An Outside Perspective on…

Essays from the years I spent coaching business owners: recognition that isn't a carrot on a stick, growth plans that aren't punishment, and the HIPPO in the room.

Why I wanted it

For a couple of years I ran a coaching practice called The Outside Perspectives. The premise was simple: after a whole career inside IT, I had noticed that decisions at the top of a company were often made in a vacuum, and that the people with the clearest view were rarely the ones being asked.

I wrote to think. The essays were how I worked out what I actually believed.

What happened

A few of them still hold up.

One is about recognition. Most companies motivate with what I called “carrot on a stick” strategies: raises, awards, pizza parties from leadership. They work until they don’t, because they have no personal connection. The essay argues for recognition that starts with what the person themselves finds meaningful, and uses the extrinsic stuff to back it up rather than lead.

Another is about growth plans. Most companies only write a development plan when someone is failing, so the plan itself feels like a punishment. The essay argues for starting the plan on day one, with the person, around what they actually want.

Another is titled “Let’s talk about the HIPPO in the room,” the highest paid person’s opinion, and what it does to a meeting. Another: “You don’t need an expert. You need a partner.”

The one line from that era I still quote: the line between our business lives and our personal lives is imaginary.

What it looks like

Text. I will bring the good ones over here in full.

What’s next

Choosing which ones deserve to be republished, and being honest about which ones I no longer agree with.