A couple of people have asked me why I’ve changed my logo, and in particular why I have chosen an owl. Well it’s not something I have done lightly. I actually think the owl better represents what Knowledge Matters™ - the business and the blog - is all about. Here’s why.

Owls are far-sighted, have good depth-perception, and can turn their head almost 270 degrees. They see in low-light conditions and their feathers are adapted so they can fly almost silently. Knowledge managers need to be almost invisible in the organisation and they need to understand the bigger picture – that is they need depth of understanding of organisational goals and objectives.

In Celtic pagan symbology, the owl is associated with stealth, initiation, change, and new beginnings – all traits required of the knowledge manager. The owl is aware of its surroundings at all times, has great intuition, and above all the courage to follow its instincts. The owl offers keen insight into obscure occurrences and hidden truths. This symbology links nicely with the objectives of business network analysis™ to reveal hidden communication patterns so an informed dialogue can occur.

In Greek and Roman, mythology owls are credited with having wisdom, or being the carriers of information. They are associated with the Greek Goddess Athena and the Roman Goddess Minerva, both being associated with wisdom and magic. Minerva is also credited with inventing music. Athena on the other hand is the goddess of heroic endeavours – a trait or blessing required of all knowledge managers. More recently in the Harry Potter series, owls were the magic carriers of messages between wizards and witches. The knowledge management wisdom and information linkages are obvious, but the music link is less so. I think music transcends all cultures and can convey a special message. Surely, an object of knowledge management is to reach shared understanding and common meaning, regardless of the organisational sub-cultures that are present.

So overall, I think the owl is a more than appropriate logo for Knowledge Matters™.

Regards Graham