Suta Vijaya, Policy, Government and Public Affairs Manager of Chevron Indonesia Company, never dreamt that his life would turn out the way it has. His parents were teachers with limited income and he had to struggle to pursue his study. His journey took him from an unknown place in East Kalimantan to one of the world's largest global energy companies. Equipped with his scientific approach and keen observation, he has now become one of the most credible names in issues management. Following are excerpts from a recent interview with him.
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| River Bank of Sanga-sanga |
Suta: I was born in a small village in East Kalimantan named Sanga-Sanga. It was located along the tributary of Mahakam River, as a result it was quite difficult for me to go to school. I had to take a two-hour boat trip just to reach school. After graduating from high school, I thought I could not continue my study. I did not want to burden my parents, but I had high expectation and really wanted to have higher education. When alone, I would hide below my bed and cried. At one time, the news about me wanting to continue school traveled to the ears of the chief of an oil company. He heard about my story and decided to give me some money to go to Surabaya. From Surabaya, I went to Solo, Jogja and finally came to Bandung a year later. At that time, I tried hard to prepare for the university entrance. I studied anywhere I could, from a badminton field to any open space I could find. In Bandung, I applied at ITB as an Engineering student. Armed with only Rp 15,000/month, I had to learn to survive. Again, good fortune found me and I was chosen to receive a scholarship from Mr. Siswono Yudhohusodo, a sucessful businessman at that moment. My Rp 15,000 then became Rp 75,000 and I felt so relieved.“
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| House of Representatives, Sacramento CA |
Suta: The decision was not a rational choice, it was more because of my feelings. I was actually at a crossroad at that time. Personally, I wanted to pursue higher education, but due to financial constraint, I had to work. I received several orders from different companies, including a job offer to be a civil servant in Sumatera Utara. After consulting with several friends, I decided to work as a geoscientist in Balikpapan. My closeness and devotion to the province played an important factor in my decision, a decision which I do not regret.
AJAR: How did your career take off?
Suta: I was working at UNOCAL (which now is Chevron Indonesia Company) as Manager of Exploration Technology and in charge of the entire surveys for oil exploration, data processing and analyzing. One day, during a meeting, my boss called me to help the company solve a problem. During the Reformation era, a lot of demonstrations occurred and it also happened in our facilities. I was instructed to be the company’s spokesperson to talk to the local people and find solutions for both sides. For 30 days, after numerous deadlock, hearing sessions and negotiations, the problem was solved. When I returned to work, my boss asked me to temporarily help the company in managing the issues in public affairs and it has become a permanent position since. I learn to communicate with the community by applying all my science knowledge. Before as a geoscientist, I “talked” to the rock and tried to interpret the rocks by analyzing its layers, texture, particle size and internal structure. From that data, I then made my conclusions. It is the same when I am talking to the people. It is even better, because with people, they can give you feedback, so that we can check right away whether our messages get across or not. With my geo-science, I learn to interpret what the public is saying. I believe that all the earth signs and the principles of science that I learn are applicable in any situation and across all borders.
AJAR: How do you deal with issues management?
Suta: From the beginning, I have always reminded my company that acceptance from the locals is essential for our business. People say that acceptance is only possible through communication. I challenged myself that we need more than communication to deal with issues management. Of course, communication is important. That is the first step to build understanding. If we understand each other, we will then have a relationship. With relationship comes trust. Once there is trust, acceptance will come automatically. To achieve acceptance, we have to apply the whole concept. A big issue usually comes from a small issue. If we ignore a small issue, it will develop into a bigger issue. If it is not handled properly, it will be labeled and evolve into a big issue. Therefore, the ideal thing to do is how to manage and handle small issues, so that they do not develop into huge issues that will require more resources, time and energy to solve.
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| Headquarter of Chevron, San Ramon |
Suta: From my experience, I have concluded that only through education, I can liberate myself from poverty. One of my greatest moments was the first time I visited America. My company sent me to California to be stationed in their research center as a reward of my hard work. There I stayed at the best hotel in Los Angeles. I remembered looking out of the window, admiring the view of the city and saw my whole life flash before me. I was only a kampung boy, playing and swimming with my friends at the river. And I asked myself how did I get here. At that point, I was more convinced than ever that everything was only possible through education.
AJAR: What is the biggest lesson that your teacher has ever taught you?
Suta: When I was in high school, I was not confident at all and it showed in my behavior. Even though I could perform well in tests, I still had to cheat. I was never sure of my answers if I didn’t cheat. One day during a test, I cheated and my teacher saw what I did, but he pretended not to see me. When my teacher returned my test result, he gave me a note saying that if I were to work by myself, I would do even better, because he saw a potential in me. That note turned my attitude and my life 180 degrees and from that moment on, I never cheat anymore. Believe it or not, I still keep that note until now. This proves that you don’t need to use violence or embarrassment to educate a person. If my teacher did not prompt me that day, I would still probably be a weak person.
AJAR: Any tips for our scholars?
Suta: I am convinced that it is not how much you know about something, but how much you believe in it. Knowing much is not important, if we can’t materialize our knowledge or apply it in our lives. You can read a lot of books and know a lot of things, but if you never actually put it into action, your knowledge will be idle and useless.
Interviewed by: Marta Yuliana - 2007
1 comments:
Good to read Suta. Congratulations with your achievement, keep up with a good works especially for your people of Kalimantan.
Cheers
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