The New One Minute Manager

The way we lead and manage others has changed too – or if it hasn't, it certainly needs to. The era of top-down management, rigid hierarchies, and annual appraisals is on its way out. Today's employees want to be part of a team. They want freedom and autonomy, but they also want regular feedback from their superiors. They like to feel engaged with their work and connected to their organization's mission. And if employees don't feel fulfilled, they'll soon move on. The job for life is a thing of the past.

But too many managers have failed to change their management style to match this new reality and meet the demands of a new generation of workers. Surveys show many employees don't feel engaged with their work, and dissatisfaction levels are high. People may not have the freedom to innovate or to put their skills to their best use.

So, how do you lead and manage in today's high-tech, globalized world? How do you get results and ensure employees feel happy and motivated? And how do you hold on to your talent?

"The New One Minute Manager" shows you how. This revised edition of the best-selling classic "The One Minute Manager" has been updated to reflect the rapid shifts in technology and workplace practices over the last 30 years. In fewer than 100 pages, it shows you how to care for your employees, increase motivation, improve productivity, and get great results.

So who's this book for? "The New One Minute Manager" is best suited to leaders and managers, of big organizations or small teams, who want to get the best out of their employees and create a happy, productive workforce in which employees take responsibility for their goals.

But the book's appeal is broader than this. Its tips are relevant to anyone who wants to manage their work, their life, or their time better, and who wants healthier relationships with colleagues, parents, children, or friends.

Finally, this book is for anyone who loved the first edition, and that's a lot of people. The 1982 classic sold more than 13 million copies, helping a generation of people change the way they worked and lived.

Both authors have made huge contributions to the field of management over their long careers. Ken Blanchard PhD is the co-founder of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management, training and consulting firm. He's a highly sought-after business consultant, speaker and author, and has written or co-written 60 books, including the international bestsellers "Raving Fans," "Gung Ho!" and "Whale Done!"

Spencer Johnson MD wrote the number-one New York Times bestseller and self-help classic "Who Moved My Cheese?" among other books. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of South Carolina and an MD from the Royal College of Surgeons.

So keep listening to hear how collaborative management trumps a top-down approach, how writing down concise goals improves productivity, and why a re-direct is more powerful than a reprimand.

"The New One Minute Manager," like its predecessor, takes the form of an engaging, easy-to-read parable. Regular readers of business books are familiar with this format now, but "The One Minute Manager" was the first business parable ever – an original that launched an entire literary genre.

Like the first edition, the new version of the book tells the story of a young man who goes around the world searching for a special manager – someone who can lead and manage effectively in today's changing world; who knows how to encourage and motivate employees so they enjoy both their work and home life; and who gets results.

He's been searching for years. He's met tough, results-driven, profit-minded managers, and he's met nice, supportive, kind managers. But where's the manager who's interested in both results and people?

His search finally takes the young man to a nearby town where he's heard of a manager who's well liked and successful – this is the "One Minute Manager" of the book's title.

This parable style is a winning formula and is one of the reasons the first book was so successful. It's simple, entertaining and makes the book's take-home messages very easy to remember. We feel we're alongside the young man as he sits opposite the One Minute Manager in his office, goes to chat to three of his employees, then returns to the manager's office to discuss his management approach.

His questions are our questions, and we want to know the answers too. Blanchard and Johnson do a great job of bringing the characters to life and engaging the reader in their story. It's a refreshing change from the many densely packed, theory-laden business books out there.

The manager is called the One Minute Manager because it takes him and his team so little time to get good results. In fact, he's not pressed for time at all. To the young man's surprise, the manager has time to speak to him the first time he calls, and offers to meet him any time except Wednesday morning, when he holds weekly meetings with his team.

Time to answer phone calls from strangers, free time every day, a relaxed attitude, and good results – it sounds like every manager's dream. So what's his secret?

Actually there are three secrets to becoming a successful One Minute Manager. They are: One Minute Goals, when employees are helped to set clear, concise targets, with frequent reviews; One Minute Praisings, which is about catching people doing good things – instead of catching them out doing something wrong – and giving them positive feedback; and One Minute Re-Directs, when mistakes are addressed quickly and people are supported to do better next time.

We're going to take a closer look at some aspects of these secrets shortly but, first, let's explore why the manager's approach works so well in today's business climate.

The One Minute Manager explains to the young man that he used to operate a top-down, command-and-control system of management. This was effective in its day, but it's too slow for our fast-paced world. It also stifles innovation and creativity.

Customers constantly want better products or faster service and companies have to keep innovating to meet this demand. Innovation requires brainpower – and not just from the C-suite.

The best managers recognize that they're sitting on a hotbed of creativity. And they realize talented individuals need both the freedom to come up with ideas and the autonomy to try them out. Innovation happens much more quickly in this environment. Employees aren't sitting around waiting to be told what to do – they're free to explore, design, experiment, and test.

