Bringing “Observability” To Our Human Network

Developing a team for everyone

One of the things I’ve valued about being a member of our DevNet developer community is that it’s a group that is passionate about creation – building – thinking up new things and bringing ideas to life. Together, we’ve created new ways to automate networks, improve security, and connect the unconnected. We are a collection of explorers, innovators, and makers – and many of solutions crafted by this community (us) have changed the lives and businesses of so many.

But we are unique agents of change – we endlessly experiment; aren’t easily impressed; we try new things and then more new things; we embrace failure and (try to) learn from our mistakes; and we are always focused on getting systems and programs to an ideal state. More importantly, we can be an amazing force for good.

That’s why I am so excited to be a part of the recently released Full Stack Wellness & Inclusion program – a collection of resources that our Cisco DevRel team has recently opened for everyone, in every team, everywhere. It’s like someone bottled the spirit of our DevNet community and turned it into a renewable resource – something that now anyone can use to not only build better teams but build-up and empower individuals.

The Cisco Developer Relations Full Stack Wellness & Inclusion program is a collection of resources
that our Cisco DevRel team has recently opened for everyone, in every team, everywhere.

About the program

The Full Stack Wellness & Inclusion Series program was started last year by our Cisco DevRel Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team as an internal effort to drive personal wellness and greater team connectivity.

The main element of this program – available now in our Cisco Open Source GitHub organization – is a plan for hosting a unique 5-part meeting series. These sessions are based on an abridged version of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In this model of Maslow’s theory, human action is aligned to the following motivations: Physiological Needs are followed by Safety Needs; then Belongingness & Love Needs; then Esteem Needs; and at the end, Self-Actualization Needs.

The main element of this program is a plan for hosting a unique 5-part
meeting series. These sessions are based on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

This program is similarly aligned – but with elements learned from networking, programming, and software. Our 5-part series starts at the “Physical Layer” – encouraging individuals and teams to consider how they achieve a healthy body and mind. Next comes security: How we can design a team where everyone feels safe. We jump next to how we connect as a group in the “Developing a team where everyone belongs” session. And with set-up, security, and connectivity met, we move inward to a “Personal Code Review” where we own and honor personal achievements. We end the program on building a CI/CD Pipeline for your best self. Some of the naming can be a bit cute (if not clever), but the intention here is honest: bringing the lessons from hardware and code to our human network.

Also included in the package are best practices for optimal implementation and exploration as well as team bonding activity guidelines to support offline/remote connections between team members.

Open for all

I remember when I joined our DevNet community in 2015 – originally, I was just another curious learner like so many others. I just wanted to get started. And wow! I was amazed with how engaged and connected this community was. My social media feed was forever changed – it is now a collection of our shared conversations, achievements, and accomplishments (not to mention hilarious memes). Since joining the team in 2018, it’s been a pleasure to be a part of this group that cultivates such a spirit of camaraderie, respect, and creativity.

It is my sincere hope that this culture is something we can clone and export through the Full Stack Wellness & Inclusion program – that we can help all groups, teams, and communities build stronger connections, embrace diversity as a strength, and help everyone feel as welcome as I did when I joined. Or in other words, let’s make valuing people our MVP.