What will Proteus look like in few years?

It is May 2011, nine months since Proteus Consulting opened shop. It's still just me and a collection of very talented sub consultants working on projects. The journey thus far has been very rewarding with great projects and connections.

So what is the vision forward?
Proteus Consulting is poised to grow. And as we grow, we will seek new partners to join us. These partners will enjoy the energy of this young company and will want to grow with it. The template for Proteus in the coming years is as follows:

Culture
Culture is everything. Proteus will be an open organization with a penchant for new ideas. We stand for energy and vigor. Everyone on board will recognize that we are building something significant, an enterprise that will be valuable long-term and every partner will be a part of this future. Our goals will be aligned for creating a great company and with the eagerness to invest every effort to get there. No one will confused about the vision and where the company is headed. Every thought and concern will be heard, analysed for merit and appreciated. It will be fun to work at Proteus Consulting and whiners need not apply!

Client Obsessed

Proteus Consulting is and will always be manically focused on understanding who our client is, what the client wants/needs, and what the client will value as fit-for-purpose. This research and analysis starts well before we even put a project proposal to the client. We talk with our clients and know the people and the organization inside out - from the Board member / General Manager to the operator who greases the pumps. Every person in the client organization is valuable and their thoughts and concerns are valuable. Client feedback will be a key part of the process to produce deliverables. We will never be surprised by client issues because we will be proactive and process-oriented about understanding everything we can about our clients.

Organization
Being with Proteus Consulting will be psychologically stimulating and rewarding for partners. There will be no place for mediocrity and for people who live and work by the least common denominator - only the best and the brightest will be on our team. Our partners will feel exalted by the fact that they are surrounded by colleagues who are as good or, at times better than they are. Meetings will be short and to the point, everyone will be engaged and energized. Vigorous debates will be encouraged and the best idea will win. There is no "Easy Button" in Proteus Consulting.

Atmosphere
Our office will be an open space, like a large loft apartment with no walls or private offices. One wall will be a giant white board. The other walls will be library of books, projects, papers, and references. All our work will be on cloud servers and we will have wireless access to the project sites.  Of course, there will be an enclosed area for meetings when a quiet space is required. But in general, we will all work together and across from each other. There will be sit-down tables, stand-up tables, and even a treadmill table. We will have 'play area' and there will be premium coffee served from state-of-art espresso machine. Bring your bikes to work, and dogs are very welcome!

Communication
Transparent communication will be the bottom line for our organization - open and free-flowing. Difficult issues are addressed upfront and directly. As it happens in every other company, our company will also go through ups and downs and every partner will be aware of the not-so-fun news. At any moment of time, the partners will be aware of the financials - it will be open book.

Thought Leadership and Knowledge Sharing
At Proteus sharing knowledge and caring for each other is a part of our DNA. We will be the ones who are adept with every innovation happening in our industry and around the world. Every Monday we will have a 30-minute "What's New" session where one of us will showcase a development from an industry completely unknown to us. We will bring lessons learned from not only our industry but from other professions so that our work processes and minds are sharp and pick up the latest innovation.

Cost Conscious
At Proteus Consulting, we will make every dollar count. Our offices will be sparse and only limited to utilitarian equipment and furniture. We are going to use as little paper as we can and be extremely efficient in our use of resources. Every dollar saved from our overhead will be a credit to our operations.

Integrity

Proteus Consulting will never cut corners when it comes to the way we treat clients, handle partner issues, deliver projects, and do business.  There will be no compromise with integrity, under any circumstance.   

Our challenges: Yes, there will be plenty. Proteus Consulting works in an industry where new ideas and new ways of doing things is quite foreign. Our industry is wrought with 'tradition' and it will be difficult to create a path that is so 'new'. But then, that is why the industry needs a Proteus!

We only seek partners who will feel comfortable working in such a challenging environment. Partners who will treat Proteus not as a job, but as a mission - a mission to create something really worthy and bring about a change that is so needed in our industry. If this kind of environment matches your goals, please contact me.

“Relativity applies to physics, not ethics” - Einstein

As a new business owner starting out in a tough economy, business ethics is what I am constantly aware of. I am writing this blog because I do not subscribe to the advice many have given me: "Young lady, it's better for people to wonder why you did not speak out than wonder why you did". Those who know me will point out that I am usually the first one to stand up and say - This is not right! It's not balanced! And often I have walked out of such situations where the group has decided not to pursue the ethical path.

