Keep your HIPPO in check
Hippos are dangerous in the wild and in the workplace. Keep yours in check by exploring decisions before you overrule them.
- A Hippo - Highest Paid Person’s Opinion - is a dangerous thing, just like its namesake. People naturally defer to authority, and that deference can make you complacent. Don’t assume your opinion is valid just because you’re the boss.
- Instead, practice exploring your team’s thought processes. If you disagree with a decision, don’t leap to overrule it.
- Ask, “can you talk me through how you came to that decision?” “Why did you choose that option over the alternatives?” “Why did you rule this option out?” “What data did you use to come to this conclusion?”
- Pose alternative ideas, if you have any - but ask the same questions of your ideas too.
- Reflective practice like this is good for your team member and for you: you’ll learn more about their thought process, while they will pick up new ways to analyse a problem or other approaches they might have overlooked.
When to take this action
This action is from 'Overruled' and should be used when your team is making an important decision, when you're making all the decisions
Need something else?
personal-development
Are you always the decider?
Don't let your personal relationships colour your decision making: use data to keep yourself honest.
one-to-ones
Feedback on your feedback
It's useful to know how your team feel about your feedback and intervention in their decision making. What do they think you could do better?
with-your-boss
Override the overrides
Is your boss constantly overriding your decisions? Don't just accept it: find out why they're doing it, and how you can make it stop.
with-your-boss
Challenge your decisions
Structured critique of your own decisions is useful too. Make sure you're getting it