Comments on: Lack Management Support or Buy-in? Embarrass Them! http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:01:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ideas vs Execution « Avoid The Kool-Aidhttp://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html/comment-page-1#comment-485753 Ideas vs Execution « Avoid The Kool-Aid Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:11:43 +0000 http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html#comment-485753 [...] The reality is that some ideas are very bad, and the morons who managed to get them green-lighted often had to go around the grown ups in the room who end up getting dragged along for the ride. But how do they do that? Well it’s not that hard - because everyone wants to back a winner, because the competition has one (even though it also has no ROI), because it’s impolite to point out that the emperor has no clothes, there are a myriad of reasons. And hey - as long as it starts off well, with a big marketing budget, some Shock and Awe, then why make a fuss?But I think the scarier thing might be that these machivellian weasels have figured out, really you just have to get hippo in the room on your side and everyone else will fall into line… [...] [...]
The reality is that some ideas are very bad, and the morons who managed to get them green-lighted often had to go around the grown ups in the room who end up getting dragged along for the ride. But how do they do that? Well it’s not that hard – because everyone wants to back a winner, because the competition has one (even though it also has no ROI), because it’s impolite to point out that the emperor has no clothes, there are a myriad of reasons. And hey – as long as it starts off well, with a big marketing budget, some Shock and Awe, then why make a fuss?But I think the scarier thing might be that these machivellian weasels have figured out, really you just have to get hippo in the room on your side and everyone else will fall into line…
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]]> By: Phil Buckleyhttp://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html/comment-page-1#comment-484591 Phil Buckley Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:24:56 +0000 http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html#comment-484591 I have been fighting the HIPPO for the last 2 years, I'm exhausted. I want to give up.Then I read a post like this and it gives me a bit of hope.Thanks. I have been fighting the HIPPO for the last 2 years, I'm exhausted. I want to give up.

Then I read a post like this and it gives me a bit of hope.

Thanks.

]]> By: How Building a User Interface Can Put the “User” First « Left Bay’s Musings on the Mediahttp://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html/comment-page-1#comment-484099 How Building a User Interface Can Put the “User” First « Left Bay’s Musings on the Media Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:23:39 +0000 http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html#comment-484099 [...] I particularly liked two examples of managing upward. He mentioned Avinash Kaushik’s reference to the “HIghest Paid Person’s Opinion,” or “HIPPO.” While Avinash’s post is beautifully written, Glen summed it up by saying that it comes down to figuring out what’s important to the HIPPO and driving your responses so they make the right decisions. Bring the voice of the customer to your arguments to help shape the HIPPO’s opinion. But don’t ever fall in love with your own work, as the HIPPO has the final say. [...] [...]
I particularly liked two examples of managing upward. He mentioned Avinash Kaushik’s reference to the “HIghest Paid Person’s Opinion,” or “HIPPO.” While Avinash’s post is beautifully written, Glen summed it up by saying that it comes down to figuring out what’s important to the HIPPO and driving your responses so they make the right decisions. Bring the voice of the customer to your arguments to help shape the HIPPO’s opinion. But don’t ever fall in love with your own work, as the HIPPO has the final say.
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]]> By: management hijackhttp://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html/comment-page-1#comment-483384 management hijack Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:57:03 +0000 http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html#comment-483384 Thank you so very much for responding and pointing out this post. It is fantastic and I have identified easy implementation of 3 of these strategies right now starting with finding sites that I can hijack. Once more thank you for great insight and being a great mentor and teacher. I will keep the post updated of my progress and story Thank you so very much for responding and pointing out this post. It is fantastic and I have identified easy implementation of 3 of these strategies right now starting with finding sites that I can hijack. Once more thank you for great insight and being a great mentor and teacher. I will keep the post updated of my progress and story

]]> By: Suzannehttp://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html/comment-page-1#comment-439973 Suzanne Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:34:52 +0000 http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html#comment-439973 Excellent post! It's almost as if you were speaking directly about my situation.I work for a small local daily newspaper. We also offer website development for other small businesses in the area. This aspect of our company is handled by another branch at a different office. For now, I am the online advertising sales co-ordinator.The problem I have is I am way more interested in the website development and marketing aspect of our company. But no one will listen. The person in this position of power (the HiPPO, if you will) has very little experience with Analytics at all! He just started reading about it a few months ago! When I first started this job, I mentioned SEO for our website customers and was told by him that SEO is "snake oil"!!Prior to this company, I was heavily involved with the development and analytics of my previous company. That was almost two years ago!So I have a lot more knowledge and experience with this then the present HiPPO!As I go out and talk to people about our online advertising, I often get into converstations about how people are using their website and if they are gaining the necessary info from it that they should. Often they have no idea of what I am talking about. So in turn, people have offered to hire me on the side to help them.This would be frowned upon since we have someone else that's supposed to be doing that but honestly, I think I could help them.What a better way to show I can bring more results than to HiJack a friendly website and show the other higher-ups that we need to be paying more attention to this for our customers.Thank you for your insight. I am very glad I have found your blog and will be a faithful reader from now on. Excellent post! It's almost as if you were speaking directly about my situation.

I work for a small local daily newspaper. We also offer website development for other small businesses in the area. This aspect of our company is handled by another branch at a different office. For now, I am the online advertising sales co-ordinator.

The problem I have is I am way more interested in the website development and marketing aspect of our company. But no one will listen. The person in this position of power (the HiPPO, if you will) has very little experience with Analytics at all! He just started reading about it a few months ago! When I first started this job, I mentioned SEO for our website customers and was told by him that SEO is "snake oil"!!

Prior to this company, I was heavily involved with the development and analytics of my previous company. That was almost two years ago!

So I have a lot more knowledge and experience with this then the present HiPPO!

As I go out and talk to people about our online advertising, I often get into converstations about how people are using their website and if they are gaining the necessary info from it that they should. Often they have no idea of what I am talking about. So in turn, people have offered to hire me on the side to help them.

This would be frowned upon since we have someone else that's supposed to be doing that but honestly, I think I could help them.

What a better way to show I can bring more results than to HiJack a friendly website and show the other higher-ups that we need to be paying more attention to this for our customers.

Thank you for your insight. I am very glad I have found your blog and will be a faithful reader from now on.

]]> By: Web Analytics and Bazooka Joehttp://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html/comment-page-1#comment-437112 Web Analytics and Bazooka Joe Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:02:35 +0000 http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/2008/02/lack-management-support-or-buy-in-embarrass-them.html#comment-437112 [...] 1.) Educate internal stakeholders about the ROI of Analytics and what it really takes to become a data driven organization: In-depth analytics skill; collaboration across departments; a culture of testing and experimentation; an Analytics strategy and well-defined metrics; established methodology; plus infrastructure and policy to ensure that data is successfully translated into action. (If senior management resists, you might try embarassing them into action.) [...] [...] 1.) Educate internal stakeholders about the ROI of Analytics and what it really takes to become a data driven organization: In-depth analytics skill; collaboration across departments; a culture of testing and experimentation; an Analytics strategy and well-defined metrics; established methodology; plus infrastructure and policy to ensure that data is successfully translated into action. (If senior management resists, you might try embarassing them into action.) [...]

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