Cisco still uses a forced distribution for performance ratings (bell curve). There is more focus on increasing your "visibility" and building your "personal brand" aka behind-kissing than the value of your actual work. I've seen people work their tails off year after year and still receive a mediocre rating (I've been an Individual Contributor AND a manager, so I've seen this from both angles). Managers don't have the final say in an individual's performance rating anymore. That is left up to the leadership team within their organization (they do submit a recommendation). The final decision is made whether or not they've "heard" of this individual's work. Seriously. This absolutely equates to a culture of fear, distrust and non-collaboration. I've seen this personally multiple times. People are working for their rating vs. working for Cisco. It's an incredible way to make your employees non-productive.
It just feels like a sinking ship. After nearly 10 years, I have very little confidence in the Operating Committee or senior leadership within my own organization to turn things around. The cycle here is Q1=re-org/layoff Q2= finally figure out what your new role/team should be doing Q3=your team actually starts performing Q4=great performance, but word of a new re-org rolls in, layoff rumors start, productivity goes down the toilet. It's a cycle I've seen year after year and quite frankly, it's getting old. Morale is in the toilet, people are just doing what they have to to get by until they find a new job. They talk about innovation and moving the business forward, but how can you do that when you are CONSTANTLY re-orging people, roles, etc.?
