The Owl's status in Ancient Greece is probably inspired by the owls' big eyes and solemn appearance, which, traditionally is held to be a symbol for wisdom. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athene was thought to symbolize wisdom and was often depicted with an owl nearby.
The Greeks also thought owls had some sort of inner light that let them see at night. "Owls symbolize inner wisdom, change, transformation, intuitive development, good luck, and self-actualization," says Charlotte Kirsten, M.A It's ability to adapt to city conditions may have also play a part in this.
In Vedanta, it is explained that our responses to a deer, a tiger or a snake will always be logical because of our responses i.e. we will never respond to a snake like we would with a deer ; but when it comes to human beings, our entire approach is based on our subjective experiences which are often 100% wrong.
Since experiences themselves are subjective, it follows that by itself mere reliance on experience will not fetch dividends. Again, this does not detract from experience, but only points to the need for Business Consulting to be relevant, specific and topical in order to be a right-fit to the problem on hand.
Business Consulting has evolved over the years, but there is a nagging question as to whether the consultants themselves have adequately absorbed not only mastered the technologies of the day but are primed for future, which may be at once disruptive and game changing. Physicians..Heal thyself is an apt analogy !
There are several approaches, each of which may appear contradictory to each other but yet make sense if looked at as a collective universe. Three of the key alternatives could be listed as 1. One or many approach 2. Big Bang or a step-by-step approach 3. Co-sourcing or out-sourcing model.
1. Whether to have only one consultant or have a spectrum of consultants is again based on your own structure. If you are a one-man organization probably you will prefer dealing with one consultant. Whereas if you are a larger organization with a broader span of control, you may prefer having a pool of consultants.
2. Whether you want an one-time solution or prefer a retainer-type solution is dependent on your style and type of advice. It also depends upon the business in which you are in, the quality and approach of the consultants themselves. For e.g. you call upon Mckinsey & Co for specific solutions, not for bit-by-bit stuff !
3. Whether you want to create your own team and use outside experts as a pace-maker to inspire your team and challenge it to go forward is another choice you make. Both approaches will work, but only if there is clarity in thought & decision making. Otherwise, you could be burdened by low performance from both.
THE SECOND OPINION is a revolutionary choice in the sense that it transcends all the 3 approaches so that you get the best of both worlds. Moreover, it gives you a choice of your time, your place, your style; so that you can calibrate your efforts to at all moments. It can work with any kind of management, any kind of business and at all stages.
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