since there are no ground rules in what exactly the proper attire for work is nowadays. For example, is wearing running shoes with tracksuit and jogger pants considered to be appropriate when you are meeting a 65-years old government official? Well, there’s no doubt for it being extremely comfortable, but it might be seen as disrespectful for the other party that you’re talking to, right?
certain decency for you to show up in the right attire for the right occasion.
Without a clear dressing etiquette in the office, this whole casual dressing movement is highly prone to wild misinterpretation. Once, we saw someone wearing batik shirt and formal work pants that are combined with… a neon-red NMD sock trainer. Or the other day, we heard that someone is wearing his battered down futsal shoes to the office. Well, crazy mix and match might be the trend of 2018, but in order for you to look presentable, of course it requires a
On the left side of the scale, you can see that the most extreme casual appearance is to appear sporty: comfortable sneakers mixed with loose shirt and track pants. On the other hand, the extreme right side indicates exclusivity and elegancy, just like outfits for wedding and formal occasion: tuxedo, tailored pieces, and dress shoes. Our definition of smart casual lies between these two extremes, trying to balance between the best of both worlds.
Enter smart casual, a term that has been said for so many times but somehow has lost its original meaning. Smart casual is a way of dressing up neatly yet comfortably, while considering your work environment and objective, in which it requires creativity in mixing style and mood towards particular occasions. Say the main objective is to achieve a working attire that looks serious but not intimidating, yet easygoing but not sleazy. To pull of this kick ass style in the office, you can consider the style scale that we created above.
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STYLE
To help you envision the right way to pull of smart casual look in the office, we have several ground rules that you can always keep in mind:
THINK 80/20 Your conventional work dress code is created for a reason to help you look smart, presentable, and charismatic in all kinds of situations. We think that it’s good to stick with this age-old rule, while eliminating some elements that can make you feel uncomfortable. Of course, sweating under a three-piece suit under Jakarta’s unforgiving heat will only make you look silly, but it doesn’t mean that you have to go full blown tank and shorts either. The best way to approach this is to keep it 80% formal most of the time, while giving it a 20% casual twist. Here are some examples:
A
If you’re wearing a tucked out oxford shirt with wool-blend tailored pants, it’s appropriate for you to spice it up with a clean, white leather sneakers like a classic Stan Smith.
B
At times when you feel like projecting a certain charisma you can always opt for a lightweight unstructured blazer to add that extra charm. But if you feel like it’s too formal for the occasion, you can give it a twist by wearing a plain white ribbed collar t-shirt, combined with pleated pants and loafers.
C
You can also wear a tucked in poplin shirt and oxford shoes to keep things formal and experiment with the pants, like wearing a tailored drawstring pants, or the shape of your collar, like a camp or mandarin collar, to keep things fresh and interesting.
GREAT FIT IS KEY We admit it, to achieve the perfect smart casual look while staying comfortable, great fit is the key. Okay, we get it, you might want to show the result of your hard work at the gym. However, of course you don’t want to rip your shirt or pop out a button in the middle of a big meeting because after all, you’re not Henry Cavill in the set of Superman. The secret is to give just a little bit of space between your body and your clothes to give it room to move freely, so your clothes will not feel tight-hugging and restrictive for your daily movement. When we say a little space, we also don’t want you to look sloppy by wearing a shirt that’s two size bigger than your actual size (except if you’re looking to achieve that oversized, high fashion look that’s obviously not appropriate for boardrooms). Always remember to find the perfect fit for you.
