Getting in the Community State of Mind
Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” came on my Google Play list this morning as I was working on finishing touches for my networking lounge sessions at next week’s TechEd event. In the song, Jay-Z describes the “Empire State of Mind,” which is a state of inspiration and refreshment that a person experiences when in the city of New York.
It got me thinking: what is our presence at this year’s TechEd about? From my perspective, it’s time to rally around the city we love.
In particular, Alicia Keys’ riff in this song gets me thinking about the Community State of Mind:
In New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let’s hear it for New York
Not seeing the connection? Well, here, let me change it up a bit:
In Community
Tech jungle SAP dreams are made of
There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in Community
These streets will make you feel brand new
Your connections will inspire you
Let’s hear it for Community
After all, this is what community is supposed to be all about, right? Building dreams, connecting people together, inspiring each of us to be better? At least, that’s what community means to me. Community empowers each of our members to stand out as an individual and to become a celebrity in the SAP world. To learn and grow, to reach out and make new connections, and to help others find their own celebrity.
Now, I may not be “cruising down 8th Street” in an “off-white Lexus” but maybe @bjoern.goerke will let me borrow his DeLorean for cruising the strip. (Also, can we get a Jam band version of this song, @jason.cao?) For those who are not feeling particularly inspired these days, I hope to see you at TechEd Las Vegas next week, because I am very much looking forward to getting us all back into a Community State of Mind.
Let me tell you a little more about what I’ll be up to:
Session 1: From Observer to Leader: Lifecycle of an SAP Community Member
(Tuesday, 12:30-1p)
During this session, I’ll be talking through the journey a community member goes through as they progress from casual “lurker” all the way through to community moderator. This session should be particularly interesting for those members interested in becoming a moderator.
Session 2: Better Blogging on the SAP Community
(Wednesday, 10:30-11a)
In this discussion, we’ll talk through the different components of good blogs and review our blogging best practices. We’ll also review some examples of what makes a good blog post and what makes a blog post weak. (Note: we don’t do ghost-blogging, but we do goat-blogging…)
Even if you’re not able to fit these sessions into your agenda, I hope you’ll come visit us at the Community booth in the Community Clubhouse on the show floor. I’d love to make some new connections, myself! Come see me and the rest of the gang to ask questions, share comments, and just to say hello.
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Jamie Cantrell SAP Community Experience |
Audrey Stevenson; Brian Bernard;Brian Ellefritz;Gali Kling Schneider;Jerry Janda; Mynyna Chau
Jamie, thanks for this post and all the work you've put in to prepare for a great TechEd. Can't wait to see you, safe travels!
Thanks Jamie, for sharing the link to some nice beats for me to enjoy the rest of my day with! I agree there are some really tight connections between dreams, possibilities and hidden potential of a big city and our SAP Community. We may have missed the chance in Las Vegas to belt out some solid rhymes and rhythm, but I could envision the slick vocals from our Katarina Fischer and rapping skills of SAP Mentor Tom Cenens joining forces in Barcelona. 🙂
Thanks @jason.cao for getting my attention on this post. Reading through makes me feel nostalgic and I'm super happy to see the community emphasis at #sapteched.
Thanks for mentioning my now, more than ever, rusty rapping skills 🙂 Those were great times, fresh memories still.
Time for me now to go on a mission now that mentions are back on SCN