Collaboration is key to this process, which is why the One Minute Manager holds weekly meetings on Wednesday mornings. At these meetings, he listens, as individuals and teams review what they've achieved in the past week, share any problems, discuss outstanding targets, and talk about their strategies for getting things done. The manager facilitates discussions, but he doesn't make decisions – everyone's involved in choosing what actions to take and those decisions are binding.

Some of today's most successful companies pursue this collaborative approach to decision making and creative problem solving, and it's clear why it works. Employees feel they have a stake in their company's future. They feel responsible for their goals and outcomes, and feel motivated to do the work. This sense of responsibility and motivation means people feel good about themselves, which creates a virtuous circle.

We like the way Blanchard and Johnson convey this idea in very simple language. It's captured on the One Minute Manager's screen saver, which displays the sentence: "People Who Feel Good About Themselves Produce Good Results."

Perhaps this seems glaringly obvious, but the authors' writing style means their theories come across as revelations, as real light-bulb moments, which is incredibly powerful.

Let's now take a look at an aspect of the first secret: One Minute Goals.

An employee called Teresa Lee introduces the young man to One Minute Goals. Like the other characters in this book, Teresa shares experiences many readers will relate to. She talks about how in previous jobs, her idea of her responsibilities was vastly different from what her boss expected her to do, but this was never clarified so she got into trouble.

But in her current role, there are no misunderstandings. Not only that, but Teresa has input into her goals, developing them alongside her manager. Once they agree on her goals, she writes them out, one per page, including what needs to be done and by when.

Now, when you think of your workload, perhaps the idea of writing down your goals seems tedious and time-consuming. But Teresa explains she doesn't write out all her goals. She writes down just three to five, for her key areas of responsibility. This is based on the 80-20 rule – the idea that 80 percent of results will come from 20 percent of goals.

Each goal is expressed in a paragraph and can be read out in just one minute, so employees are asked to review their goals every morning and check that what they're doing matches their goals.

Teresa goes on to explain other aspects of the One Minute Goal secret and the manager explains why it works so well in the second half of the book. This drives home its effectiveness.

Once again, the authors deliver a simple but powerful message in a really effective way. Whether you're a leader, an employee, in charge of a sports team, or managing a home, we think this method of setting and reviewing short, specific goals could make a huge difference to productivity and satisfaction.

Too often, goals are set and then filed away, forgotten about or reviewed a year later. Or there's a fundamental mismatch between our bosses' expectations and our goals, as in Teresa's previous job. This system will do away with that.

Let's now look at the biggest difference between "The New One Minute Manager" and its earlier version.

In the original "One Minute Manager," the first two goals were the same, but the third was One Minute Reprimands. Our 21st century manager has changed this to One Minute Re-Directs. This reflects a new, collaborative, side-by-side management style, a more humble leadership approach, and an understanding that everyone is a learner, especially in an economic climate where people constantly have to acquire new skills.

The language in the One Minute Reprimand was harsher, more direct, and more suited to a top-down, hierarchical relationship. Managers told employees "in no uncertain terms" what they did wrong and paused for a few seconds of "uncomfortable silence." In "The New One Minute Manager," leaders "confirm the facts first, and review the mistake together" with their employees.

They allow a pause, so employees can feel concerned about what they've done, but it's not described as an "uncomfortable" one. They then encourage and support the employee, reminding them they have confidence and trust in them.

This step was also part of the Reprimand, but there's more focus on building the employee up this time. Our new manager comes across as humble and approachable. The latest version of the book also omits references to physical touch – handshakes or a touch on the shoulder – which were a feature of the earlier edition.

We think the One Minute Re-Direct is an excellent tool for managers. Too often, managers store up their frustration for weeks, months, or longer, then blurt it out all at once, often during the annual performance review, in what our One Minute Manager calls a "leave-alone-zap-style."

Re-Directs happen as soon as managers notice mistakes, so resentment doesn't build up. But it's clear the Re-Direct wouldn't work if it weren't for the previous two secrets. Employees need to be clear about their goals and need to know they're on the right track. If this is in place, the Re-Direct is much more palatable.

We like the way Blanchard and Johnson have updated their language and theories to fit a new generation of managers and leaders, and reflect changes in the business landscape. Some of today's leaders will already be operating in a more collaborative style that encourages individual responsibility and inspires creativity.

If that's the case, the tools in this book will take teamwork, productivity, motivation, and innovation to new heights. And for those leaders who are stuck in the 1980s, "The New One Minute Manager" offers a blueprint for change that's easily applicable and instantly effective. It brings management back to basics and it's like a breath of fresh air.

Is there anything negative to say about this book? We can't think of much. Some readers may find the parable style too simplistic or might think they've heard its tips before. But given it's so quick to read, keeping our attention like any good story, we can't imagine why you wouldn't want "The New One Minute Manager" in your toolkit.

"The New One Minute Manager," by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, is published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins.

That's the end of this episode of Book Insights. Thanks for listening.