How Cisco Pets Help Collaboration

It’s no secret that pets bring a unique skillset to our teams at Cisco. From offering visits on Webex (where our teams all cheer for their arrival) and helping to lower stress levels – our pets always know just how to get us to laugh (or take a much-needed break for a quick walk around the block.) More than ever, they’ve answered the call to put their best paw (or beak) forward.

Gone are the days of napping on the couch for these mostly furry co-workers. In recent weeks Cisco pets have popped up during our weekly All Hands Q&A sessions with Executive Leadership, and even had an ‘All-Paws’ Meeting held by the Pets at Cisco Webex space created by employees. My team paused one afternoon to make our pets (and kids) their very own ‘Cisco badges’ during a little craft time so that we could ‘officially’ welcome them to the team, while other employees shared their pets antics, skills, and contributions to the Cisco life on social media and in Webex rooms.

While our teams work around the clock to keep the world connected and assist many others transition to working remotely, we noticed their pets were hard at work too.

Meet the Cisco Chickens (Their Cisconian: Jeevan Tambuluri, Software Development, Collaboration)

Skill: These co-workers are dedicated around the ‘cluck’ to ensuring we stay connected and secure as they get up with the sun to help our Webex team by finding BUGS and eradicating them! There’s no crying fowl here — we’re egg-cited they’re part of the Cisco team.

Meet Barkley (left) and Teddy (right) (Their Cisconian: Kirsten Kelly, Senior Manager, Operations)

Skill: Barkley and Teddy are (like Cisco) dedicated to flexibility and getting their daily exercise with walks around the block with Kirsten and her family. They’re all very proud of how Cisco is showing up in offering support and technology to communities, while using Webex to connect in new ways. Recently, they attended a virtual birthday party with the entire family to include pets!

Meet Charlotte (Cat) & Ollie (Dog) (Their Cisconian: Nick Wooler, Senior Product Manager, Collaboration Identity & Security)

Skill: Shh! These two are napping after helping to deliver 5.5 billion minutes of Webex in the first 11 days of March – together, Charlotte and Ollie (along with their Cisconian, Nick) make sure users, bots and devices can all authenticate successfully and securely. The best part about working at Cisco is being part of a global team that is helping to make a difference.

Meet Duncan (Duncan’s Cisconian: Jessica Gilbert, Head, Inclusion & Collaboration at Cisco Meraki)

Skill: As a rescue Duncan knows how important it is to belong, so he loves that as Head of Inclusion & Collaboration at Cisco Meraki, his Cisconian works with amazing leaders to build a culture where everyone feels like they belong. He is also proud that Cisco is a company that invests in making the world a better place, like through ending homelessness, and in bringing people together through Webex.

Meet Tom & Jerry (Tom & Jerry’s Cisonian: Lucien Carroll, Senior Software Engineer, Collaboration)

Skill: Tom and Jerry help their Cisconian Lucien who is a data scientist working on Webex Assistant (the voice interface for Webex Rooms and Meetings.) Between Cisco’s policies and Cisco’s collaboration and security software, they’ve always known that working remotely has been effective – now, Tom and Jerry are here to add a bit of flexibility to Lucien’s day as they cheer him on during his breaks.

It’s a great time to take a moment and embrace your furry co-workers. Introduce them to your team or tell a funny story about them to kick off your next call – just don’t forget the importance of the mute button for when they celebrate the mail carrier’s arrival!

How are your pets contributing to your workday? Tell us in the comments below!

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