Jerry Manas presents the 7 common dilemmas most leaders face, and shares how you can benefit from broader perspectives, better questions, and clearer communication. Based on his book, Managing the Gray Areas.

1. By Jerry Manas
Managing the
Gray Areas
• Broader Perspectives
• Better Questions
• Clearer Communication

4. Gray Areas

5. … a new path for leaders.”
– Pat Williams
Author & Senior VP, Orlando Magic

6. A Tale of Two Paradigms…
Freedom
Flexibility
Engagement
Creativity
Process
Discipline
Security
Order
Get out of the
way and let ‘em
do their thing!
Process is
everything!

7. Which Side Are You On?
Process-
Oriented
Engagement-
Oriented

9. Rewiring our Brain

10. A New Approach…

11. “True genius resides in the
capacity for evaluation of
uncertain, hazardous, and
conflicting information.”
- Winston Churchill

12. Seven
Gray Areas

13. Gray Area #1:
Individual Needs vs. Organizational Goals
How can I be sympathetic to my people’s needs in the face of
organizational pressures?

14. Case Study
Bob is frustrated with
his job.
He’s tired of technical
work.
He wants to move
into customer service.
He’s a great
technician… but lacks
people skills.
He’s supporting a sick
mother at home.

15. Holistic Ethics: An Integrated Approach
Virtue
Ethics
What do I stand for?
What values drive
me?
Consequentialist
Ethics
What would the
outcome be, for the
many and the few
(their needs)?
Principled Ethics What is “right”? What
am I obligated to do?

16. More Questions to Ask:
• “Right” according to whom?
• Am I obligated to my people, my organization,
or both equally?
• What if satisfying one causes damage to the
other? Can I rely on my values?
• Are my values in line with my organization’s
values?
• What pragmatic solution can I live with?
• What else must I ask? What am I missing?

17. The boss wants you to give Pam a low score on her
performance evaluation. Each department needs a
certain number of low scores as part of an annual
ranking system. You don’t feel this is fair because
Pam just moved into the department and is learning
new role. She is making progress though.
Is this ranking system fair?
What options do you have?
What variables must be considered?

18. Generalists Specialists
Gray Area #2
Is it best to assemble a team of targeted
specialists, or should I look for people who can
do a little of everything?

19. Generalists Specialists
Broad exposure =
Inclusive Diagnosis
Repetition and Focus =
Implementation Expertise
Leadership Candidates Don’t promote them solely on their
specialty expertise!!
Cannot afford to dive too deep in
any one area
Cannot afford to take on too many
adjacent areas
Can oversimplify theories and
miss crucial particulars
Sometimes ignore ideas and insights
outside their domain
Tips:
• A generalist can validate gaps in thinking across the scope of a problem
• Consider a “handoff checklist” or someone to centrally manage handoffs
• Foster rapport between players to minimize handoff errors

22. Gray Area #3:
Big Picture vs. Narrow Focus
How can I communicate with simplicity, yet
provide the big-picture context people need?

23. Two stone cutters were asked what they were
doing.
The first said, “I’m cutting these stones into
blocks.”
The second shouted, “I’m building a great
cathedral!”
Is the first stone cutter at a disadvantage?
How much information should be communicated to
the second stonecutter? How much is too much?

24. The big kickoff presentation is in 2 weeks. You want
to invite the whole team and all stakeholders, but
some people are grumbling that they don’t need the
whole picture…they just want to know what they
have to do and when.
Should everyone be invited anyway?
What benefit is there to having everyone there?
What other questions must we ask?

25. SIMPLICITY
CONTEXT

26. Know the Destination.
But focus on the road.

27. “The ability to
simplify means
to eliminate the
unnecessary so
that the
necessary may
speak.”
- Hans Hoffman

28. Ref: Edward Tufte: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
The Challenger Disaster – Pre-launch Presentation

29. Ref: Edward Tufte: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
A Better Way to Present (Edward Tufte)

30. Good data presentation,
per Tufte:
• Encourages comparative
analysis
• Shows clear causality
• Explains with annotations
• Avoids unnecessary noise
• Avoids distortions

31. Gray Area #4:
Structure vs. Flexibility
How can I
implement
internal processes
without hurting
morale, stifling
creativity, or
alienating clients?

32. Bill created a standard methodology for incoming
requests and work management. But people aren’t
following it. And nobody completes the forms
correctly.
Why is nobody following the methodology?
What can Bill do to get people to comply?
Is standardization necessary?

