easy-accordion-free domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/mother99/jacksonholdingcompany.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114zoho-flow domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/mother99/jacksonholdingcompany.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/mother99/jacksonholdingcompany.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114In my last blog<\/a>, I shared the progress we\u2019re making toward building the Cisco Security Cloud<\/a>, an open, integrated security platform capable of tackling the rigors of securing highly distributed, m\u2026 Read more on Cisco Blogs<\/a><\/p>\n \u200b[[{“value”:”<\/p>\n In my last blog<\/a>, I shared the progress we\u2019re making toward building the Cisco Security Cloud<\/a>, an open, integrated security platform capable of tackling the rigors of securing highly distributed, multicloud environments. This was an honest assessment of what we have achieved and celebrating our significant accomplishments, moving the needle forward on our vision. I want to share how <\/em>we approach our research, development, execution and what are our core principles to driving innovation at scale.<\/p>\n We are evolving our engineering organization to deliver on our vision and other ambitious initiatives through higher levels of agility. Agility requires the courage to break down organizational silos and embrace the notion of failing fast and learning even faster from those failures. But engineering organizations like ours also have our \u201cday jobs\u201d with the reality that constantly changing customer and business environment can wreak havoc on engineering roadmaps. This leads to the inevitable difficult decision on whether to focus on the backlog of customer-requested features versus delivering new, innovative features that move the industry forward.<\/p>\n Another way to say this is that as much as engineering organizations strive for agility<\/strong>, we have to be cognizant of how much our customers crave predictability <\/strong>in terms of their security operations and\u00a0 feature delivery from vendors like Cisco. Let\u2019s look at this from the lens of a customer-impacting factor that may make security operations less predictable: security incidents. According to our latest Security Outcomes Report<\/a>:<\/p>\n According to our 2024 Cybersecurity Readiness Index<\/a>, 54% of organizations said they have experienced a cybersecurity incident in the last 12 months. These numbers are meaningful because cybersecurity is a critical part of any business and part of business resilience plans, which can involve public disclosures. Cybersecurity is also in the line of critical operations functions and can be a cause of major disruptions for the entire business<\/em> when it fails. So, that is the high-stakes nature of the balancing act we have in front of us with one end of the see-saw being our desire to achieve agility with the other end being our responsibility to our customers to be predictable in their security operations, which are becoming ever more critical in the viability of their businesses.<\/p>\n Leading a large engineering organization in charge of one of the broadest security product portfolios has challenged me to think about this critically. There are many ways to balance agility and predictability, but we\u2019ve been able to distill this down to a pragmatic approach that I believe works best for us.<\/p>\n Careful short and long-term planning. <\/strong><\/p>\n This is a critical step that provides the framework for building an engineering org that is both agile and predictable. It starts with iterative planning that allows for reviewing and adjusting plans based on market feedback and changing conditions. This includes meeting shorter-term commitments and regular updates to maintain customer confidence while allowing for adjustments. We also use agile retrospectives and adaptive planning to ensure forward progress and our ability to incrementally improve.<\/p>\n Resource allocation and ruthless prioritization play a key role. We achieve this through segmentation and portfolio management, segmenting a product portfolio into different categories based on levels of predictability and innovation. We exercise scenario planning for risk mitigation and management, developing scenarios that explore different market conditions with strategies for responding to ensure we make informed decisions in uncertain conditions. This helps us identify and mitigate risks that may impact our agility and predictability, account for potential disruptions, prioritize appropriately, and manage expectations.<\/p>\n Clear and consistent communication. <\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most important aspects of this is the need for clear and consistent communication. As leader, it is my responsibility to clearly articulate the benefits of agility and explain the steps we need to take to ensure the predictability and delivery needed for stable operations. My philosophy is that shared outcomes involve \u201cshared code\u201d that results in a platform-centric development approach and an inner source execution model that allow for acceleration of feature development and delivery velocity.<\/p>\n An org culture willing to adapt. <\/strong><\/p>\n Even the best of plans will fail without capable people who can and are willing <\/em>to execute on them. For us, this involves an on-going evolution across our large, highly distributed engineering organization to foster a culture that values both agility and predictability and aligned with one of Cisco\u2019s core values: accountability. A few of the ways we\u2019ve seen success are by:<\/p>\n Encouraging cross-functional collaboration and open dialogue about the challenges and benefits of both approaches. Effective processes, not bureaucracies. <\/strong><\/p>\n Processes often get a bad rap because they are often associated with bureaucracies that can hinder speed and progress. But processes are critical to make sure we\u2019re executing our plans in the intended ways with the ability to measure progress and adapt as necessary. In our goal to balance agility with predictability, we have implemented some specific aspects to processes that work best for us.