Judgement at Work: what does it really mean?

On 23rd September 2025 the Centre for Management Consulting Excellence (CMCE) hosted an inspiring session led by distinguished speaker Sir Andrew Likierman.

Sir Andrew engaged an audience of seasoned, experienced consultants (members of the Company) and did what consultants do best: asked the right question - What does Judgement at Work really mean? 

He pointed out a seemingly "obvious" thing. Good judgement is crucial to good management and leadership: it covers not only major choices like recruitment, strategy and big projects, but also how organisations shape their culture. The audience didn’t have a problem with that. 

However, he led us to a fundamental issue that organisations need to grapple with: What exactly is judgement? How do we separate this process from risk, decision-making, gut-feel or sheer luck? Can we see examples of how good vs. bad judgement has an impact on business and if so, what are the take-aways that consultants need to show their clients? 

We were guided through a series of examples where CEOs, politicians and strategists had experienced several of the stages Sir Andrew has distilled into his framework. 

This was an opportunity to revisit the approach consultants take to a new situation which a client shares with them. Trying to avoid a "template" answer for a situation that can be highly complex. These are the types of situations where good judgement (and a rigorous approach to it) can make or break the outcome that the client needs. 

Every situation is different (until it’s not!). However, when it really isn't a "cut and paste" approach that has been tried and tested elsewhere, that's when the stakes get higher and a good judgement framework reduces risk and improves chances of success. 

Some of the questions that we discussed were: 

• How do we identify, assess and exercise judgement in decisions big and small - and how do we do it better? 
• How do I know who to trust? 
• What about risk? 
• Should I rely on my intuition? 
• How do I best use my knowledge and experience? 
• Won't AI take away the need for judgement? (spoiler alert - this subject alone took time to discuss - TL;DR: AI can't express judgement only patterns) 

For further reading, Sir Andrew's book ('Judgement at Work Making Better Choices' ISBN: 9781805223542) explains the approach with examples taken from expansive research from leaders across private, public and third sectors. 

I encourage you to get a copy and reach out to the Company if you'd like to find out more about his approach, the Livery, the work they do and the events they run. 

 

Mike Buhagiar is a consultant specialising in business evolution and transformation.