33. “By involving people in the
standardization of work, we can
remove some of the oppressiveness
of it.
People are less likely to balk at
standards they have devised.
… We need not standardize
everything.
- Peter Scholtes

34. Nancy has an open-door policy for her staff to come
to her at any time with problems. But lately she
cannot get her own work done. She’s too busy
helping others.
Is Nancy’s policy a good one?
When should she get her own work done?
What other options might she have?

36. PRINCIPLES
vs.
RULES

37. Exception: When Explicit Rules are Needed
• Safety requirements
• Exact accuracy is needed
• Standards must be adhered to
* Ref. Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, First Break All the Rules
For all else, principles, themes, and guidelines work best

38. Outcome
Outcome
Outcome
Actions
Structure
Flexibility
* Adapted from concepts introduced by Garry Booker, Project Frontier

39. Gray Area #5:
Vigilance vs. Delegation
How can I ensure adequate accountability
without resorting to micromanagement?

40. First, make sure people and
roles are well matched…

41. Patty’s best employee, Max, is also a loose cannon
who doesn’t relate well to customers. But he’s an
amazing technical expert. She needs him to be
more well-rounded.
How can Patty get Max to gain the skills needed?
Is Max a help or a hindrance to the team?
Would more oversight help Max?

42. “Never try to teach
a pig to sing. It
wastes your time
and annoys the
pig.”
- Robert Heinlein

43. “Nobody ever
grew taller by
being measured.”
- Philip Grammage

47. Employee Timesheet Control
At the Semco Group, each person controls their own working hours.
This is a method of transferring responsibility to each person.
Our Personnel
We avoid using terms like "employees", "staff", “collaborator” and
similar terms. We are a team and we only have “people”. This is what
we call everyone who works with us. Try as hard as you can not to
use terms which are so common, but which do not express equality.
Customer Service
This is very important. Never fail to serve a customer well; do not run
away from the customer, and do for the customer exactly what you
would expect if you were in their position. Be honest about deadlines,
prices and service conditions - never promise something you cannot
deliver.
Ref: Semco: http://www.semco.com.br/en/content.asp?content=3&contentID=567
Excerpts from the “Survival Manual” of Semco, Inc.

48. Ref: Semco: http://www.semco.com.br/en/content.asp?content=3&contentID=567
Leadership
We believe that organizational
structure is required to ensure good
business processes.
However, only people who have
respect for their followers can be
leaders. Situational leadership will
always be stimulated and respected.

49. Some people
need coaching.
Practice
Situational
Leadership*
(Directing,
Coaching,
Supporting,
Delegating)
* Ref. The Situational Leader, Hersey

50. The Power of Checklists
• Reduces approval steps
• Reinforces the basics
• Improves handoffs
• Fosters accountability

51. In just 18 months, a simple 5-step checklist at
Johns Hopkins saved 1,500 lives and nearly
$200 million.

52. WHO Pilot Program; 8 hospitals
› Major complications down 36%
› Deaths down 47%
› Infections down ~50%
› Patients returning to operating room down ~25%

53. Which should I address first, image or
function?
Gray Area #6:
Appearance vs. Substance

54. Appearances Can Help…
Or Deceive

55. Image, Function, or Both???
• A well designed gadget that doesn’t work
well
• A flashy new restaurant with great décor
but poor service (or food)
• The local casual restaurant that everyone
goes to
• The cast members’ costumes at Disney
World
• Your favorite sports team’s uniforms
• Military uniforms
• Doctors’ scrubs

56. IDENTITY

57. Team morale is low. The team has been labeled by
others as underperforming and undisciplined. All
work so far has been late or inaccurate.
Are these labels fair?
What could you do to give the team a new image?
How might this affect performance?

58. 1) Safety
2) Courtesy
3) Show
4) Efficiency
Reconciling Appearance
and Substance:
Disney’s Prioritized
Service Quality
Standards*
“When values are clear,
decisions are easy.”
- Roy Disney
Imagine if they used this policy with the Titanic!

59. Centralization Decentralization
Gray Area #7
Should I centralize to gain economies of scale
or decentralize to leverage local expertise?
Vs.

60. HQ
Hub
Hub
Hub
Role of HQ
• Principles
• Change Leadership
• Support
• Knowledge Distribution
The Integrated Organization
Ingredients for
Success:
• Information
• Shared Ideals
• Relationships

63. The “Through-Through” Relationship
A Helical Progression toward Better Knowledge of Better Activities*
* Ref. Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner, 21 Leaders for the 21st Century
Improvement of Activity
Improvement
of
Knowledge
GLOBAL
LOCAL

64. Bob, wants to centralize the procurement process
to gain economies of scale. And he suggests
consolidating customer service to the
headquarters to reduce service staff. But Kristen
is against the idea, claiming that the company
would lose the local connection and partnerships.
Who is right, Bob or Kristen?
What variables should be considered?
How might this affect relations with customers
and suppliers?