SPLASH IT UP WITH A HINT OF COLOR The whole idea of having a black tie event is for someone to look very formal in monochromatic black-and-white look, so it’s safe to say that the darker your attire is, the more formal you’ll end up looking. Having said that, wearing all monochrome color can be very monotonous and boring, especially at times when you’re free to express and celebrate your fashion expression. So, to freshen up your smart casual look, we encourage you to experiment with bold, daring colors as a part of your daily outfit. For example, wearing a vibrant terracotta outer is highly acceptable, as long as it’s combined with a more toned down elements like a navy blue bottoms or a black sneakers. There are also other range of colors that are acceptable to be worn as a part of your smart casual outfit, as long as it complements your skin tone and combined with more muted colors to maintain the formal aesthetic. With all the tips that we have written above, we do encourage you to experiment and find your own style in dressing up for the office. Of course, we do acknowledge that some offices might require a strict dress code, while others are very relaxed about it. Sometimes, the way you dress up can give you a confidence boost that you need to survive and thrive in your workplace. The key is to always dress up appropriately for the work occasion that you’re having, and try to present the best version of yourself to create a lasting good impression in front of your colleagues. C· For more style information and a selection of work-appropriate smart casual apparel, head down to thecontentment.co to browse the full Nine to Five collection.
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Collection 001 - Fall/Winter 2018
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This is our inner discovery to find joy in our mundane work life.
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We tried answering that questions ourselves by trying to hit our monthly target, trying to measure ourselves against KPIs. We tried to be better and more efficient, crossing down our to-do list in an unprecedented pace. We tried to outwork our peers, fueled by our ambitions. Yet we still couldn’t find what we were looking for.
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Then we took our eyes off the screen, and we looked around.
We found hidden joys all around us; in the coffee cups we ordered together, in the funny videos we watch in between meetings. In the silent contemplations that we take during our break. The activities at our workplace, during working hours, that are not the actual work itself. Those moments help us survive, and sometimes, thrive. In the end, when we spend most of your waking hours at work, why shouldn’t it be something that we actually look forward to?
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Contentment.’s first collection, Nine to Five, serves as a reinterpretation of staple office-wear pieces through a modern utilitarian lens. It is a fresh take on smart casual attire that can fit in any real life situation, from the hottest pavements to the coldest meeting rooms. We crafted our thoughtfully designed pieces of wellfitted outerwears, shirts, and t-shirt to represent the many facets of a joyful urban working lifestyle.
PHOTO Prayogo Yoedo STYLING & SET DESIGN Johno Surodji MAKE-UP Rara Endoh FEATURING Jevier Justin, Kevin Patria, Wan Adam Aliff
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SELF
IT WOULD FEEL TO BE FREE
On Taking a Closer Look at the Life of Entrepreneurs and Freelancers
The majority of people live with a consistent rhythm. We spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for work, and 2 days to unwind every week. Occasionally, we also squeeze in a short vacation in between public holidays with our annual leave entitlement (you’re not yet an Indonesian if you have never abused hari kejepit nasional).
Writer Raisa Nabila Photographer Nadya Natasha
H
owever, there is a very few among us who are somehow does not need to worry about how many annual leave days they have left: the entrepreneurs and the freelancers. From time to time, we dream to be them, to have the kind of freedom or flexibility (and for many cases, the kind of money) they have. Even so, are entrepreneurs and freelancers truly have the freedom we think they have? How do they manage their abundant (free) time? We talked with Radityo Susilo Dwiatmojo, founder of ARAT Design, and Philip Young Gunawan, a freelance product designer, to find out.
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We met Radityo or Tyo in his office in Fatmawati area, in a small three-story building near Lotte Mart Fatmawati. His office, looking so artsy in every corner, is on the third floor. ARAT Design is a design firm specializing in brand identity, interior design, and architecture. Tyos tarted ARAT back in 2015 with his partner, Al. His decision to be an entrepreneur was a deliberate one, driven by his realization that he can’t fully use his potential when he’s in a rigid system, “Having a control over my circumstances is a very important thing to me.” It was not easy, however, for Tyo to convince his parents about his choice. His father was a professional who had always worked in a corporation with clear career path, but Tyo never had any interest to take the same path, “In college, I spent quite a lot of my own money for capital in the early years as I tried to convince my parents. I started making results and became self-sufficient in the end of my junior year. Finally, after 3 years my Dad approved and became my number one advisor for ARAT’s business decisions. He helped me a lot with organizational structure, financial management, people management, and many other things. I believe my Dad’s mentorship is what truly drives ARAT to be sustainable. Once I had 100% support from my parents, I felt like half of my burdens are lifted.”
