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Technology Stocks : Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RetiredNow who wrote (51383)	4/13/2001 3:16:43 PM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 77400

Jack Welch too? Perhaps?

To: RetiredNow who wrote (51383)	4/13/2001 3:49:55 PM
From: PMS Witch	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 77400

Straying a little off topic… I read an article recently about the difficulties faced by some people who find themselves without work. Apparently, the heavy demand for people who possess certain skills have tipped the balance so far in favour of workers that employers have been forced to make the work experience fun, challenging, exciting, and very rewarding in both satisfaction and money. In short, bosses needed to ass kiss. The recipients of this red-carpet treatment, being human, responded expectedly: they became intolerably arrogant, smug, and self-centred. When the world seemed to assume a prostrated posture of worship before them, the last thoughts to enter their mind were that they may be anything short of a divine miracle, placed upon the earth to absorb adulation. Human connection was dismissed as superfluous. They, and they alone mattered. Correctly, or so it seemed, they concentrated their efforts on mastering business or technology issues. In the environment they occupied, this strategy proved beneficial. Promotion, stock-options, and high pay accompanied long hours of isolated toil. The bargain looked inviting, and they accepted. Then the prick hit the balloon. Now, these people find themselves without the connections most others enjoy. The people who they overlooked for so long have lost interest in offering support. Their skills, the key to golden treasure, no longer fits the lock and they find themselves both unable to face life’s difficulties alone, yet abandoned by those who would in normal circumstances eagerly offer assistance and support. In short, the toes they stepped on while climbing have moved on. Counselling these people has become a growth industry in some areas. They need assistance in putting their priorities right and re-establishing broken connections. Like so many areas of life, a little prevention is vastly superior to any cure. Those fortunate enough, or wise enough, to have avoided these pitfalls will be spared the difficult challenge of re-constructing their lives. In this regard, I’d count John Chambers and CSCO management among the wise. Your post addresses these points. John Chambers’ implementation of the necessary employment reductions at CSCO in a caring manner is both a great business decision, but compassionate too. Over the years, I’ve disagreed with the conduct of some of the companies in my portfolio, and consequently divested myself of their shares, but so far, I’ve seen no evidence of any reason why I should not be able to hold my head high as a CSCO shareholder. When management faces tough ethical decisions, the question becomes “If it were up to me, what would I do?” Cheers, PW. P.S. Perhaps my post can be misunderstood. I'm not saying CSCO employees who lost their jobs aren't nice people. I'm saying that there's a terrible price to pay for not treating our fellow man honourably, and that CSCO has taken steps to avoid this mistake -- a mistake that's too common.