The one Minute Manager - Kenneth Blanchard

The One Minute Manager

In Kenneth Blanchard's "The One Minute Manager", a young man searches for perfect management skills by asking employees about their manager. The manager he comes across refers to himself as being a one minute manager and leads the young man to talk to a few random employees about his management style. These employees reveal the three secrets he uses to manage people efficiently.

The first of the three secrets is One Minute Goals. Trenell, one of the one minute manager's employees, explains to us that this secret starts with a meeting with his manager about what goals need to be accomplished. He says they must use no more than one page to jot down the goal and its performance standard, in order to read each goal in less than a minute. Then, you should reread each one of your goals and take a minute every so often to see whether your actions are on track with attaining your goal.

The second secret to One Minute Managing is one minute praisings. Levy explains to us that one minute praisings are all about being open and honest with people about how they are performing in the workplace. He says to praise people when you see an action that is being done well. You should make sure that you are specific in your words when you are praising so the employee knows exactly what they are doing right and how they are impacting the organization by doing it. At the end of praising he says to make sure and shake the employees' hand or touch them in some way so they understand that the company appreciates their success.

The one minute manager's third and final secret to effective managing is the one minute reprimand. This is the exact opposite of the second secret and like the first secret in a way. Like the first secret, the one minute reprimand involves knowing and understanding how to accomplish your tasks. Being honest with people when they have done something they maybe should not have done is key in this step. Ms. Brown fills us in on how to use the one minute reprimand effectively. This secret is not only about reprimanding, it is about telling the employee how you feel about what they have done as well. Ms. Brown also points out that letting your words sink into the employees' minds after the fact is crucial. The last thing to remember about one minute reprimanding is to remind the employee that you value them, otherwise their wrongdoings may make them see themselves as useless.

Throughout the book, the one minute manager expresses some of his favorite sayings that he has on plaques in his office or that he gives to his employees to place in their offices. The first saying that stood out to me was also the first saying, "People who feel good about themselves produce good results" (p. 19). I have heard this quoted before, and I still believe in it strongly. I feel that believing in yourself is the first step to