ARAT is Tyo’s main gig, but he still has a lot of other projects going on. The restaurant on the building’s first floor is his. He also recently started to teach at Prasetiya Mulya University, his alma mater. Tyo, who holds a Master’s degree from Domus Academy, teaches a course called “Experience Design”, a discipline he also applies at work as ARAT handles many design projects for retail store experience. When asked about how he juggles multiple responsibilities, Tyo told us about the one important habit he does. Every night before going to bed, Tyo spares two hours for reflection, “I call those two hours the golden time where I will contemplate and make a list of the things I love and hate from that day. I use the terms ‘love’ and ‘hate’ because I allow my feelings to navigate my decision. If I really hate something that day, then that should be the problem I need to focus on solving the next day.” To let “feelings” decide our priorities might sound counterintuitive, but Tyo has a strong reason to use this approach, “Even though at the end our brain helps us to solve a problem, I believe the main success indicator is whether we feel relaxed or anxious. I measure whether I’ve really solved a problem from what I feel. Do I still feel uneasy? If yes, why? I use the contemplation time to elaborate that uneasy feeling.”
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SELF
After meeting Radityo, we talked with Philip on the phone, about a week after he just got back from 2-month Eurotrip. It was not really a vacation, though. In Europe, he still had to work remotely on weekdays. Philip is a Digital Product Designer. He makes applications. In short, he is a designer who can code. Philip has long realized that he wants a flexible lifestyle, “I get bored fast. I always need a challenge. I have this image that working 9 to 5 in a corporate office requires me to follow a monotonous rhythm, so I tried to figure out what job I could possibly do that will give me autonomy.” Unlike Radityo who knew earlier that entrepreneurship is the answer, Philip took some time to figure his career out, “I had this sudden urge one night to travel the world because I think if I don’t travel, I wouldn’t know what options exist out there. I then did extensive googling on what jobs that could allow me to travel. I found that being a User Interface Designer and Developer is the answer because the demand for the job is greater than the supply, and the pay is very high if you have a world-class quality.” From that finding, Philip then started—as much
as we don’t like using the word—hustling. He first looked up who the world’s top designers and developers are and found that they mostly interact on Twitter. Then, he did research on their profiles and mapped what they did to make it from having zero followers to being influential and having highvalue clients. Philip found and followed the formula. “First, I had to make myself look legit. The easiest way to look legit is by having a legit website. So I made my own portfolio website and I put the website link on the Twitter bio. Second, I followed potential clients and other developers and designers. Third, I interacted with them on Twitter. I replied and retweeted their tweets, engaged in the conversation. I kept doing that for 2-3 months. Finally, I got several offers to work as a full-time Product Designer, but there was one that would allow me to work remotely. I have been working for them for almost a year now.” So, how does Philip like his work until now? He answered, “I don’t feel like working, because my job is mainly problem-solving, which is something that I really like. I think this lifestyle suits me because I can be responsible for myself. People can’t freelance or be a remote worker if they’re not independent and need someone to whip them.”
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I had this sudden urge one night to travel the world because I think if I don’t travel, I wouldn’t know what options exist out there. I then did extensive googling on what jobs that could allow me to travel.
