http://sapcareersamericas.blogspot.com/2012/ - 30/11/2012
The Blending of Passion and Profession
Acting is much more than a hobby for Sriharsha Grama Narasimha Prasad – it’s spiritual. “I forget myself and become the role,” he reflects. “This helps me explore myself, what am I, what can I be, and what is inside me.” Talking to Sriharsha, you can tell he is on a personal journey, that nothing can stop him reaching his goal. When he’s not working in SAP Labs India (SLI) as senior software engineer in Quality Governance and Production, Sriharsha runs a weekend theater group in Bangalore called WeMove, or is helping colleagues in the SLI theater group.
Sriharsha’s passion for drama started at a very young age, when he participated by chance in an acting competition and won first prize. “From then on, I was very keen about performing onstage,” he reflects. In 2001, Sriharsha won “Best Supporting Actor” from India’s National School of Drama. Even after finishing his engineering degree and beginning his career as a software engineer, his passion for theater remained. That’s when he joined WeMove, “the place where people like me meet on Saturdays and Sundays out of passion and talent,” as Sriharsha puts it.
The 28 year old has since won many accolades for his acting talent, taking part in the planning, direction, coordination, and even the writing of poems and scripts for WeMove. Today, he is in charge of all creative elements for the theatre.
But the story doesn’t end there. Since joining SAP in 2008, the boundary between Sriharsha’s profession and acting has blurred. He maintains a very real connection between his role as software engineer during the week and performer/director/coordinator on weekends. And this is the way he likes it.
Sriharsha attributes his passion in each discipline to his ability to balance both activities in his life. “I heartily thank SAP for giving me so much space that I am able to manage both my work and my passion outside work so effectively that I am a key player at both places,” he explains. The activities have created a reciprocal effect on each other: “Pursuing my passion on weekends has only made my work at SAP more exciting and created a passion for SAP in me for the work culture. This has enabled me to learn and implement so many things in both places.”
Show production as a process
For example, coordinating productions for his theater group has inspired Sriharsha to apply LEAN methods at work. “Coordinating with so many people and artists, and creating and defining processes under deadline pressure in my theater group has enabled me to take up the challenge of introducing LEAN culture in my team at SAP,” says Sriharsha. “I am now a Continuous Improvement Round Table member for my team and I have thus contributed my part in this journey of SAP towards LEAN.”
In turn, Sriharsha’s work experience has flowed back into his theater projects: “SAP has taught me the true spirit of balancing processes and creativity while making a product. I also have a vision to use what I have learned at SAP to create entertaining products through my theater group.” Sriharsha has even instituted SAP’s collaboration and decision-making tool, SAP StreamWork, in his theater group. “There were times when we had to plan for several theater performances in parallel – including the complexity of work streams for each production. Since I knew about SAP’s social collaboration tool, we were able to use the solution to take decisions quickly while working remotely.” Sriharsha took advantage of SAP’s offer to non-profit organizations to use the tool for free. “It was a golden opportunity, and people liked it,” he explains.
Theater instills confidence
Theater has had another positive effect on Sriharsha’s work life. It’s improved his confidence in himself and the connection to colleagues. “The praise and feedback from my colleagues when they watch my performances increases my closeness with them at office. This has made me very creative and confident in my daily work, as well as when taking up challenges on the job,” Sriharsha reports.
Sriharsha has seen the same transformation happen to colleagues in theSLItheater interest group. He is one of the founding members of “Rangabhoomi – AnSAPTheatre Interest group”. Here Sriharsha plays a leading role in engaging employees in theater and the creative process. “Software engineers should experience the power of theater acting, and it will really help change perspective,” believes Sriharsha. “I’ve seen a huge change in the people that have participated. Their confidence levels were higher and their thought process was totally different,” he assesses.
SAP Labs managing director VR Ferose recognizes the value of theater to support personal development. So much so that SLI employees were given the opportunity to put on their own theater production as part of SAP’s 40th anniversary celebrations (see Box “Drama as a Way to “Learn by Unconventional Means”).
Life on the stage has helped Sriharsha connect better with people, develop empathy for others, and approach life in a better way. “I think it is very important to dream and achieve what you have dreamt as it only makes the world a better place to live,” he says.
