Book Review: “The One Minute Manager”

This short, simple, easy to read publication will help you to get the best from your team, it may seem very simple, but will surely give you a wake-up call on how to get the most from your staff, and any problems that might arise.

You might also find out blog on employee engagement ideas useful too, but let’s get to the basic ideas found in the One Minute Manager. It boils down to three simple techniques:

– One Minute Goal Setting

– One Minute Praising

– One Minute Re-Directs (originally called Reprimands)

That seemingly is all there is to it, you just have to tell your staff what you want them to achieve and what you want them to do. Fundamentally the team need to be put on the right path and shown their responsibilities and goals.

Essentially the authors suggest that it is your responsibility to clarify the objects of each and every person who reports directly to you and to approve the targets for the workers at the next level down.

Pushed for time? Well, as they tell you, the great thing about this system, is, it only takes one minute when you are a One Minute Manager.

The other two parts of the system are connected to giving staff feedback quickly and not waiting until the annual performance review.

If you employ staff then your responsibility is simple: To get the highest and best performance out of each member of your team and to manage in such a way that the overall performance is nothing short of excellent.

In practice, you should learn to become a better manager because you have become proactive rather than reactive. Provided it is used authentically, this method will make your staff feel better about their work, they will finally know what is expected of them and through the reinforcement of regular feedback, they begin to understand their role and the consequences.

First published in the early 80’s, it has left a lasting impression on thousands of readers. The updated version has lost none of its original impact and reinforces the philosophy of how to manage a team of people in any organisation.

The bottom line is; with a little focus on desired outcome and concentration on positive actions, these ideas could change both you and your workforce.