The grass is indeed greener on the other side. As a 9 to 5 worker, we often dream of having more flexibility by starting our own business. In reality, entrepreneurs or freelancers are not that free either. It might be easier for them to squeeze in a dentist appointment or a short vacation, but freedom always comes with a price. They might not be bounded by time, but just like any other profession, they are bounded by responsibilities, be it responsibilities toward the team or toward the clients. “I think freedom could be both a luxury and a curse. It’s a luxury because if I were not an entrepreneur, I wouldn’t be able to have the flexibility to take a side job such as teaching. However, it’s also a curse since flexibility comes with a cost. Yes, I’m the boss and I could choose not to work, but there is always this guilty feeling every time I am absent and not there to solve a problem,” said Tyo. He further elaborated on the cost of being too flexible, “If I run a company and I have people working under me, the flexibility reflects on them. If I am too flexible, that’s the benchmark. If I abuse my freedom, they would too. The most important thing, in the end, is making sure they think that it’s worthwhile to work
for you. That’s why I can’t be too flexible because employee engagement would be the cost.” On top of that, if you read this piece closer, you will realize that entrepreneurs and freelancers are not so free in a sense that they are bounded by the most important limit of all: their own working standards. “I work when I want to work and stop when I want to stop. However, I set my own incentive system. For example, I don’t allow myself to have a nice dinner if I haven’t finished working. Anyway, I feel uneasy if I don’t work. Every time I feel kind of unmotivated, I usually get back on track quickly once I see people being productive on social media. I’m a competitive person, so that’s enough to annoy me and get my energy back,” told Philip. He continued with a final advice for aspiring freelancers, “I thought I wanted to travel. After 2 months in Europe, I realized that I’m more of a homebody, but I wouldn’t know that if I didn’t try. Often what we see on the social media is just a romantic idea. My advice would be to try if this flexible lifestyle is the lifestyle that suits you best.” C·
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STINA A R T C
N IO
PR O
IS
GOOD FOR PRODUCTIVITY?
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e’ve all done it, we despise it, but at the same time we cannot help it: procrastination. The said activity has gotten itself quite a bad rap, deemed as an evil and negative thing to do. And it’s not unusual where you find yourself drowned in guilt after doing so. But what if we try to embrace procrastination and see it in another light? What if procrastination is actually a way of self-indulgence at your working environment and a healthy proportion of it can actually help you to be more productive?
Writer Aisya Putri Illustrator Yudit Halim
Look at it this way, you spend 9-10 hours at the office where you bury yourself with loads of work, staring at your computer that links into the great world wide web filled of endless distractions.It’s only normal for you to get drained out and have your mind wanders off in the middle, isn’t it? By procrastinating you can buy yourself some time to rekindle with yourself, to let your thoughts simmer, to prioritize and to simply find the joy in doing the work you’re doing.
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Jacqueline Alexa
Rafika Nuari
Head of Studio at Bobobobo
Marketing & Branding at PT Astra Aviva Life
“The way I procrastinate is: plan now, do never. Don’t get me wrong, this does not mean I’m not doing anything, it’s just that by procrastinating I can prioritize which needs to be done and which doesn’t, which is really important and which isn’t. It gives me time to realize that sometimes an idea you have is just not cut to be executed. And by procrastinating doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not doing any task, you could be doing other, smaller tasks hence you are actually getting more task done.”
“I do think that by procrastinating you’re being lazy, but that laziness itself can be caused by heavy load of work, loss of mood, etc. Usually I procrastinate by having a ‘me time’ at work, could be as simple as taking a power nap or grabbing some food to eat as a quick mood booster. For me, the key is prioritization and knowing your own working character and pace, because And so, as long as you do, your we reached out procrastination wouldn’t get in the way for you to be to several people productive or finish a task on from different time . And actually, I do think backgrounds to doing things last minute can stimulates your creativity find what they and brain better.”
think about procrastination.
Reta Tahar
Andreas Lukita
KYC Analyst at Deutsche Bank
Junior Architect, Andreas Lukita
“I find it hard not to procrastinate when all my colleagues are doing it as well haha. And I usually resort to cigarette breaks or watching youtube videos whenever I need to loosen up in between works. For me, these kind of things keep me sane at work and it helps me to see things from a different perspective when I’m actually away from my computer screen.”
Dhini Duta Copywriter at Havas Jakarta
“Whenever I’m faced with something I call brain-lazy, I head downstairs to buy some snacks I’ll barely eat. I think procrastination is somewhat necessary, and I like to call it a necessary break. Sure procrastination could become an addiction, and one could always find a reason to push something back, but working non-stop can’t be healthy either. Usually, I only procrastinate when I’ve delivered all my deadlines and left with an ‘easier’ task.”
“Sometimes, I just get so bored doing one thing continuously and I need to refresh my mind for a while. So, I drift off to play with my phone, scroll through the internet, chat with the colleagues, or simply just day-dream. Maybe I do it because I think my brain just works better when i’m under-pressure.”
