Time to tame the HiPPO

In the latest edition of Wired magazine I came across  the term 'HiPPO' - the highest paid person's opinion. The term is widely used in web design and usability circles to refer to those people who have the final word on any design issue on the basis that they're the highest paid person in the room. Apparently, the evidence suggests that those dotcoms for which design decisions are made on the basis of some powerful person's opinion do much less well than those which base their decisions on data. I'm not surprised.

I've worked with some pretty outrageous HiPPOS in my time, usually clients. They over-ride expert advice on the basis of some prejudice, outright ignorance or a political motive. We've all been there.

Now I'm an out-and-out rationalist. I don't hold hard on to any view if  someone can persuade me of a better one, typically because of new evidence. In fact I relish the opportunity to hone my mental models of learning and development and online communication to ever better reflect the real world. If only those HiPPOS were rationalists too. Too often what they're telling you in essence is: "Don't confuse me with the facts. My minds made up."

If there is a way to tame the HiPPO it is with data. Without hard evidence you are defenceless - and quite justifiably so. If it comes to a battle of opinion they'll always win, simply because they're paying your salary or signing off your invoice. But if you come armed with plenty of data, only the most Kamikaze HiPPO will risk being made to look a fool further down the line.

As Bill Clerico famously says: "In God we trust. All else bring data."

Clive is now Instrumentality