More than 10 years ago I joined a small start-up company, called TopTier, which was acquired by SAP a few years later. In fact, I joined TopTier right after graduating from the university and since then I did not leave the company. But now it’s going to be changed as I’m leaving SAP…
In these 10 years I experienced so many things, met fascinating people and faced tons of challenges. Basically, all stages in my career were very interesting and meaningful for me. If you are really interested you can check the details on LinkedIn but here I would prefer to tell a few things about myself and about what I learned that you cannot read in any CV.
There are people who wake up in the morning, go to work and get back home in the evening (or at night). There are other people who do not distinguish between work and home (besides the physical separation) and for them the borders are very blurred – they are always at work and feel like they are at home. I belong to the second group and I do not regret that for a sec. SAP (and of course my family) gave me the opportunity to excel in that.
It’s not simple to summarize what I achieved and learned along these years but if I could share with you only 5 insights/tips I took from these years at SAP, these will be:
· Don’t look for shortcuts – “The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work” – there is no substitute to hard work
· Be open to new things - No matter how experienced (or clever) you are, you are (and always be) a student who can and should learn from everyone – therefore always, listen, be open to other opinions, learn and challenge your ‘truth’
· Make a difference - Independently of your role or seniority, your ability to influence is huge, therefore do your best to impact according to your believes
· Keep your own integrity - Always be faithful to yourself as at the end of the day, you need to ‘report’ back mainly to yourself
· It’s all about the people - Organizations might seem they are based on rules and policies but in the end they are based on people – no matter if it’s your boss, your boss’ boss or someone reporting to you, treat everyone as human being
And one bonus tip – don’t forget what is really important in life (for me, as you can guess, is my family)
At SAP there were ups and downs but I had it all, I learned tons of things, influenced up, down and sideways, was able to keep personal integrity aligned with the company’s integrity and of course the best people to work with. And for all of that I’m grateful!
So why the hell am I leaving SAP?
I gave it hours on hours of thoughts before making the decision and there are some logical reasons, like my ambition to take my career forward in a different pace and path, to explore new areas, to face new challenges but probably it is something I cannot really explain as it is what my heart tells me… and I’m going to follow my heart.
The decision was not easy first because SAP can offer a lot and mainly because of the people.
For all the worried people, who worry about what will be the tomorrow for them, the team, the company or something else, it reminds me a line from a nice song "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen!"
“Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.”
What am I going to do next?
3 months ago, when I’ve decided to leave SAP, I was sure that by this time I would have something. A week ago I was sure it will take me 3 more months and I will be able to spend some time doing nothing. However based on the last days, it seems I know what it will be but it's not final until it is...
In these 10 years I experienced so many things, met fascinating people and faced tons of challenges. Basically, all stages in my career were very interesting and meaningful for me. If you are really interested you can check the details on LinkedIn but here I would prefer to tell a few things about myself and about what I learned that you cannot read in any CV.
There are people who wake up in the morning, go to work and get back home in the evening (or at night). There are other people who do not distinguish between work and home (besides the physical separation) and for them the borders are very blurred – they are always at work and feel like they are at home. I belong to the second group and I do not regret that for a sec. SAP (and of course my family) gave me the opportunity to excel in that.
It’s not simple to summarize what I achieved and learned along these years but if I could share with you only 5 insights/tips I took from these years at SAP, these will be:
· Don’t look for shortcuts – “The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work” – there is no substitute to hard work
· Be open to new things - No matter how experienced (or clever) you are, you are (and always be) a student who can and should learn from everyone – therefore always, listen, be open to other opinions, learn and challenge your ‘truth’
· Make a difference - Independently of your role or seniority, your ability to influence is huge, therefore do your best to impact according to your believes
· Keep your own integrity - Always be faithful to yourself as at the end of the day, you need to ‘report’ back mainly to yourself
· It’s all about the people - Organizations might seem they are based on rules and policies but in the end they are based on people – no matter if it’s your boss, your boss’ boss or someone reporting to you, treat everyone as human being
And one bonus tip – don’t forget what is really important in life (for me, as you can guess, is my family)
At SAP there were ups and downs but I had it all, I learned tons of things, influenced up, down and sideways, was able to keep personal integrity aligned with the company’s integrity and of course the best people to work with. And for all of that I’m grateful!
So why the hell am I leaving SAP?
I gave it hours on hours of thoughts before making the decision and there are some logical reasons, like my ambition to take my career forward in a different pace and path, to explore new areas, to face new challenges but probably it is something I cannot really explain as it is what my heart tells me… and I’m going to follow my heart.
The decision was not easy first because SAP can offer a lot and mainly because of the people.
For all the worried people, who worry about what will be the tomorrow for them, the team, the company or something else, it reminds me a line from a nice song "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen!"
“Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.”
What am I going to do next?
3 months ago, when I’ve decided to leave SAP, I was sure that by this time I would have something. A week ago I was sure it will take me 3 more months and I will be able to spend some time doing nothing. However based on the last days, it seems I know what it will be but it's not final until it is...
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5 comments:
Good luck my friend,
I expect your cliff jump wont be long
http://benzironen.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/cliff-jumping/
Follow your heart and don't compromise.
Stay in touch,
Benzi
Hey Yossi,
All the best for the future challenges.
~Abhishek
Best of luck :)
Hey Yossi,
Lots of luck in your new path. I know how hard it is to make this decision...
Daniel
Best wishes for you and I really admire your thinking.
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