Please Report!

Debate clubs and symposia—which can also be translated as drinking parties in ancient Greek—have always been a source of ideas, innovation and evolution. Over 2,000 years ago, Greek—and later European—philosophy developed from the discussions between Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. There is no written record of Socrates; his philosophy only existed as spoken dialogue. His art of argumentation is known as hermeneutics, or the art of midwifery. His wife, Xanthippe, was a midwife by profession.

Hermeneutics is the science or art of interpretation and understanding; originally, it focused on the interpretation of texts. Much of what we know about Socrates was recorded and commented on by Plato.

According to the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), the art of conducting a discourse, or performing a language game, seems to have been lost. On the social media platform LinkedIn, renowned journalists are discussing the availability and call-back readiness of press spokespersons, primarily from DAX companies. The non-representative survey is alarming: hardly any press spokesperson dares to give a spontaneous, direct, verbal answer.

The ability to engage in discourse seems to have been lost. I can only contribute a little to this topic, since I haven't received a call from the SAP press office in three years.

However, the fact remains that the dialogue between providers, users, and the press has been lost. There is no open culture of discussion to generate new ideas together. My colleague Andrea Schramm often hears and reads this sentence: "When we need something, we'll get in touch." That's a big mistake! Debating, discussing, and even arguing with each other always promotes mutual understanding.

A community like the SAP community is and will always be a community of values. We continue to develop together through discourse. The lone wolf still exists, of course, but their success curve is rapidly falling.

Whether it's the press office or the marketing department, the phrase "This number has been disconnected" is counterproductive. In a spontaneous survey conducted by Pinpol on Kress.de, a renowned German media service, what do you think was the main reason many press spokespersons hardly ever speak to journalists in person these days? Around 25 percent of participants suspected a lack of trust or contact on both sides.

I can confirm this statement! About 15 years ago, SAP organized Influencer Summits: SAP board members, ERP experts, IT analysts, and journalists met for two days to discuss current topics and ask "stupid", off-the-record questions. Eating and debating together builds trust and helps in times of crisis.

Neither SAP nor its partners have this culture of discussion. It's time to bring hermeneutics back into business life. Discussions and debates should take place even when there is no immediate need for action because there should always be time for confidence-building measures.