See? It’s not that bad after all. The biggest take away from the conversation with fellow procrastinators is that you have to know yourself, your personal boundaries, and your character at work. That way, a bit of procrastination won’t be in the way of getting your work done. I think with a healthy and positive dose of procrastination could actually help you on checking even more things off your to-do list, coming up with new and better ideas, and most importantly to keep yourself sane at work. In short, as long as you don’t make a bad habit out of it, stop beating yourself for doing it and try to see the good side of it. And who knows, you might even be procrastinating while reading this article. C·
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9 TO 5
A GUIDE TO FINISH ON TIME
Writer Raisa Nabila Photographer Nadya Natasha Illustrator Yudit Halim
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Picture yourself on an 8 pm Friday, opening the Instagram app. Tap, tap, tap—you absentmindedly tap through all your friends’ Instagram stories. Some post to show they are still stuck on a traffic jam, some are having a fine dinner, while there are always a few that post a picture of their work desk situation with a caption like “Weekend? Apa itu weekend?” added with an animated text GIF reads “hustle”.
T
he hustling culture (or the culture of overwork) is so appealing partly because it is so massively idolized and glorified. Take the great Elon Musk, for example, who LA Times called the poster boy of a culture that celebrates obsessive overwork. On my Instagram’s Explore tab, from time to time I would stumble upon that one “motivational” quote from Elon Musk: “Work like hell. I mean you just have to put in 80 to 100 hour weeks every week. [This] improves the odds of success.” Crazy, isn’t it? Deep down wìe all know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and that obsessive overwork is not going to be good in the long-run, physically and mentally (I often wonder myself if Elon lashes out from time to time). Yet, we will not stop working overtime and being proud of it because we still believe that putting more hours do increase the odds of success. Is it true or have we in fact been doing it wrong this whole time?
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Our team interviewed 3 people to explore this question. They are all Jakartans working in a typically demanding industry.
First, we interviewed Teguh Tohjiwa, a Business Researcher at Roland Berger, a management consulting firm, who rarely works overtime (he mostly clocks in at 9 and clocks out at 6). Teguh has been working for the company for 5 years, since 2013. As part of a supporting division in the company, he is the main point of contact for when the consultants request for research. In addition to doing the research by himself, he is also responsible for delegating research projects to the team. We asked him about how he manages to do all his works and leave work on time. His first tip was to clear up any doubt about the scope of work upfront. “Whenever I have doubt about the work request, I always ask for a clearer brief. A quick phone call would help to clear up the doubt. The thing about research is that when the request does not have a clear brief, you can end up doing it either too narrow or too broad. Pushing for a clearer brieffrom the start helps because I want to avoidwasting time doing things differently than what is expected,” said Teguh.
Teguh also talked a lot about managing expectation, “I am always honest with the stakeholders if, for example, I can’t finish things by mid-day. This way, they know what to expect. Sure, there are days when I couldn’t leave work early, but those days are rare because I don’t promise to finish stuff when I know I wouldn’t be able to finish it faster.” Meanwhile, Sarah Danita, a Digital Strategist at GOODSTUPH, a social influence marketing agency, admitted that writing down a to-do list the day before really helps. As a Digital Strategist, Sarah manages a lot of account-related stuff. To put it simply, she is the bridge between clients and the creative team. Works indeed could be overwhelming sometimes and a list gives her a head start, “List enables me to digest information in bite-sized form rather than tackling a giant tempest of tasks all at once, and I love feeling satisfied from being able to cross them off at the end of the day.” Advertising has always been an industry—quoting Sarah—“of long hours, impossible deadlines, and creative chaos”, yet she manages
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1
01.
02.
2
to arrive at 10 am and leave at 6.30 pm every day, “I wouldn’t say it’s a norm in my office to finish on time. However, I do think—especially for people who work in the similar field— trying to finish your work by sitting at your desk for 9 hours straight isn’t very productive. Sometimes you need to get out in order to get fresh ideas. Leaving the office on time and have a good night’s rest tend to affect your mood the next day.”
