It will come as a surprise to many Indonesians when they learn about the significant transformation that has taken place within the Indonesian bureaucracy, particularly at the level of young and millennial civil servants. In a recent talk show, host Rachel Amanda explored this positive shift with Jaya Setiawan Gulo, a 33-year-old civil servant working at the Finance Ministry.

Gulo has been recognized with several awards for his outstanding achievements and innovative contributions as a young bureaucrat. Sri Mulyani, the Minister of Finance, was impressed by Gulo’s abilities and personally invited him to work for the ministry’s Secretariat General in 2019.

Since his younger days, Gulo’s aspiration was to follow in his father’s footsteps as an entrepreneur, inspired by his father’s success in comparison to his civil servant mother in terms of income, connections, and social standing. However, due to his father’s business going bankrupt, Gulo had to secure a scholarship to pursue further studies. As the eldest son, he became the pillar of support for his family.

In 2008, Gulo was admitted to the esteemed Finance Ministry’s Polytechnic of State Finance (STAN) for a one-year program (D1) in the Custom and Excise Department. ” I was lucky because I automatically become a civil servant when accepted at STAN,” Gulo explained.

Amanda then inquired about how Gulo adapted to working with more senior colleagues at the ministry, given the public perception that government offices are often dominated by senior civil servants who are resistant to change.

“There’s always a generation gap between millennials and the senior staff at the office. The senior employees possess a wealth of experience due to their longer work experience, making them more knowledgeable. We, the millennials, lack that level of experience in comparison,” Gulo explained.

What is the advantage of young bureaucrats? 

“We can offer a strong work ethic, always eager to learn and explore new horizons, and crucially, we possess a mastery of technology along with a keen awareness and understanding of high-tech advancements,” explained Gulo, a graduate of the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Economics.

“Our more senior colleagues and superiors lack this technological expertise. They’re somewhat behind in technological advancements. However, as the younger generation, we may not possess the maturity required to conceive innovative concepts and applications. We seek guidance from those with extensive experience,” added Gulo.

When Amanda inquired about the difference between government offices and the private sector, Gulo acknowledged that civil servant bureaucracy can be long and tiring.

However, the Finance Ministry has undergone a lot of changes. “By design, I no longer need to physically approach my superior for a signature. I simply use an application to obtain a digital signature. I experienced this at the Finance Ministry, and hopefully, this streamlined system is also practiced in other ministries.”

“At the Finance Ministry, we have Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are quantifiable measures of performance over time for specific objectives. They set targets for teams, provide milestones to measure progress, and offer insights to help improve decision-making throughout the organization,” mentioned Gulo.

When questioned about the repercussions of failing to meet the KPIs, he responded, “Our take-home pay will decrease if we fail to meet the KPI targets.”

Regarding how to excel at the highest level, Gulo emphasized following the advice of the finance minister. Ministry civil servants should maintain a broader perspective and not solely focus on their current roles.

“We also try to learn about best governance practices. However, learning isn’t confined to Indonesia alone. During weekends, I strive to interact with individuals working in the private sector, multinational corporations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to broaden my perspective,” he shared.

In 2014, Gulo was elected as the co-chair of the Indonesia-Netherlands Youth Society. He learned valuable lessons about punctuality and directness in expressing opinions from his Dutch friends. They communicated straightforwardly. He also initiated the School Projects (2016-2019) and served as the communication director of Indonesia Go Global (2013-present).

He highlighted that he gained many invaluable insights from visiting numerous countries and studying in the US. “We learn not only from developed countries but also from middle-income nations and even the least-developed ones.”

Gulo further explained his accomplishments in developing a Custom Declaration Online Application at the international Kuala Namu Airport. Before having the application, incoming visitors had to fill out paper forms, a manual process. The online system proved advantageous.

“Incoming passengers can complete the form at their departure airport. Once submitted, they receive a QR code. Upon arrival at Kuala Namu Airport, they show the QR code to customs and excise officers.”

Gulo was honored with the Inspiring Civil Servants Award from the Bureaucratic Reform in 2016. In 2017, he earned the Inspiring Custom and Excise Civil Servants Award from the Customs and Excise Directorate General. In 2018, the Finance Ministry recognized him with the Most Outstanding Staff Award. Subsequently, in 2019, he received the Most Outstanding Civil Servant Award from the Bureaucratic Reform Ministry.

After dedicating nearly a decade to Medan, Gulo was promoted by Minister Sri Mulyani personally to work at the Finance Ministry’s Secretariat General Office. Gulo serves in the Communication and Information Services Bureau, handling content creation and social media, covering topics related to state financial literacy.

