When I started in my role as the global lead for Customer Experience (CX) Inclusion & Collaboration, I was tasked with driving our organization to a more diverse, inclusive and conscious culture. I was lucky to be working for a company that values full spectrum diversity and is committed to an inclusive culture where employees feel welcomed, valued, respected and heard. For many months, my main focus was to drive leader awareness and education around the case for diversity: why they should care and what they could do to help. Often times, we spoke about things like attracting more diverse talent, driving fair and equitable hiring practices, mitigating bias…you get the idea. While these are all parts of our long-term strategy, I realized I was missing a key component that would end up possibly being the single most impactful leadership behavior we would drive: proximity.
Let me take you back to where everything changed for me. Last September, I attended an all-employee meeting where Chuck Robbins, Cisco’s CEO, hosted Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, in a courageous conversation. In my 20 years as an HR professional, I’ve never worked for a company as progressive and forthcoming as Cisco has been regarding the Conscious Culture movement. Before kicking off the Q&A portion of the event, Chuck referenced a comment he made in his keynote at Cisco Impact 2019, “Get close to a problem and you will be compelled to try and solve it.”
The importance of his words became clear to me as I listened to Bryan and Chuck’s discussion about racial injustice and mass incarceration in the United States. Sharing his belief in the power of proximity, Bryan said, “We have to commit ourselves to getting proximate to the poor, to the excluded, to the marginalized. When you are proximate, details emerge, insights emerge, understandings emerge, that you will not achieve from a distance. There is power in proximity.”
As I listened, I was filled with an array of emotions: anger, depression, anxiety, and excitement. Now, I’ll be transparent and tell you that I was one of a few African Americans in the room, and it felt like Bryan and Chuck were speaking directly to me. One employee asked, “Is there Proximity training? Is there a ‘how-to’ guide on how to help or get involved?” Bryan responded that people should not think they need to be trained – the training comes in proximity. When you go into these spaces with an open heart and mind, and when we are just human, that’s when we learn.
That night I called my parents, cried with them, laughed with them and thanked them for their strength, determination, and protection from the cruel realities of our society. The rest of the week was a fog. All I could think about were the statements that Chuck and Bryan had made. There was a connection to all this I couldn’t quite put my finger on, and inside me was a growing, compelling need to act.
A few weeks later, I was back in San Jose to present a diversity and inclusion update to the CX leadership team. During one of our discussions around women and minority attrition, a leader asked me what they could do personally as a team to drive change. I took a chance and recommended we use the concept of proximity that Bryan spoke of and apply it to our organization. I challenged them that if they wanted to be “best-in-class” and value diversity and inclusion, the first step in this journey to achieving a conscious, inclusive culture would be for them, our highest-level CX executives, to get proximate with our underrepresented talent.
Without hesitation, they accepted the challenge! I couldn’t help but turn to Maria Martinez, our EVP & Chief Customer Experience Officer, to see her reaction. Without a word, she nodded her head in acknowledgement and agreement – and that was the moment the CX Inclusion Proximity Initiative was born.
As a part of the initiative, we challenge each CX senior leader and their direct reports to meet with two people each quarter who align with our inclusive workforce plan. This is definitely a journey with many hurdles to overcome, but let me tell you there is POWER in proximity! Just six months in, we’ve seen leaders’ eyes opened to challenges minorities in their organization face. We’ve seen team members tell their leader about what it’s like to feel excluded in their organization because of their “difference.” We’ve seen leaders take a bold step in their hiring and promotion practices because of things they’ve learned in their proximity meetings (remember when Chuck said you’ll feel compelled to act?). Tears have been shed, laughs have been had, and now reflecting on all of the learnings, I know without a doubt that proximity is the leadership behavior that will unlock so many doors in our journey to an inclusive and conscious culture.
The use of proximity in our organization is, clearly, a great passion for me! What does the concept of proximity mean to you and your organization? How does it fit into your strategy? How are you compelled to act?
“Power in proximity “. Love that line. Often people are too afraid to get close to the problem. It’s easier to distance from it and become naïve to it. That kind of passiveness deters true leadership. On the other hand, true leaders will lead from the bottom as much as the top. Leaders are willing to get down and do the heavy lifting when needed. They will get close enough to the problem to understand it and ultimately become the proximate cause of the solution. Cheers Alex Allen!
Excellent article and work, Alex! “Proximity” is a great way to sum the phrase that we use in higher education “advise students where they are”. Sometimes, we present information that may be too far from where a student is in their development. Proximity informs me that once we have identified a population we are trying to reach, we have to identify their needs based upon formal research, experience and anecdotal knowledge. A first generation student may need to be brought/taught through a different developmental stage, versus a student who has one or both parents with college degrees. Provide each group with access to resources, mentors, and growth opportunities and it helps the organization as a whole to flourish! There’s “buy-in” from all involved!
