Newsmaker: Good for business, good for society?

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Through Cisco's Leadership Fellows, you lend nonprofit groups, school systems or charities people from your staff while you pay their salary. This project was conceived of during the downturn in 2001 when Cisco had to lay off hundreds. Tell me more about why Cisco started this program.
Chambers: The Cisco fellows program went into charities and really streamlined their operations using their knowledge of networking to make them dramatically more productive. Some places saw efficiencies of 10-fold--not 10 or 20 percent but 10-fold--in terms of the number of people the charities could serve.

It's a very successful program which we have carried over to the 21 Century Schools initiative, a program to bring technology to schools rebuilding in Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. So it allows people to take time off to go do good for society. But they are working on programs that are related to our expertise and that are programs related to Cisco's corporate approach. While I commend people for giving for any reason, we don't use a shotgun approach. We try to be very focused on doing a couple of things extremely well.

You've mentioned the 21st Century Schools initiative a couple of times already. Can you explain how that idea came about?
Chambers: Two years ago after Katrina, one of our people in a major meeting who was from Mississippi, said, "John, can't you all do something for us?" I was proud, because we were already raising a lot of money. So I said, "We're raising money." And she said, "No, you all have an ability to change the world. Can't you help us in a major way?"

I turned to (Corporate Affairs Vice President) Tae Yoo and her team and said, "I want results back and within a couple of weeks." They came back with the whole 21st Century Schools Systems proposal. And then they said they needed $40 million. "I said 'that's a lot of money.'" And Tae said, "Well, we're also going to ask you and (Chairman Emeritus) John Morgridge for $12 million of it." So John gave $10 million, and I gave $2 million.

Last September after the upheaval in Lebanon, Cisco was one of five U.S. companies that teamed up to form the Partnership for Lebanon, a public-private partnership to improve education, train the work force, create better jobs, build out the country's technology infrastructure, and connect communities and government. Why did you sign on for that? The region has been so troubled lately.

Chambers: For one, countries need you the most not during good times, but during their most challenging times.

Secondly, if you can't address these issues in a country with over 7 million people that has a history of great education, has been the gateway between Europe and Asia, and has an ability to support multiple cultures, then where can you ever make it work?

The third reason we went there is that the President of the United States asked us to lead the presidential delegation. He asked business to do it, not government, because he knew we'd approach it with a very creative idea. And he said, "I'm not sure what your answer is going to be, but come back and give us recommendations." But honestly, if you can't address these issues in Lebanon, how do you ever address them in Palestine?

You think economics is the way to fix problems in the Middle East?

Chambers: Economics, education and basic needs. And you have to work together in groups. We are working with Intel, Microsoft, a bunch of NGOs. And you need to work with countries, whether it's Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany or the US.

The power is in collaboration. This is what I've become a believer in, that what you see in the business world in terms of collaboration, you will now see in charity. The Clinton Global Initiative has got it right. They don't understand yet how to use technology in a way that will help, but President Clinton is probably the smartest political leader I have ever met, and he understands that there is a way to make this go.

Cisco has seen some success with many of its "socially responsible" endeavors. Is there a common thread among all these programs?
Chambers: Yes, they have all been a combination of public and private efforts often with NGOs and often with groups that you wouldn't think of working together. They have all been not a one-year commitment or even two, but they are usually five-to 10-year commitments. They start with a vision of what is possible. And a question about how you are going to address the problem differently. And finally, we have a fanatical approach on measurement, whether it's the number of students advancing or the number of houses built or student satisfaction.

We can use the network academies as an example. This program was started by one person's idea in Arizona. Ten years later, there are 2.3 million graduates, 575,000 people in the program, and 10,000 academies making the difference everywhere in the world.

More Newsmakers

[asdf]

He's not talking about a market- he's talking about socialism

This is a feel-good piece, but every bit of it that's aimed to feel-good really represents a form of Socialism.

Here's one example
"Companies should only do what is in the best interest of their shareholders, employees, customers and society as a whole. It's a balancing act."

the words "employees, customers and society as a whole." are NOT what corporations are obligated to by law. By law, they are ONLY obligated to maximize their return to their shareholders.

People don't understand what a corporation even IS:

http://www.thecorporation.com/index.cfm?page_id=312

Every bit of what "feels good" about this piece is an example of the redirection of wealth from the haves to the haves not, at a loss for the haves.

If it's such a great idea, then why don't we obligate companies like Cisco to do that, rather than just obligate them to basically act like a sociopath on society.

Wow, people creating an entity that makes everyone's life better ! What an idea !

[dburr13]

Another evil buzzword

"Socialism"...Of course that's the buzzword that's supposed to invalidate this article because socialism is bad so this information must be bad too...

Capitalism is not perfect...so i see no reason to try to squelch the conversation just because you say that the ideas within are all about "socialism"...

Going beyond what the law requires may be actually be good for business...and good for capitalism...We can only find out if something new is tried...

[Pointedly]

This Is What Capitalism Should Be

It's refreshing to hear of a CEO who listens to his employees, who puts his own money behind their ideas, and who recognizes that giving to society gives to the corporation. A good corporate image is nearly priceless. It brings new business, attracts better employees, and contributes to employee pride, satisfaction and retention. That's good capitalism.

[anspn]

Parent run site trying to do our bit

www.schoolparent.net

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