MicroSummary: The bestseller ‘The One Minute Manager’ is an easy-to-read book that presents and illustrates how to use three practical managerial techniques: setting goals, praising positive behaviors, and reprimanding negative ones. It also includes many behavioral studies and helps the reader understand how these practices can help improve communication and relationships in or out of work.
The Quickest Way to Increase Your Own Prosperity
Quick:
In how many ways can you improve your life during the next 60 seconds?
Ready to learn a few more?
“The One Minute Manager” is here just for you. Its title is no exaggeration: it aims to make you a better manager by taking just a minute of your time. (Or, better yet, three or four one-minute series).
Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson are considerate towards your schedule in one more manner. The book is fairly short, and even reading it from start to finish won’t take too much of your time.
But, as always, we can do one better.
Because we have the summary.
Who Should Read “The One Minute Manager”? And Why?
“The One Minute Manager” has been lauded by so many people that not few have deemed it a classic. One of the essential books on management. Management 101.
So, to quote American television host and media mogul Merv Griffin, – “don’t miss it.” If you’re a manager, that is. Because to everyone else, the book may seem like not much more than a very bad novel.
About Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
Kenneth Blanchard
, Ph.D., is an American trainer, writer and management and leadership expert. After receiving an MA in sociology and counseling from the Colgate University in 1963, he obtained his Ph.D. in leadership from Cornell four years later.
, Ph.D., is an American trainer, writer and management and leadership expert. After receiving an MA in sociology and counseling from the Colgate University in 1963, he obtained his Ph.D. in leadership from Cornell four years later.
He has – usually, co-authored – more than 60 books, many of which have become bestsellers. He is currently the Chief Spiritual Officer of the Ken Blanchard Companies.
Spencer Johnson
, MA, was an American physician and writer, primarily known for the 43-volume ValueTales series of biographical children’s books, of which he wrote almost half.
, MA, was an American physician and writer, primarily known for the 43-volume ValueTales series of biographical children’s books, of which he wrote almost half.
He also authored the highly influential business fable, “Who Moved My Cheese?” which has sold almost 30 million copies worldwide and is translated into no less than 40 languages.
“The One Minute Manager Summary”
“The One Minute Manager” takes the form of a fable.
It tells the story of a bright young man who is looking for an effective manager.
He meets a manager after manager and he’s disappointed by all. Some are too autocratic, favoring results over people. Others are just too democratic and nice, preferring their employees over the results.
Is there not some middle ground, he wonders?
Of course, there is. And he finds it in the eponymous “One Minute Manager”.
The one-minute manager teaches the bright young man that people and results are not separated concepts. And that only people who feel good about themselves can and will produce good results.
But, how should a manager make his employees feel good about themselves and their job? In other words, how can he utilize their full potential while not using them?
Quite simply, in fact. Just by applying three one-minute methods.
First and foremost, the one-minute goal setting. Its basic idea is that 20% of your goals produce about 80% of your results. Listing them all may confuse your employees about their priorities. Listing only a few at a maximum one page will be enough.
So, select just three to six goals and communicate them to your employees. Explain to them politely and nicely that you will expect some results and that you’ll hold them accountable in their absence.
And wait for the magic to happen.
Next, comes the one-minute praising. If someone does his job good, he needs to feel deep inside that he has accomplished something. After all, if he’s held accountable for not meeting the expected goals, why shouldn’t he receive something in return for meeting them.
So, praise the employees who do a good job. The rookies love the feedbacks. And they will do an even better job next time around.
Now, don’t be fooled! Not everyone will take you seriously the first time.
And that leads us to the third and final one-minute method: the one-minute reprimand.
Don’t overreact when someone does something bad. Just like you shouldn’t exaggerate in your praises when he does something good. Give him or her the chance to correct himself. But, be fair and tell him where and how he should do this.
So, quickly but precisely tell the worker who hasn’t met his goals what he has done wrong. And don’t let him feel as if you’re not valuing him.
Results will come to aplenty. And it will only take you three minutes of your day.
Key Lessons from “The One Minute Manager”
1. Three Minutes (and Techniques) to Greatness
2. Stop your “NIHYSOB” behavior
3. Conditioning Your Employees’ Behavior
2. Stop your “NIHYSOB” behavior
3. Conditioning Your Employees’ Behavior
Three Minutes (and Techniques) to Greatness
The mythical “One Minute Manager” from Blanchard’s and Johnson’s story is actually a three-minute manager. But, never mind: their point remains the same.
In a nutshell, it’s based around the idea that in a fast-paced society, you’ll have to make time stop at least three times during each day.
Once, for a minute, to set the most important three goals for your employees. Second time, to praise the ones who’ll meet them in no more than 60 seconds. And a final, third time, to reprimand those who won’t. Quickly, precisely, and politely.
Stop your “NIHYSOB” behavior
Most managers think that their job is to catch their employees doing something bad. Blanchard and Johnson call this style of managing the NIHYSOB behavior. NIHYSOB is an acronym for “Now, I have you…” – well, you know what the SOB stands for.
And that is not what your employees are.
So, in the future, try to catch them doing something good. And praise them. Feedbacks go a long way. Just as compliments.
Conditioning Your Employees’ Behavior
Even though Blanchard and Johnson claim that your employees are not SOBs, basically, the one-minute manager still feels like kind of a modernized version of Ivan Pavlov. Remember him? He thought dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell.
Blanchard and Johnson believe that this will work for your employees too. If done correctly. And gently. Maybe it will, who knows! After all, we are animals.
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