Christian Klein, CEO of SAP, has called for greater honesty and respect in workplace feedback. He told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that aiming for an environment where everyone is considered a genius undermines true performance culture, asserting that “not everyone is a top performer.” He stressed that it must be possible to point out weaknesses and critically address poor performance.
Klein argues that just as the sports world requires a strong performance culture, the business sector must have one. He criticized trends in Germany, such as the proposed abolition of youth games because children are supposedly harmed by them, viewing such actions as symptomatic of deeper issues.
On the political front, Klein sees the high approval rates shown by the AfD in recent state election polls in Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt as an indicator of widespread public discontent. He believes this dissatisfaction can only be addressed when citizens firmly believe that politicians prioritize the welfare of the country and are actively supporting them.
Looking toward the future of technology, Klein warned about the risk of Europe becoming dangerously dependent on the United States and China regarding artificial intelligence (AI). He urged immediate action, stating, “Nobody in the USA or China is waiting for us. They want to defeat us all.” Consequently, he believes European companies must lead the way in the application of AI.
SAP’s business model is facing pressure due to the emergence of new AI-focused companies, which has caused its stock value to dip in recent months. To counter this, SAP plans to hire between 400 and 500 new Data Scientists. According to SAP’s management board, using AI is expected to increase software development productivity by around 30 percent. While acknowledging that reducing staff is possible, he insisted that completely ruling out job reductions would not be honest. Currently, SAP employs approximately 112,000 people globally.
Regarding the delay in the development of a “Bürger-App” with Telekom, which is being created for the Federal Digital Ministry to allow citizens to register or deregister their residences or vehicles, Klein responded by noting that the necessary technology for such an application had existed ten years prior.
