A Privileged Amazing Humbling Experience
Published 8/21/17 in LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maribelyoung/
Disclaimer: I am still riding high from a recent experience afforded to me by my employer, SAP. Just to be clear, I was not asked to write this blog and the views and opinions expressed here are mine. I felt the need to share how cool it is to work for such a great company.
For thirty-plus years I’ve worked in the tech industry for giants like Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies and Cisco Systems. Each had its own culture and internal organizational challenges with good and not so good experiences for the employees. SAP, my current employer, is no exception in dealing with internal organizational challenges, but I can attest that they have the strongest culture of giving back to the community and developing employees that I have experienced.
Privilege. I recently travelled 10,000 miles from California, USA to Arusha, Tanzania for a four week Social Sabbatical sponsored by SAP, in partnership with Pyxera Global. I was one of 12 privileged employees to participating in the Tanzania program. We came from all over the world (USA, Germany, Romania, China, Belgium, India, Hungry) to carry out a pro bono assignment with a local NGO or social entrepreneur. It was like being in college when anything and everything is possible, and my focus was singular — no work or family responsibilities, and food/living accommodations were all taken care of. It was even better, since I was living in a hotel and did not have to worry about cleaning or cooking!
Amazing. The SAP Social Sabbatical program sets us up on teams of three, and usually puts us all into an uncomfortable situation where we need to learn and stretch. We spoke to lots of interesting people, followed many leads, and learned a lot through Google. We arrived to our client’s high expectations as the ‘the experts’ who would help them gain financial sustainability with a diversified funding plan.
In just four weeks an IT consultant, a development consultant and a communications manager became NGO financial advisors and bankers, livestock managers, crowdsourcing and community engagement specialist. I found myself leveraging personal and professional experiences gained over the years. In the end, we proposed 13 funding alternatives with steps for a phased approach. Our plan diversified their funding and grew unrestricted funds from 3% to 16% of their yearly budget. We gave them options that when implemented will give them financial sustainability, so that they can continue delivering on their mission for years to come.
The experience reminded me that everything is possible
Humbled. The experience reminded me that everything is possible. That I have years of knowledge that can be applied to the strangest situations (e.g., livestock management), and all it takes is people trusting in you and you trying your best.
It was also a cultural experience. Not only did I share my first African continent experience with 11 colleagues from around the world (24hs x 7days x 4 weeks), but I immersed myself into the world of our client organization and their mission. A humbling experience that brought me back to appreciating perspectives and to practicing no-judgment in a simpler world.
Our client, Pastoral Women’s Council, was greatly appreciative and touched by the work we delivered. They were impressed by our understanding of their work, and by the number of options we gave them. They acknowledge our thorough proposal with details to help them on the execution; they told us that our deliverable was unequal to past consulting advise they had received. Our client called us ‘experts’ from day one, and though we knew little about financial sustainability, funding an NGO, or about livestock management, we lived up to their expectations of experts!
Best kept secret in town. Even though SAP is one of the largest business software vendors in Europe, it is not well known among ordinary folks here in the USA. In fact, when I tell friends or family that I work for SAP, many think I work at the SAP Center, which is the home to the San Jose Sharks National Hockey League in downtown San Jose, California.
With so many start-ups and well known Silicon Valley companies like Apple, HP, Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, SAP is the best-kept-secret employer in Silicon Valley.
With so many start-ups and well known Silicon Valley companies like Apple, HP, Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, SAP is the best-kept-secret employer in Silicon Valley. As an employer, SAP still invests in employees as a key asset for their success; there are many programs to help employees develop and grow. SAP has a culture open to affording career experiences through fellowships, community experiences with programs like this Social Sabbatical, and continued development through their formal education programs. And yes, we do have free lunch and Pinkberry frozen yogurt with all the toppings you can eat.
There is a lot more that can be said about SAP, but for now I just want to focus on the experience of a lifetime that was only possible because I am working for such a great company. It was a privilege to have this experience, with all expenses paid while still on the payroll and no vacation time used. Not too many companies can match that!
