Work-life balance — aiming for it is admirable. Achieving it is next to impossible. Even if we carefully balance the marketing plans, pipeline reviews, and presentations with the laundry, childcare, and home repair, we can end up exhausted and frustrated. 
But if you want to transform your point of view, stop worrying about trying to equally distribute all the stuff on your plate and begin factoring in the significance of the tasks. If you check 50 items off your to-do list this week, how many of them will you remember next year at this time? If you volunteer at an animal shelter or your child’s school, will that stick with you? You better believe it.
Cisco has always been about transformation — network transformation, digital transformation, business transformation. But as exciting as these things are, they’re not exactly the topics you lead with at happy hour.
Unless you’re talking about the other kind of transformation, Cisco is known for. You may be entitled to a certain amount of skepticism when you read about a large company’s commitment to “conscious culture,” but at Cisco, this is anything but lip service. Cisco’s purpose of “powering an inclusive future for all” is all about positively impacting the world around us, and as part of this, employees get ten paid days off for volunteering per year, in addition to vacation time off, and this is where the real transformation happens.
The first time I visited Juarez, Mexico, on a home-building trip with a charity that provides homes, education, food, and healthcare for underserved people just outside of the city, the culture shock was real. Arriving at the build site, we gathered around the family’s current home. It was a structure composed of pallets tied together with rope. The plastic bags shoved through the slats in an attempt to block the dust and rain flapped in the wind. A young mom with a baby on her hip greeted us with a smile as she scooped water from an open barrel into the baby’s bottle.
As we worked alongside the family to frame, sheetrock, and paint their new home, there was laughter, excitement, and a sense of true joy. Handing over the keys to this young family, they embraced each other through tears, and all my past grievances flashed before my eyes. Was I the one complaining about my slow laptop, the scratches on the wood floor, the shirt the dry cleaner lost? Good lord, I hope not.
On my last trip to Juarez, our group was able to build two homes, host a food outreach for 150 people, volunteer at a home for disabled adults, and throw a pizza (the universal language) party for 150 local teens.
Since the first trip, I’ve returned to Juarez nine times. Each time, I’m struck by the reset the trip affords. It’s humbling, it’s life-changing, and I am so grateful that it’s something my company encourages and supports. By offering employees time off to volunteer and by matching donations, Cisco has directly contributed to the home builds, food distribution, and medical care that the charity provides. It’s a true measure of its priorities, and my story is just one example of the many ways the Cisco community gives back.
When I return from these trips, there’s always work waiting for me — emails to catch up on, meetings to attend, and tasks to complete. But my perspective is different. I’m reminded that time is a zero-sum game, and it’s up to me to be intentional about how I spend it. I’m learning that balance isn’t about juggling it all. It’s about carefully choosing what deserves my focus and energy. There’s value in work, and even the small, seemingly mundane tasks should be done with enthusiasm and excellence. But we shouldn’t forget to invest in activities that transcend the to-do list. I’m lucky to work for a company that helps me do just that. Cisco not only empowers us to make a difference but also recognizes the importance of personal growth through giving back. When your employer understands the value of partnering with employees to pursue purpose in conjunction with career, work-life balance takes on a whole new meaning. Talk about transformation.
To see the impact Cisco and our people have made over the past 40 years — and where we’re headed — check out our Purpose Report.
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