The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

I finished reading The One Minute Manager by Kenneth and Spencer today.  It was a really fun read.  I read the whole book during transit on the bus to and from work.  I liked how the book had a storyline.  The authors used a young man seeking for advice on how to be an effective manager.  He looked everywhere and interviewed many people, but he was not satisfied with his findings.  Then he was introduced to the One Minute Manager.  The One Minute Manager introduced the young man to the three secrets of being an effective manager: one minute goals, one minute praisings, and one minute reprimands.  Each secret offers tips of managing and working with people.  The book was published in 1981, but all three secrets can still be applied today in workplaces.

Here are some of the highlights that stood out to me:

  • People who feel good about themselves produce good results.
  • Productivity is more than just the quantity of work done.  It is also quality.
  • Quality is simply giving people the product or service they really want and need.
  • The best way to achieve high productivity is through people.
  • The One Minute Manager always makes it clear what our responsibilities are and what we are being held accountable for.
  • Help people reach their full potential.  Catch them doing something right.
  • The more consistently successful your people are, the higher you rise in the organization.
  • Feedback is the breakfast of champions.
  • Take a minute: look at your goals, look at your performance, see if your behaviour matches your goals.
  • I reprimand the behaviour only. … My purpose in a One Minute Reprimand is to eliminate the behaviour and keep the person.
  • We are not just our behaviour.  We are the person managing our behaviour.
  • Goals begin behaviours.  Consequences maintain behaviours.

 

tomm