image from DeanOnDelivery.com
You may well have heard of HiPPO, the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion. If everybody in the room has an opinion, it’s the HiPPOs opinion that will win.
Just because it makes us chuckle, it isn't totally invalid. As Jim
Barksdale (Netscape CEO, FedEx COO, AT&T CEO) said, "If we have
data, let's look at data. If all we have opinions, let's go with mine."
And certainly, I would happily surrender my opinion for his his, if we
ever went head to head!
Product Focus list other animals in the management menagerie. UPDATE: see their infographic.
| RHINO | Really Here In Name Only |
| ZEBRA | Zero Evidence But Really Arrogant |
| WOLF | Working On the Latest Fire |
| SEAGULL | Senior Executive that Always Glides in, Unloads, and Leaves Loudly |
| VIPER | Vindictive Individual’s Plans Endangering Results |
| MuMMY |
Muddying the waters and Micro Managing You |
| DODO | Dangerously Out-dated Deciders Opinion |
| SCAREDY CAT | Says Clear Argument, Roadmap, Execution, and Direction, Yet Changes All the Time |
| MOUSE | Manager’s Opinion Usually Swayed Easily |
| OWL | Old Wise Leader |
| PARROT | Pretty Annoying and Ridiculously Repeating Others |
| DONKEY | Data Only, No Knowledge, Expertise or whY |
Got any suggestions yourself?
We’re currently working on some content that will take this a step
further with advice on how to handle each persona. If you can come up
with any others – please let us know. If we include yours in our
content, then we’d be happy to say thanks with both an acknowledgement
and a £100 Amazon voucher.
