My SAP Social Sabbatical:
Spending 1 month in Manila to work for the Solar Energy Foundation (SEF)
About the SAP Social Sabbatical:
The SAP Social Sabbatical is a unique, short-term assignment for some of SAP’s employees. It is about working in highly diverse, international teams to solve business challenges for the education and entrepreneurial sector in emerging markets. One of the goals is to strengten the participants' leadership competencies, their cross industry sector know-how and intercultural sensitivity. With the gap between rich and poor increasing (summary of the current Oxfam report: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/19/global-wealth-oxfam-inequality-davos-economic-summit-switzerland) despite (or because of?) today's globally integrated economy, it becomes more and more important to understand the full impact of one's decisions and its butterfly effect(s), and to effectively collaborate with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives in order to be able to create a sustainable future together.
Or, how Jim Ayala, head of SEF, put it: "One of the goals is to master the fine art of planning business activities to achieve social impact, financial sustainability, and personal enjoyment!"
About learning, giving, creating and taking opportunities
I applied for the Social Sabbatical because it really offers not only one but many unique opportunities: from working together with enthusiastic, motivated and talented colleagues from around the globe to make an impact and difference for a small company in an emerging market, merely by working for them for a short period, to contributing with all the skills and experience and gut feeling one has to change this world for the better. Even if it's only a tiny bit - it's a start. To break out of all daily routines and (hopefully) get the revelation, how much of a difference one can make in 4 weeks. To give something back to society and create opportunities for others, maybe to balance out all the opportunities and luck I had by growing up in South-Western Germany and being supported by so many great people. It's also an adventure, and definitely a challenge. It's about meeting new people, making new experiences, growing, networking, learning, giving, creating and taking opportunities. And I hope there will be a story to share and to motivate others to do the same.
Some stories other people shared around this topic:
1) From a colleague who has participated in the program: http://scn.sap.com/people/celine.burgle/blog/2014/12/31/i-went-on-a-social-sabbatical-this-year-now-what,
2) HBR Article on Givers and Takers in companies: https://hbr.org/2013/04/in-the-company-of-givers-and-takers/ar/1
3) Huffington post summary on givers and takers, incl. a video on Adam Grant: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/adam-grant-thrive_n_5209534.html
Why is SAP supporting this?
Creating a culture of givers, of people who see and create opportunities for themselves and for others, may be one reason. And getting insights into emerging markets is also part of the game. And it's a chance to learn about new business concepts, needs of people/countries/NGOs/emerging entrepreneurs, of contributing to innovative and new concepts and potentially ground-breaking new business. Ultimately, it will help to increase innovation and improve the CSR brand image of being a sustainable and caring organization.
And the clients? They get access to motivated people with international, corporate knowledge which can be transferred to their staff, to professional expertise, to a network of relationships, resources and support they wouldn't get otherwise. And hopefully they get the expected business results, advice, material and input they are hoping for.
About SEF:
The Problem
Over 20 million Filipinos live in isolated communities without electricity. Most use kerosene, wood, and disposable batteries to meet their basic energy needs, incurring high financial, health, and environmental costs in the process. Meeting larger requirements, such as refrigeration, water pumping, or powering computers with traditional energy sources is simply not possible.
The Solution
The Solar Energy Foundation (SEF) works globally to reduce poverty related to a lack of energy through the use of innovative solar technology solutions. Members of the SEF network work together to build "hybrid value chains" that address barriers and market discontinuities that have prevented off-grid communities from gaining ongoing access to the energy they need to develop. The L4E (light for education) program aims to bring solar lamps and solar suitcases to the roughly 8.000 schools that are without electricity. First studies show that students with access to solar lamps have 45% better grades and thus better chances for their future lives than students without access to light.
About the business me:
de.linkedin.com/pub/kathrin-heyd/14/284/36/de
The SAP Social Sabbatical is a unique, short-term assignment for some of SAP’s employees. It is about working in highly diverse, international teams to solve business challenges for the education and entrepreneurial sector in emerging markets. One of the goals is to strengten the participants' leadership competencies, their cross industry sector know-how and intercultural sensitivity. With the gap between rich and poor increasing (summary of the current Oxfam report: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/19/global-wealth-oxfam-inequality-davos-economic-summit-switzerland) despite (or because of?) today's globally integrated economy, it becomes more and more important to understand the full impact of one's decisions and its butterfly effect(s), and to effectively collaborate with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives in order to be able to create a sustainable future together.
Or, how Jim Ayala, head of SEF, put it: "One of the goals is to master the fine art of planning business activities to achieve social impact, financial sustainability, and personal enjoyment!"
About learning, giving, creating and taking opportunities
I applied for the Social Sabbatical because it really offers not only one but many unique opportunities: from working together with enthusiastic, motivated and talented colleagues from around the globe to make an impact and difference for a small company in an emerging market, merely by working for them for a short period, to contributing with all the skills and experience and gut feeling one has to change this world for the better. Even if it's only a tiny bit - it's a start. To break out of all daily routines and (hopefully) get the revelation, how much of a difference one can make in 4 weeks. To give something back to society and create opportunities for others, maybe to balance out all the opportunities and luck I had by growing up in South-Western Germany and being supported by so many great people. It's also an adventure, and definitely a challenge. It's about meeting new people, making new experiences, growing, networking, learning, giving, creating and taking opportunities. And I hope there will be a story to share and to motivate others to do the same.
Some stories other people shared around this topic:
1) From a colleague who has participated in the program: http://scn.sap.com/people/celine.burgle/blog/2014/12/31/i-went-on-a-social-sabbatical-this-year-now-what,
2) HBR Article on Givers and Takers in companies: https://hbr.org/2013/04/in-the-company-of-givers-and-takers/ar/1
3) Huffington post summary on givers and takers, incl. a video on Adam Grant: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/adam-grant-thrive_n_5209534.html
Why is SAP supporting this?
Creating a culture of givers, of people who see and create opportunities for themselves and for others, may be one reason. And getting insights into emerging markets is also part of the game. And it's a chance to learn about new business concepts, needs of people/countries/NGOs/emerging entrepreneurs, of contributing to innovative and new concepts and potentially ground-breaking new business. Ultimately, it will help to increase innovation and improve the CSR brand image of being a sustainable and caring organization.
And the clients? They get access to motivated people with international, corporate knowledge which can be transferred to their staff, to professional expertise, to a network of relationships, resources and support they wouldn't get otherwise. And hopefully they get the expected business results, advice, material and input they are hoping for.
About SEF:
The Problem
Over 20 million Filipinos live in isolated communities without electricity. Most use kerosene, wood, and disposable batteries to meet their basic energy needs, incurring high financial, health, and environmental costs in the process. Meeting larger requirements, such as refrigeration, water pumping, or powering computers with traditional energy sources is simply not possible.
The Solution
The Solar Energy Foundation (SEF) works globally to reduce poverty related to a lack of energy through the use of innovative solar technology solutions. Members of the SEF network work together to build "hybrid value chains" that address barriers and market discontinuities that have prevented off-grid communities from gaining ongoing access to the energy they need to develop. The L4E (light for education) program aims to bring solar lamps and solar suitcases to the roughly 8.000 schools that are without electricity. First studies show that students with access to solar lamps have 45% better grades and thus better chances for their future lives than students without access to light.
About the business me:
de.linkedin.com/pub/kathrin-heyd/14/284/36/de