As a way to promote the incredible work our Host Organizations are doing and to spread the word of the substantial impact Atlas Corps Fellows has on their teams. Today, we are sharing a story of SAP and their experience with Atlas Corps Fellow Daliya (Class 41, India).
SAP
SAP is a leading business management software company that is committed to helping organizations become more adaptable and sustainable through effective data processing and information flow.
Fellow Supervisors: Jennifer Beason
At Atlas Corps, we have a tradition of stating our “Five Facts” when introducing ourselves to new people. What are your five facts?
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Name: Jennifer Beason
Hometown: Denver, Colorado Role at Organization: Global Director, Social Business Social Issue/Interest Area: Circular fashion quality education Fun fact: Love to fly fish without actually touching |
Why did you decide to host an Atlas Corps Fellow?
The first time I hosted an Atlas Corps was at the suggestion of my manager, Alex. I had such an incredible experience that I couldn’t wait to host another one. The diverse perspectives and experiences working with young professionals from around the world through this program is unparalleled.
Why did you choose Daliya as your Atlas Corps Fellow?
I was incredibly excited to speak with Daliya for the first time because of her resumé—she had all the skills that I was looking for in our Marketing and Communications Fellow. The interesting bit though was that Daliya herself was not as convinced about it. She didn’t think she was right for the role and almost took herself out of contention. Job selection should be a two-way fit, but sometimes you don’t always see your own potential. We had an incredible opportunity to bring our partner Adam Hunter, the CEO of Hook Line and Sinker, in to give Daliya the second round of interviews. After a second conversation with Adam, it was clear that Daliya was the right person, we had to convince her that she was perfect fit for this position. In fact, this is so much like what we do with our pro bono consultants at SAP every day. Sometimes, it’s really hard to see the incredible skill set, the expertise, and the unique abilities that you have to offer–even though it seems so obvious to all those around. Over the last year and a half, I believe that she has realized for herself that she was absolutely the BEST person for this position. And she now knows what Adam and the entire CSR marketing team saw in her—creative, super detail-oriented, forward-thinking, fun to be around, and incredibly trustworthy. She has built relationships with everyone from the Office of the CEO to day-one interns, and they would all say the same thing about her! She will be incredibly missed.
How has Daliya developed professionally so far? How has her presence had an impact on your team’s dynamic?
SAP is a very big, complex organization with around 110,000+ employees from over 160 countries with 22,000+ partner companies. Working in a business like this can be very intimidating, especially when you begin as a new Fellow with a global team at SAP. You can have a tendency to want to double-check everything to ensure that you’re on the right track; often though, what is needed is immediate action. Daliya has had tremendous confidence to take action without taking the safe route of running it by a team of people; an action that potentially can impact more than 110,000+ people and more than 22,000 partners globally around the world. One of her greatest strengths is her confidence to take up ownership and to take action.
Daliya displays confidence in connecting and communicating with all stakeholders within the company and our vast partner ecosystem around the world. And yes, she has honed her skills and further learned new professional skills. This includes, but isn’t restricted to, spearheading one of SAP’s top three most engaging social media platforms and leading our annual global youth campaign.
But what I think is truly exemplary is her confidence in virtual collaboration and willingness to put forth her point of view if she has a better path in mind, irrespective of the position of authority the others may have. She puts all her heart into every little bit that she does, and that shows in the CSR communications.
How will your Fellow’s contributions and insights impact your organization in the long run?
In the long run, I believe that having a skilled Atlas Corps Fellow join our team to focus specifically on an area of our business that was underserved–in our case SAP’s Corporate Social Responsibility, Marketing and Communication Strategy makes a drastic difference. Daliya’s inputs and initiatives have allowed us to be more thoughtful about how we communicate the impact our programs are delivering every single day. The level of focus and attention to storytelling detail would not have been possible without having Daliya as a trusted team member.
What has Daliya taught you? Have you learned anything special about her culture?
I would say that Canva is an incredible tool! In all seriousness, Daliya has taught me a lesson in perseverance. She is extremely committed to her personal development and furthering her career path and to building a future for herself and her family—that is awe-inspiring for someone like me. I have had the distinct pleasure of not only getting to know Daliya, but also her 9-year-old son, Stevie. That is one of the true gifts that the pandemic has brought us… to bring people’s homes closer to work. Although we have never met in person, she has proven that building connections and friendships are possible beyond the confines of physical spaces. I’m confident that we will certainly remain in each other’s business ecosystem and, more importantly, that we will remain friends for the foreseeable future.
My favourite stories about her culture coincidentally didn’t come from her but from Stevie! Like the story he shared about King Mahabali, with a picture that Daliya shared the next day of him all dressed up as a King. To be honest, I had very little idea about the many stories about India, but the look of surprise on his face when I told him so was priceless.
Fellow: Daliya (Class 41, India)
At Atlas Corps, we have a tradition of stating our “Five Facts” when introducing ourselves to new people. What are your five facts?