Teguh Tohjiwa, Business Researcher at Roland Berger. Sarah Danita, Digital Strategist at Goodstuph.
Putting more hours doesn’t equate to better work performance.
In addition to making a list, one tip Sarah gave was to avoid multitasking, “I can multitask but I avoid multitasking as much as I could since I believe that multitasking is counterproductive. Having a clear mind and a goal set would enable one to focus–hence do things faster, I suppose.” The last person we interviewed was Richie Amadeo, Head of Legal Department at Mandiri Investasi. Previously, Richie’s had his share of working in a law firm. He admitted that he has a better work-life balance now on his current job.
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Richie Amadeo, Head of Legal Department at Mandiri Investasi.
“In my office, the working hours are kind of flexible as long as I work 8 hours a day. In the morning, I usually start by checking my emails to see what kind of help the other divisions need. Then, I map out a prioritization plan: which ones to do first and which ones are not too urgent.” Other than prioritizing things early in the morning, Richie also avoids procrastination, “I simply choose to play and do other stuff after work rather than in between work. This has been my style ever since I worked at the law firm. However, at a law firm, it is impossible to leave early because to work overtime is the culture. For example, once I had finished all my works, but there’s this unwritten rule that I need to wait up for my partner to come back from a meeting, so I waited for 2 hours. I think that culture is a legacy passed down from partners to partners, so people feel bad if they leave early.” Both Sarah and Richie share a negative view towards the culture of obsessive overwork.
“If you’re constantly exposed to the job, with no such break, you’ll eventually resent it,” said Sarah. Meanwhile, Richie believes putting more hours doesn’t equate to better work performance, “I see those who work longer hours are more stressful and lose their social life. I don’t think it’s worth it. They don’t have better career progression either at the end.” Finally, I want to quote Adam Grant, my favorite organizational psychologist. He said, “In accomplished leaders, we often mistake vices for virtues. Steve Jobs succeeded in spite of his cruelty, not because of it.” Maybe, we should see the case of Elon Musk and other people who have both succeeded and worked obsessively in their life as a random correlation event, not a causality. Maybe they are successful not because of an obsessive overwork, but in spite of it. Maybe Elon is simply a genius. Thinking it this way personally helps me to be more relaxed and joyful in my hustle (and feel less guilty when I prioritize my social life over work). I hope it helps you too.C·
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INSIGHT
BUSINESS
W
Writer Raisa Nabila
For this first edition, we take a look at the routines of three different professions to get an overview of how the hours and the activities that constitute a typical working day could be different across industries and/or professions.
Illustrator Yudit Haim
hen we say “9 to 5”, what we really mean is the typical working hours of full time office jobs. When we discuss about working hours, we often forget that not all jobs are created equal. Our version of “9 to 5” might be very different compared to others’.
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INSIGHT
SCHEDULE
9pm
10pm
11pm
10pm
11pm
SENDY
YUDHA
12pm
1am
2am
3am
4am
5am
6am
Wake up Arrived Jakarta and go at the Palembang to the airport flight airport
Medan - Toba Lake area car trip
Rest at hotel near Silangit Airport
NONO
We talked to Sendy Izazi, an airline pilot at Batik Air; Yudha Nugraha Wibisana, part of Investment Division at Lake Toba Tourism Authority, and Novanto Ji, a software engineer at HappyFresh.
It’s easy to whine about our long working hours and boring repetitive works, maybe we could put ourselves on the shoes of people with different professions.
