One Minute Manager (Book Review)

in #books2 months ago

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screenshot of book cover

This book first came out in the late 90's but I got the 2015 version titled The New One Minute Manager which has 73 pages and can be read in just a couple hours.

I loved the format it was written in. A story format. Basically there was a "young man" looking for a specific type of manager. A manager who was not only company oriented but also people oriented.

This book tells the story of how he had searched and finally found the type of manager he was looking for and what he learned from this manager and the people who worked for him.

People who feel good about themselves produce good results

This is the very first quote of the book. The manager shows this to the "young man" hoping to help him understand why he manages the way he does. The manager then goes on to tell him about the three secrets to his effective management leaving him to visit with some of the employees who each in turn tell him a part of the management secret.

The secrets are:

  • One minute goal setting
  • One minute praising's
  • One minute reprimand/redirects

The goals are short, meant to be read in one minute and help the worker know what their job is. Each goal has it's own page.

I love how this is explained later in the book. It is like bowling but not being able to see the pins because there is a cover of some kind in front of them. The question is asked, how long would you bowl before giving up if you could not see where to aim?

One minute praising's is a way of letting people know they are on the right track and helps them feel good about themselves so they produce good results. It also encourages the worker to keep doing good.

The one minute reprimand/redirect, in my opinion, takes the p[lace of the quarterly/annual performance review. This step let's the employee know they made a mistake but then give them praise on the good things they can do.

Reading the book may give a better understanding of what I am trying to put into words.

Since this version was called "The New One Minute Manager" I wanted to make sure the changes from the original were not too drastic and I am glad I did. There were some small changes but the 2015 version stick pretty much to the original text with a few minor changes. The managing rules stay pretty much the same.

This was a good book and a short read. It also makes reference to the 80/20 principle. I recommend it regardless of whether you are an employee/employer or are just looking for a more effective way to run your household.

Thank you for reading this and I look forward to engaging with you in the comments. If you are coming from outside of hive and enjoyed my content, please consider supporting me.