The Untapped Potential of HiPPO

In business literature, the term HiPPO (Highest Paid Person's Opinion) was introduced by the renowned web analyst Avinash Kaushik.

The HiPPO status signifies the highest level of an employee's position within the corporate hierarchy, reflecting their authority, high level of competence, and responsibility for the company's results. With this term, Kaushik emphasizes the priority given to a top executive's opinion in the decision-making process.

In the field of safety culture, the potential of the HiPPO is not yet fully realized and, consequently, remains underutilized.

Research conducted in 2018 in Russia by the international company Hays showed that 43% of professionals consider the leader's personality to be their primary non-financial motivation.

To improve the HSE culture, it is advisable to leverage the HiPPO potential in the following areas:

• Shaping the foundations of corporate safety culture for new employees. Most newcomers have little to no information about the company. Their first meeting with the leader is a milestone for them, giving the HiPPO an opportunity to establish a basic model of corporate behavior (a few simple and clear rules), which subsequently protects new hires from the negative influence of unscrupulous employees.

• Goal setting for key employees. An important element of the HiPPO's work involves conversations with key employees to discuss their personal goals within the company. Discussing and implementing these goals allows for the best possible realization of employee potential.

• Regular visits to workplaces and sites allow the HiPPO to obtain vital information firsthand, confirm the implementation of management decisions, and demonstrate personal interest in the company's operations, which helps increase trust and openness within the team.

• Non-financial motivation of personnel. It is well known that emotionally motivated employees are much more productive than unmotivated ones. Every instance of praise directed at a subordinate points the way for their further development and shapes the desired behavior model. In fact, any expression of gratitude is a leader's real contribution to improving the safety and quality of the employee's future work and services! This resource must be used actively and skillfully.

• Attention to departing employees. A conversation with a departing employee in a friendly atmosphere allows the HiPPO to gain important information about existing risks and untapped opportunities within the company, while maintaining good relations after parting ways.

These activities are not very time-consuming, but their effect on shaping the corporate safety culture cannot be overstated!