The three secrets of the One Minute Manager
There are a number of techniques for successful people management, but if you had to single out the three simplest and most effective techniques, what would they be?
In 1981, Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson published The One-Minute Manager, a parable that presents three key techniques for managing people. The book became the best-selling №1 in all-time management with sales of over 15 million copies.
In 2015, The New One-Minute Manager was published by the same authors. And this book focuses on the three key techniques of managing people, but they are already adapted to the modern and rapidly changing world.
In Blanchard and Johnson’s books, the three techniques of managing people are called “secrets.” Indeed, they can be seen as secrets, insofar as only those familiar with the intricacies of One-Minute Control use and apply them.
Below we will look at the three secrets of The One-Minute Manager. But before that, let’s clarify why the term “One-Minute Manager” is used at all.
Why a “one minute manager”?
Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson use the term “One-Minute Manager” to emphasize that successful people management is not a task that requires all the time in the world. On the contrary - to manage people well, you should use the three secrets of management, and each of them takes one minute. Well, sometimes a little more, of course.
In the book “One Minute Manager”, the top manager, who shares his valuable experience with the young protagonist, states:
“I am a one-minute manager.
I define myself as such because I need very little time to get people to achieve great results.”
Secret №1: One-minute goals
The first and main secret of the One-Minute Manager is to set One-Minute goals for his associates.
Whether it is new and inexperienced people or people with long experience and high competence, goal setting is paramount. Clear goals focus employees’ behavior toward a particular future state that needs to be achieved. Goals set the stage for desired behavior.
A manager who sets effective One-Minute Goals:
1. Plan them together with the employee, and the goals are described briefly and clearly.
2. Explains what is the right behavior to achieve them. People need to be shown what good performance means.
3. Requires people to write down the goals on paper, on a separate sheet for each goal. Each goal should be described concisely in 1-2 short paragraphs and there should be a deadline for achieving it.
4. Requires employees to review their goals on a daily basis.
5. He insists that people daily compare the goals with what has been achieved so far, to evaluate their work and whether their actions correspond to the goals.
6. Monitors whether people reorganize their work and behavior if their actions do not meet goals or deadlines.
In the Bulgarian edition of The New One-Minute Manager, the term “One-Minute Goals” has been replaced by “One-Minute Instructions”, but it is generally the same thing.
Secret №2: One-minute compliments
If a certain goal triggers the behavior, the consequences affect the further behavior. And here comes the second secret of the One-Minute Manager - One-Minute Praise.
The key to human development lies in stalking their every right (not wrong) step. Many managers do the exact opposite - they do not say anything to the employee until he makes a mistake. Then they intervene and start criticizing. Such an approach does not help people work to the best of their ability.
A manager who uses effective One-Minute Praises:
1. Actively monitor your people for the right steps.
2. Praise as early as possible. Praise is not left for the end of the year.
3. Specifically, it notes exactly what has been done properly. Nice job! sounds nice, but it’s not very helpful because employees don’t understand what they’re doing well and could still do well in the future.
4. Expresses satisfaction with the job well done and its contribution to the overall success of the organization. This brings a serious emotional charge, as it expresses the feelings of the manager about the good work of the employee.
5. He is silent so that people feel joy and satisfaction from a job well done.
6. Encourages people to continue in the same spirit.
It is important to note that one-minute compliments should not be given only for a job well done. Even if the work is done with some remarks or mistakes, the manager should praise the good moments in it.
Secret №3: One-minute corrections
In the classic book “One-Minute Manager” the third secret of the One-Minute Manager is the One-Minute Reprimand, but in “The New One-Minute Manager” there is already talk of a One-Minute Correction.
In practice, it is the same thing - giving feedback to employees in case of mistakes, omissions or problems at work. No one likes to make mistakes in the face, but the One-Minute Correction is able to get people back on track to achieve their goals. A one-minute correction helps people learn to understand what should be done differently.
A manager who uses effective One-Minute Adjustments:
1. Reacts an hour soon to mistakes.
2. Clarifies the goals again.
3. It first confirms the facts in order to discuss the errors concretely and in substance.
4. Expresses to employees a personal attitude to what happened and indicates the effect of errors on the overall results.
5. He is silent so that people can realize inwardly what they have done.
6. It reminds people that their capabilities are above their mistakes and that the opinion about them as individuals remains high.
7. He emphasizes that the trust in the people remains in the future, as well as the support they will receive.
8. Once the One-Minute Correction is over - it’s over! The manager stops commenting on this topic and does not push it again and again.
Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson do not touch on the topic of the optimal ratio between praise and reprimands (corrections), but according to research by other experts, this ratio should be in the range of 3 to 5.
In summary:
So, the three secrets for managing the One-Minute Manager are:
1. One-minute goals;
2. One-minute compliments;
3. One-minute corrections.
The three people management techniques work in sync. Goals set the direction of the desired behavior, and depending on the actual behavior is praised or corrected to achieve better performance.
It is interesting to note that the three secrets of the One-Minute Manager are not limited to the field of management. For example, they can be used by parents in raising children, as well as in other areas of professional and personal life.