Managing in the Gray

Tools for Judgment

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binding principles, or an all-purpose template. It is a working

philosophy. It is a disposition, an attitude, a habit of mind,

and a guide to action.

This philosophy says that the core of management work is

resolving hard problems in practical ways. It also says that, if

you want to be a successful manager today, you have to be able

to grapple with complexities of all kinds, draw sound conclu-

sions from a wide range of information, and use sophisticated

analytical tools. But, because gray area challenges are the core

of management work, these analytical skills aren’t enough.

You also need a humanist perspective on your work.

The word “humanist” can sound like something from a

traditional college catalog, but the thinkin ...