We are indeed in hard times. At Wall Street, bright people have made immoral millions by unethical means. In the government, not a day goes by when you don't hear that some politician or public official had an ethical slip. In academia, you hear of plagiarism and of  'doctoring' data. And of course there are bribes, corruption, and a plethora of wrongs happening everyday. We sit on the sidelines and often wonder why 'nice guys finish last'.  But, do they, really? What about the emotional cost of bad ethics?  Nice guys may appear to finish last, but usually they are running a different race.

As I build my business, I will be running a different race too. No, I am not naive, as many have pointed out, I am just putting the brackets in a different place when I measure success. My success and my business' prosperity is not based on the monthly profit-loss statement, but includes the emotional quotient. Every business decision I take will make sure that the outcome is, of course legal, that my competitors are privy to the same level playing field as myself and I am not winning at their expense, and most importantly how I feel deep inside about the decision. My conscience will be my guide and my decision should build my self-esteem, not erode it. Your 'gut' is your best judge - "There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience".

My business is five months old. It's been a fantastic journey. I have several contracts in hand and some really good prospects ahead. Yes, there have been leads that came and ebbed away with no immediate results, but then there have been some wonderful friends I have made along the way. What I have enjoyed the most is the ability to choose and decide on my own and be responsible for it. There is no ethical dilemma - I am at peace with myself and with the world around me. This is what it's all about!

Proteus Consulting - The Founding Philosophy

Proteus Consulting is ten weeks old. It has been a wonderful personal journey for me. Nothing had prepared me for all the experiences I have had in the last few weeks and I can only say that I have been enriched. I could not have asked for more, and every moment I feel as if I am 'having the time of my life'!

Many have asked me why I chose to start a business at this moment of time - bad economy, hungry and competitive market, financially squeezed clients, the apparent stupidity of leaving a stable bill paying job, perceived career-suicide,................... the list of issues is long. 

The answer I have and will always give is: There is no better time than the present moment. Starting your own business, I feel, should not be based on external factors, but totally on internal factors. If you know, deep inside that you can do it, no external factor can be large enough to stop you. More than 90% of your life is your own choice. The rest 10%, yes, you cannot control - natural disasters, accidents, etc. All you can do is accept that there will be that 10% that you will have to just deal with. Once you know deep inside that the 90% is in your control, the confidence you gain from it is immense - that itself will be the wind in your sails, you don't need anything else. It's a very personal organic feeling.

In the last two months, Proteus is not the talk of the town, making record bookings, and taking the market by storm. That was not intention either! It's a slow but sure process. Connections happen and work develops from unknown quarters - places where you never predict it will bear fruit will suddenly develop into a palpable projects. I believe that all you can control and can do in business is keep sending out positive vibes, i.e. help others succeed, and not expect anything in return. These acts of giving will build your 'good-will' potential that will open the doors to places you never could have imagined you could soar to. 

How? Help connect people with same ideas. If you find some information/lead that could help an acquaintance, just send it to him/her. Reach out across your strict professional boundaries to fields and divisions that others are wary of - there are lessons to be learned from other fields. Share your life and business lessons with everyone. Do free peer reviews. Help your prospective clients by caring for them. Trust the inherent goodness in people. Use your network to mix and mingle, exchange ideas. Focus on charity.

The Return-on Investment(ROI)? An unknown person from a big renowned firm will call you one fine morning and say that he/she wants to work with you. A friend of his/hers turned out to be a friend of one of your 'good-will' beneficiaries and you have been highly recommended. A new partnership is born, and you sail off together to win new worlds. Note, this ROI was not part of the "Business Plan", and not a 'calculated' ROI. This law of ROI cannot be mathematically calculated and is based on ancient wisdom - "Give and you shall Receive"; "Your right is to do the work and not to the fruits; the fruits of labor should not be your motive"; "Life's a boomerang, what you send out, comes back to you with something".

That's the founding principle of Proteus Consulting.  Our clients and network are and will be our sales force. We work not for the money earned on a particular project with eyes set on a bonus, we work for the good-will. Knowledge sharing and care is free at Proteus Consulting. We work for a recommendation that our client and network will provide to their peers.

Proteus Consulting - Capability Statement