<\/p>\n We blend agile methodologies with more traditional project management approaches <\/em>(e.g., agile for new features, waterfall for foundational infrastructure). Our processes allow us to take a \u201cdual plane\u201d approach to innovation with one plane focusing on predictable, stable delivery while the other explores innovative, experimental initiatives. Our processes involve adaptive governance and continuous learning that accommodates both agility and predictability. This includes providing guidelines for making decisions in dynamic situations, continuously assessing what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not, and encouraging a learning mindset and adjusting strategies accordingly.<\/p>\n Taking a customer centric approach to all things we do, we\u2019ll continue focusing on the breakthrough successes that showcase our ability to be both agile and predictable to meet market demands and deliver customer outcomes. One example of this is how we, as the official cybersecurity partner<\/a> of the NFL, helped secure this year\u2019s Super Bowl that was the most watched telecast in this game\u2019s history. We also continue our incredible work with AI and Generative AI like the Cisco AI Assistant for Security to simplify policy, and AI-enabled security operations through innovation for both AI for security and security for AI. When we strike the balance of agility and predictability, we innovate to win.<\/p>\n We\u2019d love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with Cisco Security on social!<\/em><\/p>\n Cisco Security Social Channels<\/strong><\/p>\n Instagram<\/a><\/strong>Facebook<\/a><\/strong>Twitter<\/a><\/strong>LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n “}]]\u00a0\u00a0Security Cloud is the future for Cisco Security and our customers that requires the utmost in engineering agility from us\u00a0\u00a0Read More<\/a>\u00a0Cisco Blogs\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/p>\n In my last blog<\/a>, I shared the progress we\u2019re making toward building the Cisco Security Cloud<\/a>, an open, integrated security platform capable of tackling the rigors of securing highly distributed, m\u2026 Read more on Cisco Blogs<\/a><\/p>\n \u200b[[{“value”:”<\/p>\n In my last blog<\/a>, I shared the progress we\u2019re making toward building the Cisco Security Cloud<\/a>, an open, integrated security platform capable of tackling the rigors of securing highly distributed, multicloud environments. This was an honest assessment of what we have achieved and celebrating our significant accomplishments, moving the needle forward on our vision. I want to share how <\/em>we approach our research, development, execution and what are our core principles to driving innovation at scale.<\/p>\n We are evolving our engineering organization to deliver on our vision and other ambitious initiatives through higher levels of agility. Agility requires the courage to break down organizational silos and embrace the notion of failing fast and learning even faster from those failures. But engineering organizations like ours also have our \u201cday jobs\u201d with the reality that constantly changing customer and business environment can wreak havoc on engineering roadmaps. This leads to the inevitable difficult decision on whether to focus on the backlog of customer-requested features versus delivering new, innovative features that move the industry forward.<\/p>\n Another way to say this is that as much as engineering organizations strive for agility<\/strong>, we have to be cognizant of how much our customers crave predictability <\/strong>in terms of their security operations and\u00a0 feature delivery from vendors like Cisco. Let\u2019s look at this from the lens of a customer-impacting factor that may make security operations less predictable: security incidents. According to our latest Security Outcomes Report<\/a>:<\/p>\n According to our 2024 Cybersecurity Readiness Index<\/a>, 54% of organizations said they have experienced a cybersecurity incident in the last 12 months. These numbers are meaningful because cybersecurity is a critical part of any business and part of business resilience plans, which can involve public disclosures. Cybersecurity is also in the line of critical operations functions and can be a cause of major disruptions for the entire business<\/em> when it fails. So, that is the high-stakes nature of the balancing act we have in front of us with one end of the see-saw being our desire to achieve agility with the other end being our responsibility to our customers to be predictable in their security operations, which are becoming ever more critical in the viability of their businesses.<\/p>\n Leading a large engineering organization in charge of one of the broadest security product portfolios has challenged me to think about this critically. There are many ways to balance agility and predictability, but we\u2019ve been able to distill this down to a pragmatic approach that I believe works best for us.<\/p>\n Careful short and long-term planning. <\/strong><\/p>\n This is a critical step that provides the framework for building an engineering org that is both agile and predictable. It starts with iterative planning that allows for reviewing and adjusting plans based on market feedback and changing conditions. This includes meeting shorter-term commitments and regular updates to maintain customer confidence while allowing for adjustments. We also use agile retrospectives and adaptive planning to ensure forward progress and our ability to incrementally improve.<\/p>\n Resource allocation and ruthless prioritization play a key role. We achieve this through segmentation and portfolio management, segmenting a product portfolio into different categories based on levels of predictability and innovation. We exercise scenario planning for risk mitigation and management, developing scenarios that explore different market conditions with strategies for responding to ensure we make informed decisions in uncertain conditions. This helps us identify and mitigate risks that may impact our agility and predictability, account for potential disruptions, prioritize appropriately, and manage expectations.