Gulo and his friends established the ‘Let’s Become Civil Servant Community’ handle on Instagram. Presently, it has 31,000 followers, primarily comprising young individuals eager to learn about the prospects of a civil servant career.

What advice does Gulo have for young people?

“Continuously seek out new experiences and don’t fear failure. To those embarking on their professional journey, prioritize actions over mere words. Strive to be someone who brings honor to your homeland,” he emphasized in his concluding statement.

During the recent Bincang Inspiratif, host Bayu Octara engaged in a conversation with Roslina Verauli, a renowned psychologist and expert in child, adolescent, and family matters. Throughout the discussion, she advocated for a shift towards gentle parenting patterns, urging parents to move away from the more commonly employed authoritarian parenting style.

The objective is to raise happy and confident children because they can fully interact with their parents and not just receive instruction and punishment when they make mistakes.

A gentle parenting approach is characterized by profound kindness, empathy, and respect for children. In this style, parents consistently strive to treat their children as equals during interactions, valuing their perspectives and feelings. They listen to the complaints and wishes of the kids and are open to finding a mutually agreed solution, but still setting clear boundaries.

“The purpose of gentle parenting is to make them confident so that they can regulate themselves. That way they have options and can express their own opinion,” said the mother of two sons.

Authoritarian Parenting

But before discussing the new parenting style, Bayu and Roslina shared their childhood experiences. Their parents adopted authoritarian parenting, which was dominated by acts of anger, punishment, and even violence. In their relationship with their parents, the communication was one-sided. They were expected to strictly follow instructions regarding bathing, studying, and completing their homework.

“When I think about my parents, what often stands out in my memories is the anger and punishment they imposed on me in the past,” said the YouTuber.

Under the authoritarian parenting method, parents have the final say on everything, and children have no choice but to obey; although they suffer from emotional scars, they will endure for the rest of their lives.

“I were forced to study, bathe and do my homework. There were always anger and punishment. What I remember is that in parenting, I must be harsh and use punishment to make it effective and easy,” said Roslina, a graduate of the faculty of psychology at the University of Indonesia.

Roslina emphasized that in today’s digital era, the tolerance for frustration has decreased, making such parenting methods outdated. She pointed out that many young parents pledge not to replicate the traumatic experiences they had with their own parents, who resorted to authoritarian techniques that often led to verbal and physical violence.

“They do not have much time to be connected with their children. Parents are absent in their life, especially dads. Children are nurtured by their nannies or their grandparents, who often come and go. They have no bounded connection with their parents,” Roslina said.

Gentle Parenting

The purpose of gentle parenting is to make children confident that they can manage themselves. That they have options and that they can express their own opinion. Children are now allowed to show their emotions as parents permit them to be angry, to cry.

“We are all human beings with emotions. It is essential to comprehend children’s expectations and demonstrate empathy towards them. As fellow humans, we should openly express our empathy when we recognize their sadness. Words can be a powerful tool for conveying our emotions,” Roslina pointed out.

“We might experience anger with our kids, but resorting to violence is not acceptable. Children require boundaries and rules in their lives, just like the rules of a game. They can learn that expressing frustration by shouting at their parents is not appropriate,” emphasized the renowned psychologist.

But first of all, we must be connected with them, and then we can make corrections. Connecting first and then correcting. Make sure that we are on the same level first with them or they will see the figure of their parents as bossy and authoritarian. If we are disconnected with the children, we cannot correct the kids.

Parents must understand that sometimes children’s emotion is very deep. That is why when they cry or feel sad, they will sleep. Children need to learn and observe their emotions. Parents often order them to bathe or do their homework without knowing the children are still upset. That is why we need to connect with them before correcting them.

“When we are teaching them about the values of life, about discipline, we should first talk to them whether they agree. For instance. About afternoon nap. What time do they want to take their afternoon sleep, from 2 to 4 PM or 3 to 5 PM?” she cited her experience with her sons. Children are very happy because their parents understand them, she added. 

According to her, currently, children are facing greater challenges. They do not have enough time to rest and be emotionally connected with their parents. For instance, when we are hurrying up to school in the morning. We cannot just order them to get into the car without understanding how they feel. We can offer to talk in the car while driving, she shared.

But gentle parenting does not mean spoiling. There should always be boundaries. For instance, when a younger brother beat his elder sister.

“We ask why he is angry. We say it is OK to be angry, but beating or throwing something is violence. They must remember that they cannot do the same thing again or do it to their friends in school,” said the psychologist.

How to correct kids?  

Families need regular meetings. Parents and their children talk freely about their feeling. We let the children talk. But remember, there is always a boundary, and it does not mean we become permissive. Gentle parenting means you choose to set clear boundaries while underlining what you are asking of your child.