Wednesday, June 1, 2011

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.

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