Ki manyèr?
How are you? I recently completed my SAP Social Sabbatical assignment in the beautiful country of Mauritius. Now, as I reflect on this journey, I want to share my stories and incredible experiences unlike any other.
What is the SAP Social Sabbatical program?
SAP Social Sabbatical is a global pro-bono consulting program that brings together 12 SAP employees from around the world with various cultures and backgrounds. The program provides the team the opportunity to share professional skills and expertise by partnering with nonprofits and social enterprises. Some of the objectives are to implement best practices, enhance operational efficiency, and create a lasting impact for these organizations. Additionally, the program enables participants to cultivate leadership skills, develop cultural awareness, and foster personal and career growth.
Preparations
Once I got the acceptance letter, I immediately googled to locate where Mauritius was on the world map 😄. It was an exciting moment because I have never traveled that far from the Philippines, not to mention traveling solo.
I took the pre-work seriously and allotted hours to work on the activities and watch the inspiring and thought-provoking videos. All these were very useful as all the information that PYXERA Global shared, including the insights and questions from the rest of the team, equipped me to prepare both prior to and upon my arrival in Mauritius.
We were advised to pack light and leave half of the things we had already packed in our suitcase because we won’t be using all of it. This was the case for me as I only brought clothes good for 2 weeks, consisting of comfortable clothes, and formal wear for the kickoff and final presentation. Given that the weather in Mauritius is the same as here in the Philippines, I didn’t have any problems with what to bring... except for one:
12 Strong 💪
The Mauritius cohort was composed of a diverse team of amazing SAP employees based in Germany, Mexico, Spain, Canada, Denmark, Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Embracing the local culture, we named ourselves “Rising Soley”, where Soley translates to “Sun” in Mauritian Creole.
Our journey began with an orientation session where we got the chance to know a little more about each other and helped break the ice among us through engaging activities. What I found most insightful was the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator session which explained our individual preferences and tendencies. It was also interesting to know the personality types of the rest of the group, especially within our sub-team because we would be spending most of the time together. It enabled me to navigate my interactions and became more self-aware around my colleagues.
The meals of the day were always a good time to get to know each other better. There was a consistent group for breakfast at the hotel, and joining them felt like tuning in to a lively morning show where any and all things were openly discussed — a good time for laughs, have mini career advice sessions, talk about the weird weather, share traditions, and cultures, catch up on the sub-teams progress, and many others. All those while eating my delicious omelette and croissant! Lunchtime was spent with the host client and/or the sub-team. We’ve been to different restaurants and discovered our own go-to's whenever we want something specific to eat. Then comes dinner. It has always been the hardest one to plan and decide on. We didn’t always go together as one group but there were for sure some nights when we Njoyed (haha!) the food and each other’s company.
We explored Mauritius on weekends, engaging in activities like hiking, visiting historical sites, enjoying local beaches, and trying out diverse cuisines. In between these were stories told, experiences shared, cultures embraced, and friendships formed. The 12 of us from different corners of the globe, found ourselves united through shared experiences and achieved the same goal of helping the world run better and improving people’s lives.
I wrote a separate article that focuses on my experience working within our sub-team and our host client, We-Recycle.
Takeaways
The experience has provided me with lots of insights and lessons, here are some:
- Being away from the normal routines at work and home is a breath of fresh air. The Social Sabbatical was the break that I have been looking for in my career.
- This experience has brought me out of my comfort zone where I was challenged to adjust to different aspects such as communication, culture, emotional dynamics, and different ways of thinking. I discovered new strengths to nurture and identified areas of improvement to focus on.
- I observed and absorbed a lot of things during the first 2 weeks. These helped me move around and find my place around people.
- So much has happened in one month. It seemed like time moved fast and slow at the same time. It felt like we’ve known each other longer and accomplished so much more than I could have imagined.
- #4 was mainly because of focusing on the tasks planned for the day, having no distractions, and not multi-tasking plus context-switching as I would normally do.
- It’s a good habit to take breaks in between work. This gave my mind time to relax and gain clearer perspectives.
- Imposter syndrome kicked in once I got to Mauritius. After getting to know everyone‘s stories, and working with our sub-team/client, I realized that I was meant to be in the program. I was meant to be there to meet all the people I’ve met and embrace all my learnings and experiences.
- I maintained my true, authentic self.
- I knew it would be hard to leave Mauritius the next day after the final presentation. I wasn’t ready to leave a significant chapter in my life without slowing down, and savoring the memories and milestones of the past month.
- I realized the valuable contributions and moments each Rising Soley member has left on me: Rajni — dance like no one’s watching, and if there is someone watching, make it crazy fun! Sandi — instilled a deeper love and care for dogs and the environment. Ivan —the importance of being helpful and making sure everyone is included; adding a bit of humor to conversations. Markus — be in the moment. Lynn — sometimes it’s okay to stay where you are; define my career goals with confidence. Paddy — appreciate the passion for music; the value of having great interpersonal skills. Denny — find purpose in life; display positive and cheerful behavior. Toni — the value of being patient; readiness to help others; the art of engaging people in conversation. Mynyna — the value of speaking out and speaking up; having the courage and strength to take action. Prithvi — engaging in arguments, conversations, and banters in a respectful and fun(ny) manner; plan the work day, work smarter. Tamara — work efficiently and productively; care for others; the significance of being assertive; the value of having a calm, quiet, and safe space.
I know that the program did so much more for me than what I have accomplished in return — all the realizations and decisions I made over the last month, have made an impact on my personal and professional life. The SAP Social Sabbatical is truly a unique experience and I’m proud to be part of something so grand and beautiful.