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Name: Daliya Manuel
Hometown: Kochi, Kerala, India Role at Organization: Marketing & Communications Fellow Social Issue/Interest Area: Mental Health Awareness & First aid Fun fact: I see numbers with faces, for example, one is the cutest and nine is the prettiest one. |
What is your role at your Host Organization?
As the Communications and Marketing Fellow, I report to the Head of Global Corporate Social Responsibility within SAP Corporate Affairs, and is focused on creating connected, integrated communication strategies across SAP for all that is #SAP4Good. As the Communications and Marketing Fellow, I collaborate on the marketing and communication efforts and Corporate Social Responsibility Year-End Report, lead the global internal and external campaigns for the 100,000+ employee-strong organization with a presence in 180 countries worldwide, and support the social media channel, SAP4Good.
How is your experience with your Host Organization impacting your perspective?
Three things that I’ve learned are…
1. Always give time some time: It took 2.5 years for me to finally get to my final Fellowship journey. A lot of things happened during this journey, including the pandemic. My completely in-person Fellowship was turned into a Blended Fellowship, and then ended up being a full-time virtual Fellowship.
Once I joined SAP, the first few days were overwhelming to say the least. Being part of a global team and a global organization can be overwhelming but my mentor told me to “give it some time.” Over the course of the year, I’ve learned to do just that–”to give some time some time.”
Something that I will always remember and would love to share is to never forget to take that vacation or break you’ve always wanted to. There is no right time. Jen gave me the nudge I needed to take a break. This was especially important for me because where I come from, the only real reason to take a break is when you physically can’t get to a workstation. I took my first winter trip to a place 19,0000 ft above sea level and it humbled me. I came back with experiences and an awareness of myself that made me a better person at work. Our work and personal life cannot and should not work in isolation. There is a beautiful balance meant to be maintained between the two, with one contributing to each other in equal parts. That I learned this in one of the largest organizations in the world is incredible to think of!
2. Collaborate and not compete: Over the last couple of months, I have experienced the incredible power of collaboration, whether through rolling out a global social media campaign or an end of the year report. Collaborating with people from across teams and time zones and functions taught me that we can always do so much more together. It is almost magical how concepts turn into ideas, and ideas turn into beautiful actionables. When we put our minds together, we are no longer restricted to just our own thoughts and knowledge; instead, we work from a combination of knowledge, thoughts, and experience. Now isn’t that what magic is all about?!
3. Energies are contagious: At the end of the day, organizations (no matter how big) are made of people, and the people who you spend most of your time with are who create your unique experience.
How has your experience with your supervisor impacted your perspective?
What differentiates a manager from a mentor is a leader who creates a safe space for their team to express their opinions and, perhaps more importantly, ask for help when they can’t seem to find a way ahead. Their empathy and absolute faith in the abilities of the team is what pushes each one to do better. Every successful person at work has one mentor who never stopped believing in them and for me, that mentor is Jen. She has always made me feel comfortable enough to be unafraid to make mistakes and she has given me the right nudge to learn and grow from them, all while giving me the confidence of knowing that she has my back.
I think her superpower is in the little things. We recently lost a team member to a mental health battle. It takes immense courage and strength to navigate and lead through grief. It takes an extra-ordinary leader to hold that space for oneself and others to be vulnerable, and that’s Jen.
I feel extremely lucky to have a mentor like Jen. She makes being kind look super easy. She even made me feel at home by making the time to guide me and teaching me to lead, all while sitting halfway across the world. How cool is that? She gives me major #mentorgoals! and I think our world certainly would be a much better place with more mentors like Jen 🙂
How will you build upon the skills and knowledge gained during your Fellowship once you return to your home country?
My first-hand experience at SAP strengthened my belief that large organizations can make big impact, which is what I most definitely want to be a part of. Large organizations do have incredible power to bring about change–some even more so than governments! Through SAP, I understand that apart from the monetary aspect, the reach, the partner network, and the resources, large organizations have (at their disposal) play a very crucial role in exponentially increasing the scale of impact.
I feel honored to be a part of the global CSR team at SAP and just knowing that in a way my work contributes to that scale of impact. It no longer matters if the person on the receiving end knows it or not. It’s a combined effort and all of us from all across the world are changing lives.
What is your most important career advice for young, talented social change leaders across the globe?
Do not apologize for learning and never underestimate what you bring to the table; irrespective of what you know, there will always be things that you wouldn’t know, and that’s okay. Nobody knows. Ask, and be unapologetic about it. At the end, all that matters is that you are learning and you’re open to learning, and most importantly, unlearning.
More about Atlas Corps
Atlas Corps partners with mission-driven organizations (nonprofit, private, and government) to facilitate a professional exchange program for the world’s best emerging social change leaders to live and serve during a 14-month, full-time Fellowship that begins remotely in their home country before transitioning to the United States. The Atlas Corps network currently includes more than 1,500+ professionals from 115 countries who have served at 300 organizations.
Interested in becoming a Host Organization for an Atlas Corps Fellow? Fill out Host Interest Form.
