Cisco Cisco WebEx Event Center WBS29.11 White Paper
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White Paper
Adapting Communications to the New Workplace Culture
The new town-hall–style meetings dramatically shift the way you communicate with
your entire team. For instance, a major pharmaceutical company uses the town hall
format to introduce newly developed drugs to its sales force around the globe, with
employees using desktops, tablets, and mobile phones to actively participate. Another
example is an oil-and-gas conglomerate that now holds its annual symposium in the
new town hall format to expand its reach and invite deeper engagement.
your entire team. For instance, a major pharmaceutical company uses the town hall
format to introduce newly developed drugs to its sales force around the globe, with
employees using desktops, tablets, and mobile phones to actively participate. Another
example is an oil-and-gas conglomerate that now holds its annual symposium in the
new town hall format to expand its reach and invite deeper engagement.
However, the new town hall represents more than a change in format or
technology. It requires a cultural shift as well, a new way of thinking about
the role of communications in engaging employees across the enterprise.
technology. It requires a cultural shift as well, a new way of thinking about
the role of communications in engaging employees across the enterprise.
Leading the Way to Increased Employee Engagement
Cisco is the perfect example of today’s fluid and flexible workplace environment:
• 41 percent of Cisco employees work outside of the United States
• 52 percent work in a different location than their managers
• 50 percent collaborate with people in different time zones
• 89 percent telecommute at least once a week
• 47 percent are classified as mobile workers
• 6 percent work in a fully remote manner
• 52 percent work in a different location than their managers
• 50 percent collaborate with people in different time zones
• 89 percent telecommute at least once a week
• 47 percent are classified as mobile workers
• 6 percent work in a fully remote manner
That’s why Cisco adopted the new town hall model: to allow executives to better
connect, engage, and collaborate with Cisco workers wherever they happen to be
working. A recent company meeting included a live, in-room experience, 8000 online
attendees around the world, 7 Cisco TelePresence® sites, 82 digital signs with live
video, 5 online polls, 450 online questions, and video and mobile collaboration.
Following the guidance and lessons learned from other organizations can help
a company ease the transition to a new model of executive communication and
avoid common missteps. Here are the top three best practices compiled from
multiple companies that have adopted the new town hall format and are now reaping
the benefits:
a company ease the transition to a new model of executive communication and
avoid common missteps. Here are the top three best practices compiled from
multiple companies that have adopted the new town hall format and are now reaping
the benefits:
1. Use video and social media behind the firewall. A video-based meeting is critical
to build trust, but the community must be able to interact asynchronously in three
ways throughout the entire meeting, even while executives are communicating:
ways throughout the entire meeting, even while executives are communicating:
• Chat (such as a Facebook newsfeed, where team members can discuss
openly what they are hearing)
• Question and answer (where an executive can receive an anonymous
question and answer the question publicly to the entire team)
• Polling (such as a short-lived message from Snapchat)
Cisco Company Meeting in New Town Hall
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