Blog

  • The One Minute Manager Review

    The One Minute Manager ReviewI attend weekly business workshops and today it's my turn to review a business book. Luckily, Mike Clark form Vision Manawatu knows nearly every good business book that exists so he recommended that I read Kenneth Blanchard's The One Minute Manager.

    The nice thing about this book is you can easily read it in under an hour and even though it was written back in the early 80s its concepts are still very true today. I've been "melding" them in with other tools that I've picked which is really clarifying the way my business runs. Here's my synopses:

    The One Minute Manager presents concepts such as developmental psychology, behavioural psychology, crisis intervention method, communication theory, goal-setting, and business transparency into a very easy to understand narrative about a young man in search of a good business manager that he can believe in and copy.

    The book illustrates three main "secrets":

    1. One Minute Goal Setting
    2. One minute praisings
    3. One minute reprimands
    The One Minute Manager Review

    SECRET ONE: One Minute Goal Setting

    Employee submits one-minute,
    one-page set of goals

    1. Agree on your goals
    2. See what good behaviour looks like
    3. Write out each of your goals on a single piece of paper using less
      than 250 words
    4. Read and re-read each goal, which requires only a minute or so each
      time you do it.
    5. Take a minute every once and a while out of your day to look at your
      performance, and
    6. See whether or not your behaviour matches you goal

    SECRET TWO: One Minute Praisings

    When an employee does something right
    they are immediately praised for a minute.

    1. Tell people right from the start that you are going to let them know
      they are doing well.
    2. Praise people immediately
    3. Tell people what they did right, be specific.
    4. Tell people how good you feel about what they did right, and how it
      helps the organisation and other people that work there.
    5. Stop for a moment of silence to let them feel how good you feel.
    6. Encourage them to do more of the same
    7. Shake hands or touch people in a way that makes it clear that you
      support their success in the organisation

    SECRET THREE: One minute reprimands

    When an employee does something
    wrong they are to be reprimanded for a minute.

    1. Tell people beforehand that you are going to let them know what they are
      doing and in no uncertain terms.
    2. The first half of the reprimand: Reprimand people immediately
    3. Tell people why they did wrong, be specific.
    4. Tell people how you feel about what they did wrong - and in no
      uncertain terms
    5. Stop for a few seconds of uncomfortable silence and let them feel how
      you feel.
    6. The second half of the reprimand:
      Shake hands, or touch them in a way that lets them know you are
      honestly on their side
    7. Remind them how much you value them
    8. Reaffirm that you think well of them but not of their performance in
      this situation
    9. Realize that when the reprimand is over, it's over.

    Quotes from the book:

    "Help people reach their full potential, catch them doing something
    right."

    "The best minute spent is the one I invest in people"

    "Everyone is a potential winner. Some people are disguised as losers,
    don't let appearances fool you."

    "Take a minute, look at your goals, look at your performance, see if
    your behaviour matches your goals."

    "We are not just our behaviour; we are the person managing our behaviour."

    "Goals begin behaviours; consequences maintain behaviours"

    Observations

    • Though I think this is a really valuable book; like all information (books, workshops, TV, what people say) it needs to be placed into context. For example, touching people is a common thing in the US but in NZ you need to gauge whether it is appropriate. Also, Developmental Psychology for NZers is different to Americans. For example, the kiwi teen"right of passage" is different to what American teen experience.
    • The thing I love about this book is that it not only applies to business, it can also improve your personal life.
    • It can also be read and understood by everyone - no degree needed.
    • Here is a link to the Game Plan.
    • The next book "Putting the One Minute Manager to Work" is more concise in showing you how to implement good processes in your business. I'll review that in a couple of weeks.

    Blanchard, Kenneth. Johnson, Spencer. (1983) "The One Minute Manager."
    Willow Books. Click here to search Trademe.


    Brynn Neilson About
    Brynn

     

      Like this post? Share with your friends:
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • linkedin