Dear Editor:
Yes, I work at Cisco, and I was a bit confused and somewhat
stupefied that somebody thinks it serves any purpose at all to
classify 30,000 people (the employees of Cisco) into three
categories. Certainly Mr. Doug Meier could not have met all 30,000
employees, or even 1 percent of them, so how can he justify dumping
us all into three buckets?
Dear Editor:
Yes, I work at Cisco, and I was a bit confused and somewhat stupefied that somebody thinks it serves any purpose at all to classify 30,000 people (the employees of Cisco) into three categories. Certainly Mr. Doug Meier could not have met all 30,000 employees, or even 1 percent of them, so how can he justify dumping us all into three buckets?
I don’t even agree with his choice of buckets because, unlike Mr. Meier, I actually have worked on more than one project at Cisco and in more than one business unit. Certainly there are lifers, clones and contractor types at Cisco, as there are at any big company. But I totally disagree that all Cisco employees fit nicely into those three categories.
Just like any large organization, you get all types here. In my team of 14 real people, we have one contractor who is filling in for someone on maternity leave. I go home most days after actually having done work, as do all the other members of my team, including the contractor.
Yes, we do have team-building events once every quarter but they are fun – imagine that! When you stop trying to classify people and instead attempt to enjoy them and learn from them, you can have a really good time.
I certainly don’t idolize Cisco, and I know there are problems. I even complain about some of them some of the time. But, I would challenge Mr. Meier to point out one company, the size of Cisco, that does not have issues with balancing process with innovation.
A company just does not grow past a certain point without having to deal with the root causes behind the need to implement processes. Can Mr. Meier point to a company that does it just right?
If so, there’s another learning opportunity out there for those of us who are interested. If not, then why is he bashing Cisco?
I think it’s dispiriting and doesn’t serve any useful purpose to use five columns of newsprint to mock people who are just trying to get by in the fast-paced world we live in, even if they are “lifers” or “clones.” Also don’t forget how much Cisco and its employees have done for the surrounding communities. On one of our team-building days, we actually helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity, as have many other Cisco teams before and since.
Personally, I wish the columnists in this newspaper would use their space to promote good will just a bit more often.
Lisa Clark, Gilroy
Submitted Monday, June 7 to ed****@gi************.com
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-written letter.