Sendy, who is a first officer or a co-pilot, does not have certain weekdays and weekend like people with office jobs do. However, he has a pattern where he works for 5 days in a row and takes 1 day off before repeating the pattern again. In addition to his main job as a pilot, Sendy also has an additional responsibility to work in the back office six days a month as a Flight Data Analyst in the Safety Department, where he acts as a “policeman” to identify undisciplined pilots. Sendy’s typical day involves piloting around four flights with two different routes. Yudha, who handles investment at Lake Toba Tourism Authority--a newly launched agency under Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism--has three different typical days. The first type is when he stays at his office in Medan to do paperwork and budget planning. The second is when he goes to
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7am Jakarta Palembang flight
8am
9am
Palembang - Jakarta flight
Picking up investor from airport for breakfast
10am
11am
12pm
1pm
Jakarta - Lombok flight
Show investor around to see existing businesses in the area
Arrived at the office
Stand up meeting with the team
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
Lombok - Jakarta flight, then done for the day
Lunch with investor
Code
Lunch time
Take investor to experience outdoor activities such as paragliding around the area
Grooming session with the team
Code
Dinner with investor, then done for theday
Play PES at Game Room before heading home
do presentation at potential investors’ office. The third type, the most tiring and his most favorite, is when Yudha and his team goes to the tourism site to facilitate potential investors’ visit. His third typical day is what we feature on this piece. Finally, Novanto or Nono’s job might be the one that looks the most like an “office job” here. You might picture software engineer as a profession that requires sitting in front of a computer all day long. However, since Nono works at a tech startup, he is granted the flexibility to start and finish whenever he likes, as long as he achieves his goal and collaborates well with the team (plus the privilege to work from anywhere, two days a month). Surely, with great privilege comes great responsibilities. There is always a new product/feature to be shipped and that also means not sleeping sometimes. It’s easy to whine about our long working hours and boring repetitive works, but from time to time maybe we could put ourselves on the shoes of people with different professions. So far, we could survive our version of “9 to 5”. If their jobs look shinier, could we possibly survive theirs? C·
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INSIGHT
THE FUTURE OF COWORKING SPACE Writer Wisnu Aryo Setio
With the advancement of technology in the way we work, the need to have a physical space where employees gather to perform administrative tasks is becoming obsolete. Now, work can be performed from anywhere as long as we have internet connection, thanks to various applications like Slack or Google Drive. This flexibility has given birth to modern workspaces, one of them including the rise of coworking space. With trendy and instagrammable interior design, various types of furnitures (Bean bags! Standing tables! Focus pods!), and a robust community development effort; coworking space has emerged as an alternative for people who are looking for a place to get things done. However, since the industry is considerably new, there are many exciting opportunities for it to grow beyond what it is right now. Contentment team has observed several local and global trends in the coworking industry to identify four possible evolutions of the coworking space.
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FROM A ONE-OFF ESTABLISHMENTS TO CHAIN MOGULS
FROM OFFICE LOCATIONS TO RETAIL LOCATIONS
Few years ago, the coworking space trend started off from small establishments around the world. Today, one of the major players in the coworking industry, WeWork, has been valued for more than 20 billion USD and currently running more than 450 locations across 90 cities. We expect to see this kind of rapid expansion in Indonesia, since there are several homegrown players such as GoWork and COCOWORK that have implemented the same strategy as well. Usually, chain coworking spaces are supported by strong financial backers, from venture capitalists to real estate companies. They occupy the most prestigious locations in the city, and they offer flexibility for people to work from any of their locations. These chains might not feel as tightknit and authentic as independently run coworking spaces, but they give the most value for money since it will be very hard to compete with them in terms of location and facilities. They also target a different kind of clientele, since most of their tenants are usually big multinational corporations or later stage startups looking to expand in a new geographic area.
With the death of big retailers around the world, many vacant spaces are now available again in shopping malls. According to a research done by Jones Lang LaSalle, coworking space can be the solution for vacant retail space by decreasing vacancy and driving additional foot traffic with a guaranteed daytime population. The addition of foot traffic may also help revitalize the shopping mall and attract new retail tenants. JLL predicts that coworking space in retail properties will grow at a rate of 25 percent annually through 2023. In Indonesia, this trend has been adopted by GoWork with their prestigious A-grade mall locations in Pacific Place, FX Sudirman, Senayan City, and many more to come.