Written by Paul Baur, SAP
The Blending of Passion and Profession
| For Sriharsha GN, the stage and software development share a lot. Through theater, the SAP employee from SAP Labs India is helping colleagues discover hidden talent. |
Sriharsha’s passion for drama started at a very young age, when he participated by chance in an acting competition and won first prize. “From then on, I was very keen about performing onstage,” he reflects. In 2001, Sriharsha won “Best Supporting Actor” from India’s National School of Drama. Even after finishing his engineering degree and beginning his career as a software engineer, his passion for theater remained. That’s when he joined WeMove, “the place where people like me meet on Saturdays and Sundays out of passion and talent,” as Sriharsha puts it.
The 28 year old has since won many accolades for his acting talent, taking part in the planning, direction, coordination, and even the writing of poems and scripts for WeMove. Today, he is in charge of all creative elements for the theatre.
But the story doesn’t end there. Since joining SAP in 2008, the boundary between Sriharsha’s profession and acting has blurred. He maintains a very real connection between his role as software engineer during the week and performer/director/coordinator on weekends. And this is the way he likes it.
| Drama as a Way to “Learn by Unconventional Means”
In June, as part of SAP’s 40 year celebration, SAP Labs India (SLI) produced an adaptation of Moliere‘s comedy. The more than 20 cast and crew members of the play were all employees of SAP Labs India, many of them had never set foot onstage. The production combined the disciplines of acting, directing, design, art and technology, and fostered the development of employees in the areas of teamwork, coordination, and self expression.
According to V R Ferose, managing director of SLI, the theater production for 40 years SAP was part of a larger initiative with focus on learning via unconventional means. Drama is just one activity that the leadership team in Bangalore is supporting to expose employees to unconventional sources of learning. Another activity is visiting and learning at schools for the blind. Ferose is sure that this trend is not only relevant to India. The recent international bestselling book “Jugaad Innovation,” documenting frugal and flexible innovation practices, mentioned SAP Labs India for its unique practices in this area, saying it is a testimony to the creativity of its employees.
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For example, coordinating productions for his theater group has inspired Sriharsha to apply LEAN methods at work. “Coordinating with so many people and artists, and creating and defining processes under deadline pressure in my theater group has enabled me to take up the challenge of introducing LEAN culture in my team at SAP,” says Sriharsha. “I am now a Continuous Improvement Round Table member for my team and I have thus contributed my part in this journey of SAP towards LEAN.”
In turn, Sriharsha’s work experience has flowed back into his theater projects: “SAP has taught me the true spirit of balancing processes and creativity while making a product. I also have a vision to use what I have learned at SAP to create entertaining products through my theater group.” Sriharsha has even instituted SAP’s collaboration and decision-making tool, SAP StreamWork, in his theater group. “There were times when we had to plan for several theater performances in parallel – including the complexity of work streams for each production. Since I knew about SAP’s social collaboration tool, we were able to use the solution to take decisions quickly while working remotely.” Sriharsha took advantage of SAP’s offer to non-profit organizations to use the tool for free. “It was a golden opportunity, and people liked it,” he explains.
Theater instills confidence
Theater has had another positive effect on Sriharsha’s work life. It’s improved his confidence in himself and the connection to colleagues. “The praise and feedback from my colleagues when they watch my performances increases my closeness with them at office. This has made me very creative and confident in my daily work, as well as when taking up challenges on the job,” Sriharsha reports.
Sriharsha has seen the same transformation happen to colleagues in theSLItheater interest group. He is one of the founding members of “Rangabhoomi – AnSAPTheatre Interest group”. Here Sriharsha plays a leading role in engaging employees in theater and the creative process. “Software engineers should experience the power of theater acting, and it will really help change perspective,” believes Sriharsha. “I’ve seen a huge change in the people that have participated. Their confidence levels were higher and their thought process was totally different,” he assesses.
Life on the stage has helped Sriharsha connect better with people, develop empathy for others, and approach life in a better way. “I think it is very important to dream and achieve what you have dreamt as it only makes the world a better place to live,” he says.
Written by Paul Baur, SAP
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