Alex! I love the article. Being proximate is the only way that we can begin to gain insight. When we do, it’s extremely powerful. We transition from being sympathetic to being empathetic. We can feel the experience. It’s almost like we become part of the story that is being told. Or better yet, we are witnessing it with them. Great article.
Alex – you are a trailblazer and we are so lucky to have you as our I&C partner in Cisco CX. Thank you for inspiring, challenging and supporting us to find ways to get proximate to the sensitive issues, tough topics and the vulnerable, so we can listen, understand, build empathy and take action together to solve social problems. I love how you put it “there is power in proximity”. If we ‘dare to care’ …we can and will build a better, more connected and compassionate world.
So well done! Inspiring!
Alex, what a powerful message! Thank you for sharing your personal insights on how this conversation affected you and gave you the confidence to take a bold step with your challenge to the leadership team. CX is lucky to have you leading this work and I am honored to work with you as well. ~LT
Alex,
Wonderful article, thank you.
Seeing and feeling the world from another’s perspective is powerful – thanks for calling it out in way that is actionable and real. In times when some feel the need to be close to people who have similar experiences, proximity will bring us together. This might have started out as a program; however, sounds like it can help us navigate our lives inside and outside of work. I will try this at home and work…
Thank you Alex for this article! It not only sheds light on the importance of proximity but it is a call to action. Being close to human issues is not comfortable and a lot of us tend to avoid discomfort but its important to challenge ourselves to be present and stay present. I am compelled to act by making an effort to talk about the difficult issues for the purpose of healing even when it’s uncomfortable.
Man, there is POWER in proximity! Thank you for your leadership in this important space, Alex! I’m so proud to be a witness of the change you’re driving in the organization. #CoolBoss
Alex, thank you so much for sharing your story! It is a powerful thing indeed to recognize a deeply impactful personal moment and mobilize that into creating a more inclusive Cisco for everyone. I have learned so much by “Getting Proximate”-from you and from others and I look forward to helping you spread the message!! Wonderful post!
MARVELOUS post, Alex! It’s through conscious leaders, like yourself, that Cisco will continue to be a great place to work for everyone. Thanks for continuing to remind us of the importance of proximity.
Alex – thanks for sharing this powerful and inspiring story. Proximity is truly key to awareness. Thank you for advocating for the under represented talent in Cisco. You have challenged Leadership to get close, get informed and take action.
I love seeing the journey of Bryan’s Proximity concept travel from his book to his talk at the Beat to a fully manifested initiative at Cisco. That, in itself, speaks to the power of proximity. And, like you, I’ve never been prouder to work for Cisco as I am right now. Thanks for sharing your story!
Appreciate your leadership Alex Allen! You have come into Cisco helping to challenge us to be better, live our culture and be a part of the solution. Proximity is the best way to be a part of the solution.
Happy to be a part of CX as a champion for this impactful initiative and proud to be one of the team helping drive it across CX. I have learnt so much in the short time I have been involved. Thank you Alex, for helping lead this. Thank you Bryan, for opening our eyes to this great cause and Thank you Chuck & the ELT, for tackling uncomfortable conversions and for challenging the entire organization to embrace a conscious culture
Alex – This is so insightful and inspiring! Being in Talent Acquisition I have the unique ability to help our hiring managers make great strides in diversity and inclusion. That is just step one of many however – we need to be getting closer to our inclusive workforce after the hire. We can’t forget that proximity yields insights. It’s worth the investment! Your question “how are you compelled to act?” I’ll share your message of proximity to inspire and continue to advocate for a diverse workforce! Thank you for this…
Alex, thank you for this inspiring article and sparking this movement with passion. There is power in caring that drives change. Caring doesn’t start without understanding and understanding needs proximity for “details to emerge” and activation to occur. It changes from “their story” to “our story”. That’s the power of proximity.
Hola Buena tardes envío el informe que no se puede hacer el archivo adjunto envío
Well done Alex, well done! Nothing happens by sitting on the sidelines. As we say at Cisco, I also want to acknowledge you following our Cisco Principles and taking a “Bold Step”. You will make things better for many who follow. Congratulations!
Great blog post!
Alex, what a powerful & passionate article. Very well written and articulated. The power of proximity is something I’d never truly considered before, but through inspiring leaders like yourself, I am definitely learning more and more about its relevance & importance. Thank you!
Thank you for your well written and heartfelt thoughts on the power of proximity Alex. I too was so moved by those simple words by Bryan Stevenson in his conversation with Chuck Robbins that I’ve applied this to every interaction I have and wow. Congrats on your new role within CX. I would love to help in any way I can support.
Fantastic! I really enjoyed the tone of this article to immerse yourself in the experiences of others by positioning yourself closer to the individuals grappling with the issues. The “spectator approach” is removed and the shift in thinking about racial injustice is ingrained.