CSR the Cisco way

There are a number of different ways that a corporation can implement a Corporate Responsibility program, factoring in true benefits to the community should be quite naturally one of the goals aimed for. When I research what companies are trying or have successfully been doing in terms of CSR I see creative methods and quite often something new. When considering enacting a CSR initiative for your business the more examples of programs that are viable the higher the likelihood that you can select an idea that is practical for your company to implement. In practical terms, additional choices and creativity make the entire concept of CSR more attractive to a business owner and this in turn increases the ratio of companies that are considering which sustainable programs are options for them.

Here is another great example; Cisco, a truly large corporation (the multinational company has some 65,000 employees globally) are taking a bold and rewarding approach and focusing on employee engagement. So often efforts that impact your employee population are amongst the most rewarding for all concerned. Cisco have celebrated their 25th anniversary by making a robust call to community service, the platform is being built upon a call by Chairman John Chambers for every employee to volunteer four hours of service to benefit the community in which they live. Taken collectively the goal set forth by Chambers equates to a contribution in excess of 200,000 volunteered hours of time which calculates to almost 25 entire years of service. A staggering total and worthy of endorsement by the media and industry alike, Chambers added:

“I can think of no better way to mark Cisco’s 25th year than to focus on employing our team members’ talents and energy in serving the local community. Helping people connect and collaborate is not just essential to our business – it is essential to our values.”

Cisco’s history is a remarkable story of growth in the age of technology, founded in 1984 by two Stanford graduates who developed a system to enable email between computers on differing networks. The outcome of this research was the first multiprotocol router – in essence the genesis of the internet. What adds to the excitement of the CSR call to action fashioned by Cisco is the fact that the industry where the company excels is almost certain to grow and expland as technology need and use spreads throughout every sector of society in all nations. In theory at least a company that is perfectly poised for continued growth in the years to come. With that growth the community planning and commitment looks to be set as a by-product of the success of Cisco. They have a proud reputation concerning their approach and commitment to a better society. You can learn much more via their website but the highlights are outlined below.

Information technology has the power to transform how the world approaches environmental challenges. Cisco sees the Internet and networking technology at the heart of a global technological ecosystem where people and businesses can begin to work, live, play, and learn in new and more sustainable ways. Cisco envisions the network as the basis to connect:

• Devices to measure, monitor and manage energy consumption
• People without the need for travel
• Ideas generated by people and organizations to help overcome social problems
• Information technology systems to conserve energy and natural resources through virtualization strategies

Under the direction set by the Cisco EcoBoard, our approach to environmental sustainability is to:

• Affect how we operate as a company
  
• Create efficiencies and innovations in our products
  
• Provide environmentally conscious solutions to our customers
  
• Collaborate with customers, industry groups, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and employees to address global environmental issues