Memoirs from The League of Storytellers

[Jalango]

It is March 2024, and a motley crew of SAP colleagues are brought together by the League of Storytellers program; a thrilling learning adventure that promised to empower them with the skills and knowledge to become storytellers for SAP. This includes the tools necessary to host tours in the SAP Discovery Showroom, that is a physical, digital, and virtual multimedia experience for employees, customers, and partners. Fast forward to 6 months later and the group is brought back together to celebrate the end of their rotation and reminisce about the journey they have been on. Here are the thoughts of four members, who share their experiences and some nuggets of wisdom: 

Hanna Tsatsopitas 

Working Student, Discover SAP 

Hanna TsatsopitasI learned a lot of new topics and content which I was not as experienced in before. I also gained presentation skills through the enablement sessions. I am typically a shy person, and I challenged myself to speak before an audience, which I enjoy. 

At the start of the program, the learning material and enablement sessions can seem like a daunting task. Do not be intimidated. You do not have to know everything by heart. It is important to ask questions to a buddy you will be paired with, as well as reaching out to others. Be present at the enablement sessions because they are helpful. In summary, great insights, clarity and presentation skills. 

Jennifer SpannagelJennifer Spannagel

Business Operations, Digital Workplace  

My daily job involves making sure everyone SAP colleague understands the digital workplace. My role involves both marketing and communication explaining the nuts and bolts of the digital workplace. Ideally, my team creates material like blogs, newsletters, videos and training to bring out the best work in every colleague. 

I got in touch with the League of Storytellers during the Experience Technology open house in February 2024. I believed it was a good opportunity to expand my network and to learn more about what Corporate Processes and IT does at SAP. I was curious and wanted to get in touch with experts from the other modules and units, just as I am an expert in the digital workplace and how we work at SAP. I also wanted to advance my public speaking skills, because I had started exploring moderating and hosting roles. I wanted to stretch my boundaries and do something outside my comfort zone. 

I enjoyed the enablement sessions. We had a very nice group and comprehensive onboarding by Britta Lehn and Anja Rosker and their team. We got a good grasp of the important skills to put in use when giving tours in the showroom to different audiences: Customers, partners, colleagues. I also enjoyed being part of a versatile group of colleagues from different backgrounds.  I also enjoyed being part of an on-site, after years of working remotely since the pandemic.  

Take a chance and try. The SAP Discovery Showroom feels like a lounge with that homely, intimate atmosphere. And once you get into the program, embrace it, be present, bring the best of yourself and take the best of others to expand your knowledge.  

Michael Schmidt 

S2P (Source to Pay) / Strategic Procurement 

Michael SchmidtI have been at SAP for 26 years. In my earlier roles, I did some consulting work and training in the field, and then I moved to internal IT, working within the procurement area. 

Part of the reason I registered for the program was that I like to interact with people. I did a lot of customer training and workshops in the past. Being an instructor who speaks in front of people, you need to prepare and to extend your view, looking beyond your own nose. So, this program was an interesting way for me to do something different. 

I liked the program. I think it was good and well organized. I would say that owing to experience, I knew the material, but it was a good foundation. I could check the content and contribute to it as well.  

To any hopeful future League members, if you are interested in networking and extending your knowledge, or simply connecting to people, give it a try. I got in touch with interesting colleagues, which was great for me. 

Christian Philipp Walter 

Working Student, Experience Garage 

Christian Philipp WalterI considered what the program would be for me before enrolling; I thought it would be a nice challenge and would help me build some invaluable public speaking experience. I wanted to experience talking to people and audiences and to get more comfortable at it.  

The enablement sessions were well-structured. I had a buddy I could call and ask questions. I received a good brief every time, and I understood how storytelling works. The enablement covered an extensive list topics, including soft skills, presentation skills and public speaking etiquette. My first presentation in the showroom was fun. I met different people and gave them an experience of how things work at SAP, from my point of view. Personally, I liked the module about Future-proofing SAP because of my work at Experience Garage; my team’s focus is people driven innovation. The topic felt closer to home. 

My advice? Go ahead, it is the best thing you can do for yourself, and the experience is great for your career and daily tasks.