<\/p>\n Clear and consistent communication. <\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most important aspects of this is the need for clear and consistent communication. As leader, it is my responsibility to clearly articulate the benefits of agility and explain the steps we need to take to ensure the predictability and delivery needed for stable operations. My philosophy is that shared outcomes involve \u201cshared code\u201d that results in a platform-centric development approach and an inner source execution model that allow for acceleration of feature development and delivery velocity.<\/p>\n An org culture willing to adapt. <\/strong><\/p>\n Even the best of plans will fail without capable people who can and are willing <\/em>to execute on them. For us, this involves an on-going evolution across our large, highly distributed engineering organization to foster a culture that values both agility and predictability and aligned with one of Cisco\u2019s core values: accountability. A few of the ways we\u2019ve seen success are by:<\/p>\n Encouraging cross-functional collaboration and open dialogue about the challenges and benefits of both approaches. Effective processes, not bureaucracies. <\/strong><\/p>\n Processes often get a bad rap because they are often associated with bureaucracies that can hinder speed and progress. But processes are critical to make sure we\u2019re executing our plans in the intended ways with the ability to measure progress and adapt as necessary. In our goal to balance agility with predictability, we have implemented some specific aspects to processes that work best for us.<\/p>\n We blend agile methodologies with more traditional project management approaches <\/em>(e.g., agile for new features, waterfall for foundational infrastructure). Our processes allow us to take a \u201cdual plane\u201d approach to innovation with one plane focusing on predictable, stable delivery while the other explores innovative, experimental initiatives. Our processes involve adaptive governance and continuous learning that accommodates both agility and predictability. This includes providing guidelines for making decisions in dynamic situations, continuously assessing what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not, and encouraging a learning mindset and adjusting strategies accordingly.<\/p>\n Taking a customer centric approach to all things we do, we\u2019ll continue focusing on the breakthrough successes that showcase our ability to be both agile and predictable to meet market demands and deliver customer outcomes. One example of this is how we, as the official cybersecurity partner<\/a> of the NFL, helped secure this year\u2019s Super Bowl that was the most watched telecast in this game\u2019s history. We also continue our incredible work with AI and Generative AI like the Cisco AI Assistant for Security to simplify policy, and AI-enabled security operations through innovation for both AI for security and security for AI. When we strike the balance of agility and predictability, we innovate to win.<\/p>\n We\u2019d love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with Cisco Security on social!<\/em><\/p>\n Cisco Security Social Channels<\/strong><\/p>\n Instagram<\/a><\/strong>Facebook<\/a><\/strong>Twitter<\/a><\/strong>LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe latest Security Outcomes Report<\/a> shows preventing incidents and mitigating losses are the top priorities for security resilience overall.<\/p>\nA pragmatic approach to balancing agility and predictability<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nEnsuring leadership is aligned with the organization\u2019s approach to balancing agility and predictability.
\nCreating opportunities, like Hackathons, to fail fast and learn even faster, explore the art of the possible, and to dive into technology to solve unexpected challenges.
\nEnsuring consistent messaging and support for team members.<\/p>\n
\nAs the aphorism goes, \u201cyou can\u2019t manage what you can\u2019t measure\u201d. We have implemented an outcome-focused approach toward metrics that shifts the focus from output (deliverables) to outcomes (business value). <\/em>This allows us to demonstrate how agility enhances the ability to deliver value quickly and adapt to market changes, solving some of the toughest challenges for our customers.
\nWe take a customer-centric approach in all things we do<\/em>. This means we use customer feedback and market insights to prioritize and guide innovation efforts. This includes dedicated customer advisory boards, and programs built around the voice of our customers like NPS surveys. This helps ensure that agility is directed toward meeting customer needs and not innovating for innovation\u2019s sake.<\/p>\nInnovating to win<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nThe latest Security Outcomes Report<\/a> shows preventing incidents and mitigating losses are the top priorities for security resilience overall.<\/p>\nA pragmatic approach to balancing agility and predictability<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nEnsuring leadership is aligned with the organization\u2019s approach to balancing agility and predictability.
\nCreating opportunities, like Hackathons, to fail fast and learn even faster, explore the art of the possible, and to dive into technology to solve unexpected challenges.
\nEnsuring consistent messaging and support for team members.<\/p>\n
\nAs the aphorism goes, \u201cyou can\u2019t manage what you can\u2019t measure\u201d. We have implemented an outcome-focused approach toward metrics that shifts the focus from output (deliverables) to outcomes (business value). <\/em>This allows us to demonstrate how agility enhances the ability to deliver value quickly and adapt to market changes, solving some of the toughest challenges for our customers.
\nWe take a customer-centric approach in all things we do<\/em>. This means we use customer feedback and market insights to prioritize and guide innovation efforts. This includes dedicated customer advisory boards, and programs built around the voice of our customers like NPS surveys. This helps ensure that agility is directed toward meeting customer needs and not innovating for innovation\u2019s sake.<\/p>\nInnovating to win<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n