65. Four Themes
of Gray Area
Management

66. If we don’t stand for something,
we’ll fall for anything.
1) Ideals: Standing for Something

67. Shared ideals keep us
rowing in the same direction

68. How do you get
shared ideals in
an organization
made up of
individuals?

70. How do you
communicate
the core
values you
want people
to observe?

71. Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Story

72. “Saying many
things usually
communicates
nothing”
- Harry Beckwith

73. • Those who set the norms are
rarely senior leadership
• In The Big Picture, it was the
senior students who brought
about the
desired culture change.
• Who sets the norm? Try to
solicit their help.
Influence the Influencers
Ref: The Big Picture: Education is Everyone’s Business,
Dennis Littky

74. 2) Leading by Questioning

75. Socrates,
469-399 B.C.E.
Why are you saying that?
Can you give me an
example?
How do you know?
What causes that?
Then what would
happen?
What else might
that affect?
Is that really the
right question?
How else might
we accomplish
that?

76. Reframing with questions…
Idea killers are obstacles to your success – they create a
‘can’t do’ mindset. Instead, ‘reframe’ as questions.
•We tried that already! If you had the power, how would you
proceed? What would you do differently than last time? Is
the situation any different this time?
•It’s not practical! In what ways can we move on from here?
How can we address XYZ?
•We’ve never done this before. Who can we involve who has?
How can we address the risks? What research do we need?
•When will we find the time to do it? How would our lives
change if this would work?
Adapted from a reframing exercise by Judith E. Glaser, Creating WE Institute.

77. 3) Systems Thinking

78. “Didn’t Knute Rockne motivate the Fighting Irish, in
his stirring half time speech, to “win one for the
Gipper”? The never-asked alternative question:
‘Would Notre Dame have won the game without the
speech?’
I submit that what won the game was the training,
conditioning, and coaching that began years before
the fateful game. The system won the game, not
the oratory. But my version, I admit, would not
have made as good a movie.”
- Peter Scholtes

79. The Causal Loop Diagram
S=Causes change in same direction as the causing variable
O=Causes change in opposite direction from the causing variable

80. Example: Resource Overload

81. Causes
Impacts
Relationships

82. 4) Empathy and
Cultural Awareness

83. Anatomy of a Team Beliefs
Behaviors
Social
Influences
Beliefs
Behaviors
Social
Influences
Beliefs
Behaviors
Social
Influences
Beliefs
Behaviors
Social
Influences

84. Behind Every Behavior is a Need
Attention
Freedom
Support
Trust
Challenge
Confidence
Inclusion
Respect
Recognition
Purpose
Order
Guidance
Clarity
Connectedness
Accomplishment
Security
Understanding
Fairness
* Based on Needs
Intelligence research by
Charles Jones, Creating
WE Institute

85. Conversational Intelligence™
“Getting to the next level of
greatness depends on the quality of
the culture, which depends on the
quality of relationships, which
depend on the quality of
conversations. Everything happens
through conversation.”
- Judith E. Glaser
Author, Conversational Intelligence
Changing the Conversation

86. Inform
Level I
Persuade
Level II
Co-Create
Level II
Transactional
Exchange Information
Positional
Exchange Power
Transformation
al
Exchange Energy
Confirm
what you know
Defend
what you believe
Explore
what you don’t know
Conversational Intelligence ™

87. So what do
YOU think we
should have for
dinner?

88. T.R.U.S.T. Model
T Transparency
(Make threats transparent)
R Relationships
(Build mutual respect)
U Understanding
(Step into each other’s worlds)
S Shared Success
(Experiment and build trust)
T Truth-telling
(Speak candidly and co-create)
T
R
U
S T
EXPECTATION
GAPS
Benchmark Communications, Inc./The Creating WE Institute© 2013. All Rights Reserved.

89. New Language
• Co-Creation
• We-centric (e.g., “What if we…” “Why don’t we”
“Let’s…” “Can we..?” “How will that impact us?”)
• Mistakes = Opportunities
• Questions encouraged (e.g., “What would happen
if…?” “How would…?” “Why?”)
• What are your needs? Your aspirations?

91. Putting it All Together:
The Principles of Gray Area Management

92. “No matter how far you’ve gone
on a wrong road, turn back.”
- Turkish Proverb*
* Source: Dennis Littky, The Big Picture: Education is Everyone’s Business.
U-Turns
(I’d turn back if
I were you.)

93. For More Information
E-Mail: jerry.manas@pdware.com www.jerrymanas.com