What is really frustrating is that there are no clear and consistent criteria for who will be the LRd. When it comes to cuts, those who provide much more value to the company are in a subordinate position compared to those who are well connected. That's the bitter truth.
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What is really frustrating is that there are no clear and consistent criteria for who will be >the LRd. When it comes to cuts, those who provide much more value to the company are >in a subordinate position compared to those who are well connected. That's the bitter >truth.
Unfortunately, that is true in many (if not all) of the large companies. CISCO is no difference. That is the reality.
…since they never do the job they are being paid to do
When the programs they were hired to work on are all cancelled so they can assign the bodies to work on programs that have by any reasonable definition already failed they are doing what management demands and therefore doing what they “are being paid to do” which is working against their own, the company’s, the shareholder’s and the customer’s best interest.
The company is managed to bad but easy to measure metrics and changing that now is the “boiling of the ocean” your executives have insisted for decades can’t be done. Given the resistance to boiling a cup of water I don’t see a single CEO with the greatest skills, vision and charisma humanly possible being able to overcome this, and let’s face it, a person with those skills has higher ambitions than stabilizing an ancient legacy company.
The skills to get promotions are not the same skills needed for being a good leader and contributor/architect/visionary. They can get the job, they just suck at it.
As an acquisition company they do very little of this so there is no way to build the talent internally. They occasionally hire people with these skills then actively prevent them from using those skills so they leave. Sadly to keep the chaff from leaving as well they got promoted throughout the senior leadership and therefore the problem is effectively self perpetuating. Technical Leader is not the correct title for someone who has never done more than a 10 line bug fix, and bug fixing is not the correct use of a Technical Leader.
Are the C-monkeys still opening meetings with “we need to be a systems company, not a box company - do you want to buy a box? Harharhar.” After decades they still don’t get systems and the boxes are still buggy. At least they’re consistent in failure.
Who are you to determine exactly who is providing value to the company? Perhaps the people who are connected are way more valuable than you, ever think of that?
If you make sure you're connected,
The writing's on the wall
But if your mind's neglected,
Stumble you might fall
Stumble you might fall
Stumble you might fall
This LR just reinforces to everyone that delivering innovative technology and business solutions to customers is one of the lowest priorities within Cisco's senior leadership team. Having layoffs directed from several layers above the day-to-day management team shows the massive disconnect between the ELT narrative and execution.
It's a fact that everyone who works at Cisco simply needs to accept and use to plan accordingly. It's also why so many talented employees have left. Their goal of being part of something that makes a difference in the technology/business world just can't be met at Cisco.
Consistency is lost all over. But not in times like this. The criteria is available to all. It’s a popularity club. Think of it like a frat house.
Does Cisco have an visionary?
Probably. I'm sure there is some dude on the autistic spectrum that is brilliant and creative. He has ideas that could make the company a fortune and perhaps even change the world of networking.
But, he isn't the right color. He is middle aged. He has poor social skills.
No one will listen to him, because in our world image and BS ability is more important than any other quality.
He'll probably get LR'd next week.
Does Cisco have any visionaries?
Most managers and significant number of employees start looking for a promotion the day they get their job and never accomplish anything of value for Cisco since they never do the job they are being paid to do
This includes all of the ELT
The skills to get promotions are not the same skills needed for being a good leader and contributor/architect/visionary. They can get the job, they just suck at it.