Values & Principles Explained
What we value and what we do not
- Responsibility over Opportunity — we value the responsible and purposeful taking of opportunity; we do not value the irresponsible exploitation of opportunity simply ‘because it is there’
- Contribution over Achievement — we value achievement through contribution (i.e., succeeding through the success of our clients, partners and other stakeholders); we do not value achievement that does not contribute to (or, worse, that is detrimental to) our stakeholder ecosystem and/or host society
- Consistency over Convenience — we value a consistent, purpose-drive approach to transformation based on an overall larger vision of the future; we do not value an approach based on the convenience of a few interested parties, that is neither cohesive in itself nor aligned with the ‘big picture’ of the transformation journey
- Assimilation over Growth — we value growth that can be assimilated and therefore strengthens us; we do not value ‘Big Hairy Audacious Growth’ that bloats up a bubble that could burst, or growth patterns that resemble cancer cells
- Pace over Expeditious Expediency — we value a directed, rationalized and ‘all things considered’ approach to speed (exception: emergency situations); we do not value reckless and directionless speed for the sake of speed just because ‘we can’ move fast, or a mad rush to get things done just because ‘we must’ achieve certain goals ASAP
- Sustainability over Efficiency — we value the quest for efficiency governed by sustainability considerations; we do not value the pursuit of efficiency that results in harm to other elements of the ecosystem/ host society
- Quality over Quantity (similar to ‘Substance over Form’) — we value the due recognition of things that cannot be measured; we do not value the replacement of metrics as a substitute for reality (“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” – Albert Einstein)
- Synthesis over Analysis — we value creativity and innovation arising out of insight and understanding; we do not value analytical engines that produce volumes of data but yield nothing meaningful and make no impact
- Prudence over Knowledge & Intelligence — we value the judiciousness that prevails over the intellect; we do not value knowledge and intelligence that encourages actions which erode sustainability
Principles that guide our conduct
- Our commitment to the idea of ‘Common Good’ as a transcendental form of ‘Self-interest’: Our values are based on our understanding of the path to the Common Good in terms of prosperity of the entire ecosystem of an enterprise and its host societies. We work towards the Common Good as a more sustainable way of doing business, rather than the narrow definition of Self-interest.
- Equity in our approach to diversity: We believe that all have equal rights to access opportunities that lead to prosperity and a better quality of life for themselves and their kind. We believe in the fair and just treatment of all types of organized entities (including large corporations, small enterprises, governments, educational and research institutions, non-profit organizations, trade unions, industry associations, cooperatives, collectives, etc.) and all types of communities of people (who could be grouped by: ethnic/ racial/ social/ geographical/ political/ economic/ religious/ linguistic/ sexual preference/ gender considerations), as they strive to achieve a better present for themselves and secure a better future for their subsequent generations.
- Integrity and alignment of thought and action: As we conduct our business and through the course of our client engagements, we strive to ensure that our planning and execution stays aligned and consistent with our goals and values. We refer to this as the principle of integrity and alignment. This means that we:
- maintain consistency
- within our value system (to ensure that each value reinforces and supports the other values),
- within our set of goals (to ensure congruence in everything we aim to achieve in conjunction with our clients’ objectives),
- within our ideation processes (to ensure that each idea/ concept is in tune with other ideas/ concepts, and that our ideas and concepts remain cohesive and coherent as a whole), and
- within our scope of activities (to ensure that everything we do is coordinated and orchestrated towards meeting the same set of goals), and
- maintain consistent alignment across our values, goals, thoughts and actions.
- maintain consistency
- Exemplary conduct that is suggestive but not prescriptive: While to us the principle of integrity and alignment is non-negotiable, we hope to inspire others, through example alone, to embrace similar values and principles. We do not preach or evangelize our value system as some kind of ethical or moral standard. The only advocacy we practise deals with the economics of longevity and having sustainable prosperity as the goal (manifestations of natural instincts, such as self-preservation, of all living beings) and this has no connection whatsoever with any moral code or religious belief system. (Any resemblance to any moral code or religious belief system, whether ancient or medieval or modern or futuristic, is purely coincidental!)