SAP, Social Media and My Corporate Email
I was told yesterday by SAP HR that I have to remove the link to my PERSONAL (this) blog from my SAP corporate email signature. Now I have been nothing but a die hard advocate for SAP so I was surprised by this. I understand about compliance issues (although I am still waiting to see the documentation that points out that I am out of compliance) and the like but here's the question... why? Does the business suffer from this? In my opinion, the value that SAP receives from folks like me, Mike Prosceno, Craig Cmehil, Thomas Otter , Mark Crofton and numerous others having a conversation with the market is all goodness. Customers DEMAND transparency. In fact, its plain table stakes these days. So maybe I'm naive but is there harm in me linking this blog to the occasional email I send out? The blog is clearly marked PERSONAL. And yes, I do talk about other things on this blog, my kids, New York, Neuroscience, food, and the occasional rant against the MTA. But I was hoping that each of those email links would in some small way broaden the scope of each of these conversations. I was told that well, "Steve you don't only write about SAP"... well, since when has a conversation real time or otherwise been single threaded?
As someone who subscribes to your blog and is a customer, my preference is always to know a person better then just a disembodied voice or email address. Anyone who knows anything about business knows that it's just as much about personal connections then anything else -- it's sad to think that HR policy is going to get in the way of good customer relations. I hope Mike helps sort this out for you.
Just as a bone of statistical contention looking back at your blog's last 10 posts not including this one, 5 are about SAP and/or Technology/Business in general. If SAP isn't about Business and/or Technology I don't know why you have all those programmers in Germany.
Posted by: dan mcweeney | October 24, 2007 at 02:54 PM
Thanx for your support Dan. It is sad... I think this is legal flexing their muscle thru HR. I am hoping to see what "compliance issue" I am not abiding by. And thanx for the stats BTW...good to know that I wasn't just talkin out my ass!
Posted by: Steve Mann | October 24, 2007 at 03:00 PM
I couldn't agree more Steve. Open communication has always been a hallmark of mine as well. It is the only way to bring real credibility into a relationship (business or personal) and it benefits businesses greatly. You are certainly NOT naive. The money value is hard to over estimate in my experience.
Posted by: Larry Eiss | October 24, 2007 at 04:05 PM
Steve, how the hell could you do this?
As a customer, I don't wanna be bothered by the selfish, semi-professional propaganda for your private blog in corporate emails.
Job is job! If you can't distinguish (anymore), maybe you should think about a sabbatical? Or start an one business?
Posted by: Klaus | October 24, 2007 at 04:35 PM
own, not one...
Posted by: Klaus | October 24, 2007 at 04:37 PM
Klaus... thanx for your comments. How can I do what? Put a link to a blog that discusses SAP ad nauseum? What propaganda? A link to my blog? I hardly consider a url propaganda. We're having a conversation right now... and we wouldnt be if I wasnt writing in and linking to this blog. But you're right maybe I need a sabbatical :)
Posted by: Steve Mann | October 24, 2007 at 04:55 PM
Larry.. appreciate the comments... yes, hoping the company will not only talk the talk but walk the walk.
Posted by: Steve Mann | October 24, 2007 at 04:58 PM
I was just praising SAP for “getting” social media... I guess I should correct my statement: SAP gets social media … just not everyone, all the time :-(
Posted by: Zoli Erdos | October 24, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Steve, this is a surprising development particularly given the forward thinking approach SAP has taken to blogging and social media both inside the walls of the company and in terms of expanding your relationships with partners, customers and outsider influencers.
In the recent executive shuffles, has someone new been tasked with overseeing blogging and corporate communications?
J
Posted by: Jason Wood | October 24, 2007 at 11:18 PM
It's really disappointing to see this backsliding. Why is it that big company types reflexively try to restrict new behaviors?
It's easy to see why there is a youth drain in enterprise software...
Posted by: jeff nolan | October 24, 2007 at 11:48 PM
Steve, this surprised me as well when I ran across it on Jeff's blog. It also seems quite odd considering that SAP had to some extent opened its arms to blogging. Did this request to remove the link come from NY or Walldorf? It really would be interesting to see how such a request comes about considering that for such a long time now (a year or so) it seemed like SAP became part of the blogger world.
Posted by: Paul | October 25, 2007 at 04:32 AM
Suspect this will come in handy for the folks who "get's it" when rooting out the leftovers of old thinking!
Almost funny this one, take it in stride - from what I've seen lately - this must be one of the last signs of the old "control" monster roaring it's head...
Posted by: sig | October 25, 2007 at 04:39 AM
I've always thought there were two SAPs, not one when it came to communication standards. The blogger relations group -- and some folks in other external communications roles -- has done such a tremendous job starting conversations with us, while the product groups still try and tow a line where the trains always run on time and insubordination is punishable by, well -- I'll leave that up to you. Looks like the wrong side is getting the best of the internal blogging policies.
Posted by: Jason Busch | October 25, 2007 at 08:04 AM
Zoli... it is surprising given the strides that Mike, Jeff and myself had initiated 2+ years ago on the relations front. Its a shame to see the backoffice not synced with the front office
Posted by: Steve Mann | October 25, 2007 at 09:39 AM
Jason W. - no one has been tasked with overseeing blogging other than Mike, who is doing a great job. What I can tell you though is that I have been asked to oversee development of a unified Social Media Strategy and Governance model for SAP... which is sorely needed
Posted by: Steve Mann | October 25, 2007 at 10:12 AM
Paul, Sig - SAP is a company in transition... there is old and new thinking around... to Jeff's point around the age gap developing in the enterprise software space, I think this is a part of it.
Posted by: Steve Mann | October 25, 2007 at 10:13 AM
Jason B. - could be, but lets wait and see what happens!
Posted by: Steve Mann | October 25, 2007 at 10:14 AM
This is probably legal...
Have you seen an SAP email signature lately? It makes a law firm's signature look concise.
Posted by: Thomas Otter | October 26, 2007 at 06:19 AM
Cripes - this is indeed a bad day for SAP. Where's Henning when you need him?
Posted by: Dennis Howlett | October 29, 2007 at 02:11 AM
Dennis- it's a shame but I'm fine with it. I understand where its coming from. I don't agree with it, but it is what it is. I am hoping that the this discussion will help drive the conversation internally around these issues.
Posted by: Steve Mann | October 29, 2007 at 09:54 AM
Hi Steve
Hopefully this response is just a blip on the way to a better understanding of social media and a sensible solution is found soon.
James
Posted by: James Farrar | October 29, 2007 at 05:19 PM
James - I hope so, but forgive the healthy dose of skepticism :)
Posted by: Steve | October 30, 2007 at 10:25 AM