Who Gives a Hoot?

New Yorkers were fascinated last month with a story about Flaco, the rare Eurasian owl raised at the Central Park Zoo. Flaco’s enclosure was vandalized and the owl flew out of the only enclosure it has ever known.  

This story was in every New York City newspaper. Bird watchers flocked to the park to see the majestic creature with a wingspan of six feet. Flaco’s fans soon became concerned the owl was not eating. They knew the bird had been on a daily feeding schedule during its lifetime. Now that Flaco is no longer being monitored, his natural instincts have turned on.

Many years ago I spent a month on the Big Island in Hawaii. My trip coincided with a significant birthday. A group of us, which included native Hawaiians, went out to celebrate my birthday. The roads were very dark and somewhat scary. On the return trip, ours the only car on the pitch dark road, we saw a white owl in our headlights. Immediately the Hawaiians mentioned how auspicious a birthday gift this was for me. Although I'm not a bird watcher, I knew how special this was, and I'll never forget that special birthday gift.

I recently read this article about how the medical community has begun to take more seriously looking at the natural world for answers to health and wellness. Ever keen to think outside the box when it comes to the business world, I wondered: what can managers learn from observing the natural world? The diversity, harmony and that which is not yet seen to the naked eye is a powerful scaffolding that strengthens the natural world. I wonder: do owls give a hoot about management systems? (Dear reader, I plead with you: grant me this one owl pun?) I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.