HiPPO Grooming

I’ve coined a new phrase which I’m rather chuffed with. It has been submitted it to Urban Dictionary and I’m claiming it here.

HiPPO Grooming is the delicate art of defusing a truly awful concept put forward by someone very senior and very stupid in a brainstorming or 'visioning' session.

The trick is to completely transform the suggestion into something worthwhile (or at least harmless), while at the same time convincing the clueless senior exec that it retains their intent and ownership, and full credit is due to their brilliance.

This is as difficult and dangerous as it sounds.

The HiPPO bit comes from [HiPPO] = Highest Paid Person's Opinion (previously defined on Urban Dictionary, see definition 23 under[hippo]. The saying goes that the HiPPO is the opinion that prevails in a decision making session, even when it’s not the best outcome.

Example

CEO - "Let's make our online registration form just like a video game."

HiPPO Groomer - "Brilliant idea, Sir. We could introduce some elements that provide a playful game-like experience of progress and reward as customers complete the form."

Colleagues (aside) - "dude, that was some nice HiPPO Grooming"