Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, SAP
“Legislators, priests, philosophers, writers, and scientists have striven to show that the subordinate position of woman is willed in heaven and advantageous on earth.”—Simone de Beauvoir. Is this still a major stumbling block on the 21st century road to equality? Do you think discrimination against women comes from the bottom or the top?
We still have a long road ahead of us to achieve gender parity, and there is no shortage of roadblocks that can come from any direction. On the bright side, we’ve come a long way since Simone de Beauvoir published her bestseller “The Second Sex” in 1949. This progress was nurtured by communities and allyships across gender – men and women working together to empower women. We have more platforms, programs, and policies that give women a voice. For example, at SAP the Business Women’s Network is one of our fastest growing employee groups and we launched innovative programs such as Women in Tech and Women to Watch to put a spotlight on female talent. One of our key diversity and inclusion (D&I) goals now is to increase the number of women in executive roles to 25% by 2027 as part of our overarching D&I strategy.
In your opinion, what qualities make a “Moves Mentor”?
There are many definitions of mentorship, but what most definitions agree on is the need to structure mentorships as a mutually beneficial relationship that offers reciprocal learning and development opportunities. Mentoring is a two-way engagement, and the most effective mentorship processes have mutually agreed upon goals. As such, a “Moves Mentor” is someone who together with the mentee defines specific goals and structures the mentorship process in a way that it supports the achievement of these goals. Moves Mentors have an open communications approach that instills trust and confidence in mentees.
How does mentoring benefit the mentor? Career-wise? Intellectually? Spiritually? Socially? Others?
Mentorship can have numerous benefits for professional and personal growth for both the mentor and the mentee. These can be intellectual, spiritual, social goals as part of the mentor’s holistic career growth journey. Research has also shown that becoming a mentor is an effective approach to build leadership capacity and improve leadership effectiveness. For example, mentorship helps develop and enhance empathy, network building, and communication skills. It is important to remember that part of a leader’s role is to become a mentor and support the team’s professional development. In that light, I want to stress the quote from Indra Nooyi: “Please help others rise. Greatness comes not from a position, but from helping build the future. We have an obligation to pull others up.”
Should mentorship be a company requirement or a personal give-back?
Mentorship, along with coaching, is already part of many organizational learning and development programs at organizations, including at SAP. When done right, mentorship is a powerful professional development approach to nurture talent and create a workplace of belonging. As mentorship is a two-way process, the benefits are mutual. In addition, not all mentorship models pair junior and senior staff. Peer mentoring is also very effective approach to facilitate knowledge transfer, create a culture of learning, and help team members connect with others, and thereby, ultimately a sense of belonging. For example, our 13 employee network groups at SAP share learning, different perspectives, and provide mentorship.
What is your mentorship method? Do you prefer a more hands-on or laid-back approach?
I am continuously building my network to increase our D&I knowledge and programs at SAP and in our network of partners. Part of that is to be a mentor for others and empower them to reach their next career step and goal. I approach mentorship as a learning activity. We all learn better when learning is fun. As such, my approach to mentorship is that it should be nurturing, goal-oriented, inspiring, and fun. Learning also happens in stages. As such it is very important to me to have open and honest conversations with my mentees about their dreams, experiences, and decisions and explore them from different perspectives. The fun part for me is that I learn a lot and learn new perspectives from my mentees as well.
How does diversity play into mentorship?
Mentorship is also an organizational learning and development tools. Mentors can help to communicate the mission and values of the organization, facilitate knowledge transfer, and create a culture of learning. Our cross-generational workforce at SAP is bringing together diverse perspectives and fosters an inclusive workplace culture that nurtures peer learning and mentorship. We have specific programs in place that help managers and employees develop an inclusive mindset. As already mentioned, peer mentoring is a valuable strategy to build communities and create a sense of belonging, especially among new employees or employees from minority groups.
Given the evidence that successful mentoring increases the bottom line, should any responsible five-year corporate strategy include a detailed plan and budget for mentoring? Should any said plan come complete with an official position for a mentoring director as well as include regular progress reports to the Board? Tell us your strategy.
Research studies indicate that mentorship can increase employee engagement and retentions. Both are key performance indicators that we closely monitor and assess. That includes which factors contributed to employee engagement and retention. In our 2023 annual employee survey, 92% of SAP employees indicated a high approval and commitment to our D&I strategy.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Look at all possible perspectives when making a decision, especially when it is a key decision. Talk to people with different viewpoints and experiences. Make sure to schedule meetings with people who you would not typically meet in your calendar to broaden your views.
What would you say to yourself if you could go back in time 15 years?
Never stop learning. I still say that today.
Who do you most admire? Why?
There is no single person. I admire and express my gratitude to all the change makers who push for progress on different D&I aspects every day. I had the opportunity to interview some of them for my AHA! Moments for Diversity & Inclusion video series. I always welcome recommendations for change makers I should meet!
