I am writing this blog as a silent observer on the sidelines of how beautifully SAP as an organization has been able to provide an atmosphere for innovative thinking within its walls and we have a flourishing internal social ecosystem and networks of practice and content in the social domain.
It all goes back to SAP, its value systems and the willingness to abide by them in providing employees the sense of freedom and individual responsibility that progressive societies aspire to.
The following are the values that SAP hopes to enshrine in its employees:
Success
We measure our success by our customers’ success. Commit to the success of customers, partners, colleagues, and SAP.
Accountability
We embrace accountability and always make good on our promises. Keep your word by executing on commitments we have made to ourselves and others.
Professionalism
We exhibit professionalism by consistently delivering quality work. Act with integrity, treat others with respect, pursue personal expertise, and execute with discipline.
Integrity
We are honest and fair and take responsibility for all our actions. Treat our customers and co-workers with sincerity and respect.
Teamwork
We value teamwork because it enables us to exceed our individual limits and share greater success. Take personal initiative in collaborating to achieve success.
Trust
We work for each other’s success and take personal responsibility for all of our relationships, be it with customers, partners, or colleagues.
I see a direct correlation between the above and the success of “social” within SAP.
Social forces openness and accountability follows, self-reinforcing the virtuous cycle. Professionalism is a given in the social domain where you leave pretty much a permanent mark for posterity, so you want to be remembered as someone on the side of good. The content that you create has to come from a place of honesty, without stealing copyrights and being original about thought that helped create the content.
Teamwork and trust are two pillars that help create and flourish a network of peers who leverage social to achieve disproportionate leverage and do the impossible.
I wrote this blog to give you a little insight into how and why SAP is such a next generation software solutions vendor headed to greatness and an eternity of its own definition.