A Once-in-a-Hundred-Year Flood: After the Bubble
The months after that fateful February were marked by high hopes for e-learning (which was a vital Cisco asset). Infrastructure was still important, but applications ruled. Customers had to figure out how to leverage their investment in technology through solutions. In a "show-me" economy, Cisco was not only expected to show customers that the applications would change the way businesses do business, but Cisco was also expected to demonstrate financial success with those applications to leverage its network to increase its productivity and profitability and to streamline its business process. Cisco was expected to walk the talk. E-learning was too critical an application to be left for the training department alone. It now belonged in the boardroom as a strategy for business and a tactic for profitability.On the first floor of Building 8 on the Cisco campus, John Chambers, the CEO of Cisco, conducted a number of video events simulcast over the web. The message from the CEO was consistent to each employee. No organizational filters or distortions altered his message. Some logged in to the presentations from their desks, and those working remotely pulled the presentation up on their PCs from home; still others, who were in a different time zone, accessed it on demand later. The message was direct and one on one, from the CEO to each employee.There was an advantage to such one-on-one communication. Only the CEO had the credibility to quell rumors, boost morale, and point to the light at the end of the tunnel. An organization of more than 40,000 employees had to be motivated to pursue organizational success. The changing face of the business climate was to be understood and embraced by all the employees. The video presentations outlined the goals and the direction for the company and the priorities for cooperation and personal success. Employees reeling from the economic blows hung on to each word looking for answers about how to survive and thrive in a changing world.Cisco had to be transformed: Expenses had to be curtailed, budgets had to be cut, costs had to be reigned in, inventories had to be scaled, and customers still had to be served. Disparate efforts across the company had to centralize at a higher level than before to avoid duplication and waste. You can do more with less waste.Enabled communication remained the lifeblood of Cisco in the course of these changes. Senior leadership clarified what was on their mind, including leadership's agenda, what the shareholders expected, what to brace for next, and how to cope with the changes. The constant communication kept the organization connected when times conspired to tear it apart. Cisco leveraged its e-learning tools to secure the fabric of the organization. After three years of investment and implementation, it was during these days of adversity that e-learning went prime time at Cisco. |
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