Hippos, zebras, and wolves: How to deal with ‘animals’ at work

It’s time for the elephant in the room to move over because there’s a whole new zoo of animals taking up space in the workplace that we really need to talk about. Now, you might be wondering exactly what I’ve smoked today, but hear me out.

Most businesses, no matter if it’s an office boardroom or on a construction site, tend to be populated by similar types of people. Identifying the three main archetypes as animals, and knowing how to effectively deal with them, can instantly improve how you work, so let’s run through who you’re likely to meet.

Once you know what a HiPPO is, you’ll start seeing them everywhere.Credit: iStock

Starting at the top of the food chain in the organisational hierarchy is the HiPPO. I don’t mean the actual animal (even though it’s the deadliest large land mammal on the planet), in a work situation a HiPPO stands for the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion. And now that you’re aware of it, you’ll start seeing them everywhere.

HiPPOs are senior executives, founders or bosses who have strong opinions that can dominate discussions. They are the bosses we’ve all had at some point who arrive with a firm point of view that’s loudly communicated (and yes, that might also be you at some stage of your career).

A HiPPO doesn’t even need to be in a room for their opinion to carry weight, but when they are, groups will defer to their judgement. This means that all decisions, from large to small, are swayed by what you think the boss will like. After they’ve given their final take on the topic, that’s usually the end of the conversation.

There’s a scientific term for this – authority bias – which means that we are more likely to be influenced by the opinions of people we deem to be authority figures. This doesn’t mean they are always correct, just that we’ll often believe and agree with them.

One of the joys of a workplace is the diversity of people you work with, each bringing strengths and weaknesses to their roles.

The second animal archetype in a typical work zoo are ZEBRAs, and these are actually pretty dangerous. Where many senior executives form opinions after considering data, history and feedback, ZEBRA stands for Zero Evidence But Really Arrogant.

They are the colleagues who assume strong takes without much of anything to back it up beyond their hunch. With little evidence behind them, they will confidently tell you why you are wrong and what you should be doing instead. If this sounds like someone you work with, try to back quietly away into the opposite corner as ZEBRAs can rarely be reasoned with.

The third type of worker is the WOLF, or the person in your business who is always Working On the Latest Fire. They love nothing more than dashing from pressing issue to pressing issue, attracted by the drama of the flames and the thrill of putting it out.

It’s easy to get distracted by a WOLF in the workplace, as they tend to bring loud, reactive attention to issues they think are important, usually at the cost of spending time on long-term and proactive solutions.

The HiPPO, ZEBRA and WOLF are three of the main archetypes you’re likely to meet at work. So, what’s the best way of dealing with them?

Well, instead of just focusing on their weaknesses, you should engage with each of their strengths. To work with a HiPPO, acknowledge that their opinion sways people and actions, and take the time to try to educate and influence their world-view.

To work with a ZEBRA who makes up their mind quickly, involve them in projects from the very start. That way you’re able to test out some of their hypotheses early to see if they have merit, without too much at stake to lose.

Finally, the best way to deal with a WOLF who keeps rushing towards urgent tasks is to ensure you have a clear framework to keep you on track. Define your goals and the path to achieve them, and use that to gently nudge them back on course when they veer too far away.

One of the joys of a workplace is the diversity of people you work with, each bringing strengths and weaknesses to their roles. By identifying their archetypes using the handy field guide above, and you’ll be able to finally figure out, literally, who’s who is the zoo.

Tim Duggan is the author of Work Backwards: The Revolutionary Method to Work Smarter and Live Better. He writes a regular newsletter at timduggan.substack.com

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