Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Sometimes it's better not to show everything you know

I find it funny when I notice that people who have a huge skillset pretend they don’t know something very well. I have a colleague who suddenly started “forgetting” how to do things.

What's really going on? Perhaps the reason behind it is that it's become quite common at Cisco that the person who shows the skills ends up doing all the work instead of those who should be doing it but don't have the skills nor necessarily care about acquiring them?

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Post ID: @OP+1f8DKsNM

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The one person on a team of 10 that knows how to do things will get all the work.

That one person should be untouchable in LRs - but that one person has a tendancy to make thier manager look bad because they are doing more work than them or are more knowledgable.

So that one person gets the ax durring the LR and you are down to a team of 9 where no one knows how to do anything and they just make stuff up and use information or actions from other teams to prop themselves up.

But such is the culture and life at Cisco.

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Post ID: @6scq+1f8DKsNM

Our entire team has no idea what they're doing. Yet there's so much politics and pushing people down. I've stopped trying to do anything productive because it will just get stolen by someone else. It's actually better to be as minimally productive as possible - that way people just leave you alone.

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Post ID: @3rlx+1f8DKsNM
Why the heck are they using Excel for pure text and/or date fields? A freaking Word table would be more appropriate.

Because their Word skills are even worse.

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Post ID: @2swl+1f8DKsNM
How do you get a data position without knowing excel??? How do you get any tech position without know at least excel basics?

Excel proficiency seems a requirement for any data related role, but is Excel really required for "tech" positions?

How many Project Managers or Account Managers have requested individual contributors submit weekly or bi-weekly status reports? Why the heck are they using Excel for pure text and/or date fields? A freaking Word table would be more appropriate.

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Post ID: @bzq+1f8DKsNM
  • VPs prefer to have unskilled Directors reporting to them for job security
  • Directors prefer to have unskilled Managers reporting to them for job security
  • Managers prefer to have unskilled Individual Contributors reporting to them for job security

Until Cisco becomes a performance based company... hiring will be conducted to ensure the future job security of decision-makers.

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Post ID: @hur+1f8DKsNM

There just aren't many capable people left at Cisco so the few that are capable are stuck helping everyone else function.

I work in a heavy data job here and only half the people on our team know how to use excel.

How do you get a data position without knowing excel??? How do you get any tech position without know at least excel basics?

The half of us that know what we are doing have to do the work of the other half. They just use our data and make us do thier work.

Which just makes us feel overwhelmed and overloaded and wanting to quit.

It's not diversity hires before anyone starts pulling that garbage. Its all white people, gals and guys, not knowing how to do their jobs.

The only hires Cisco can attract or keep just aren't great.

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Post ID: @nvv+1f8DKsNM

The more you do the more that they give you to do. My boss did this to me. Handed me other people's work. Made the excuse that I knew how to do it. Didn't like it when I pushed back and reminded him that it was their job to learn and not my problem if he had hired incapable people.

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Post ID: @its+1f8DKsNM

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