FROM BUSINESS-DRIVEN TO IMPACT-DRIVEN Many coworking spaces started off as a profitseeking organization, in which they work with startups that are also business-driven. However, with the rise of impact-driven entrepreneurship, several coworking spaces has evolved as home for social entrepreneurs with their noble cause. Take a look at Impact Hub, a network of more than 100 coworking spaces around the world that focus on solving the world’s most pressing issues. In Jakarta, Impact Hub is located in Coworkinc, Kemang. They have continuously worked with various social entrepreneurs, hosting events such as the Impact Travel series where they talk about various sustainable tourism efforts across Indonesia. It is very interesting to see how coworking space can also contribute towards the greater good of the society, more than just a mere instagrammable office space.
FROM HETEROGENEOUS TO HOMOGENEOUS One of the advantages of working in a coworking space is getting the access to meet different types of coworkers. Initially, this concept might sound interesting, but in reality, fruitful collaboration can only happen within industries that have a certain connections, or within people that share similar background. That’s why, many coworking spaces are taking a bold move in selecting and curating their tenants. Take the example of 50m, a retail space slash coworking space in London that only accepts fashion designer. They provide a one-stop service for fashion brands, from photo studio to mentorship, and the tenants can also showcase their product in the dedicated retail zone. Another interesting example is The Wing, a women-only coworking space in New York, that became more relevant with the prevalence of sexual harassment issues in the office. We haven’t seen this trend in Jakarta, but it is very possible for coworking to evolve into various niches and becoming and umbrella for different industries or communities in Indonesia. C·
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OPINION
“Once Barbie Chang worked on a street named Wall once she sprinkled her yard with timed water once she wore lanyards in large rooms all the chairs pointed in the direction of one speaker and a podium once she stood up at the end to leave but everyone else stood up and began putting their hands together and that started her always wanting something better� Once Barbie Chang Worked by Victoria Chang
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On Work and The Endless Pursuit of Meaning Writer Raisa Nabila Photographer Nadya Natasha
W
ork used to be only a way to make a living. Nevertheless, just like marriage that is also used to be only a means for procreation, it has shifted to something more. Work nowadays is a way to assert identity and achieve fulfillment. These days, just like our parents, we are still pressured to find a decent, well-paid, high-status job, but the pressure is added by a whole new notion of having to work according to our passion or purpose. Heck, with an oversupply of college graduates it’s already difficult enough to get a job we can enjoy every day for years, let alone to find meaning out of it. Yet most of us manage to get by. With the help of abundant resources in Internet (and with some peer pressure from the social comparison-inducing social media), our generation has somehow found a way to work with meaning (or at least to look like we do), maybe not always through our
full-time job, but through side gigs (blogs, freelance gigs, arts or hobbies). It feels weird, these days, to not work on something that has an intrinsic meaning to it. As my day job responsibility in the HR department requires me to “brand” my company as a desired place to work for, I did some comparison on how all the top workplaces communicate their employee value proposition on their career page. Honestly, they all offer a similar perk: working for impact. If you’re working in a company who doesn’t boast about it, your company might be the exception, not the norm. Hence, with the abundant messages in social media about cool workplaces and the glorification of entrepreneurships, it might be tempting for us, the so-called generation Y, to constantly chase and jump into the next big thing that we think would give us more meaning. We pride ourselves for being passionate, driven, willing to make impact.
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OPINION
Here, I would like to quote one of my favorite old proverbs: “Be careful of being driven. If you are driven, who is doing the driving?”. Maybe, just maybe, we are simply driven (in other words, pressured) to find big meaning in everything we do, while the meaning itself is built within the mundane things—of laughing with our co-workers, of going to the same food stall on lunch time, of the office drama, of the endless meetings that (if we’re lucky) can turn inspiring sometimes.
Maybe, we are simply driven to find big meaning in everything we do, while the meaning itself is built within the mundane things.
It feels weird, these days, to not be driven, to not be on a constant chase of meaning. In a way, we are all Barbie Chang in the poem above: we always want something better. Let’s try, though, once in a while, to take a counterintuitive approach: to just be, because it’s impossible to have meaning in everything we do and it’s impossible to have it all. What is always possible, though, is to try to change our view of what we deem as meaningful. C·
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thecontentment.co
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Contentment Media Providing access to curated information in culture, style, self, and insights. ISSUE 001 - October Š2018 2
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