The New One Minute Manager (The One Minute Manager-updated)

Task List Rich & Productivity Poor ? Are you too busy to get anything done, always running around, trying to catch up with yourself ? or maybe you just really have a lot going on and could use a cliffs notes time management crash course ... Well this book is for you, a quick, simple and easy read rich with wisdom and tons of stuff you will have to say "well DUH! - should have known that". but a big help, especially if you actually follow the practical suggestions, and make them a regular practice. This book will show you why and how simple is better, and less is more.

As this book is so famous I was really expecting a breakthrough lecture but I find it extremely superficial and do not really believe that the mentioend principles can be like they are explained nowadays implemented .

It has very basic concepts and to me, it is written in a condescending style. Having said that, I did get some value from what the book had to say, so I wouldn't tell somebody not to get it, I would just have your expectations not set too high.

The description said 4 books , but I received only one The one minute manager. The book is used but in fair condition. but I don't need that one I just bought it because the description said you get 4 books and was a very good deal, well apparently not!!!

I read this for my Management class at school and was underwhelmed. Not just with the book but with the idea that there is any "right" way to manage people. Assuming that any strategy will work in any situation is foolish and believing that manipulating people and leading them are the same is folly.

There are a lot of great management books out there. This is not one of them.

Managers who follow the guidelines in the book will be far removed from the goings on of the business. They'll be disconnected. They won't form true relationships with the people working for them.

This book teaches a crippling minimalist approach to dealing with people. But dealing with people is the most important thing a manager does. It shouldn't be minimized or marginalized.

To be fair, the book isn't all bad. It's just mostly bad. The few gems it has are very basic and covered in more much detail by other, better books.

If you want something better, look at something along the lines of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Crucial Conversations, or Good to Great. These are all examples of good management books, IMO.

I was referred to the One Minute Manager series when I asked someone I considered an excellent manager if he could recommend some management resources. The One Minute Manager introduces readers to the three techniques of one-minute management - clear goal setting, one-minute praisings and one-minute reprimands.

The points are laid out clearly and the recommendations simple and easy to implement. The book can be read quickly in a single sitting or several short pages at a time. Those with very little time can read the four pages that summarize all the points made in the book.

What bothered me about the book was the portrayal of the business world as a very male environment. A young man looks for the perfect manager and finds the amazing One Minute Manager, referred to throughout the book as, "quite a guy!" The male employees, described by age, explain goal setting and praisings. The female employees, described with adjectives indicating their dress or competence, are secretaries, those providing general info, or those being reprimanded. All but one of the acknowledgements are to men as are all but one endorsement. The authors use sports - golf, football and bowling, as analogies, making for a tone off-putting to female readers. Only on the last page does a young woman come to the formerly young man, now a successful One Minute Manager, seeking advice.

It's not a bad book, if you can ignore the gender stereotypes, but it's also quite basic. I learned more from the One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams.

I was required to read this book for a promotional test for my work. This book is chalked full of clunky metaphors, over generalizations, and pedantic bullsh**. It is worthless for anyone who is not retarded.

This classic allegorical tale is a helpful first step into the world of management. Whether you are a business owner, division supervisor, politician, or pastor, this book can help you manage people in a few easy steps. Indeed, not only are the concepts simple, but the book itself is quick read by any standard.

With over 100 the store reviews, let me just say this: any reader could likely get the gist of the book by simply consulting the pocket-size "Game Plan" near the end of the book. This summarizes the key elements involved in being a One-Minute Manager: One-Minute Goal Setting, One-Minute Praising, and One-Minute Reprimands. The chart is a little weak on "Goal Setting" but the information is outlined (on its own page) early on in the book for further consultation.

For the beginner this is a great resource. For the experienced this is a good reminder, yet will likely be regarded a bit too simplistic.

"The One Minute Manager" might be old news now but I think it has some of the best advice for young managers at all levels available. This is a little book, almost a handbook on how to deal with common issues that come up in dealing with subordinates. The text is crisp and unadorned, matter of fact and quick.
If you are or if you know a young person who finds himself in charge of others, recommend "The One Minute Manager" to him or her. This is not at all the end of the story of an evolving manager but will help clueless young managers to find their way.
I buy copies and put them in the hands of people I care about and want to help along their path.

...just started a new part time job and I read this because the owner found it to be extremely influential in her management style. This book is lickety-split-quick. I read it in about two hours. The story is a fable about a young man who wants to meet the ideal manager, who turns about to be a "one-minute-manager", a composite taken from the authors' research. This book illustrates simple principles in an accessible way with focus on goal setting, affirmation, and effective, though caring, criticism when goals are not met.

For me, this is an effective book as this is a new area of research focus for me. If you're starting out with management techniques or understanding management techniques, then books like this provide accessible points of entry into the field. Ultimately, the book struggles with two flaws that reduce my rating. First, I would like to have more access to the research that generated the one-minute-manager. Without that research this book can be viewed as a fictional fable rather than a practical one. Second, I feel that while effective, several of the techniques are not practical for American business. I asked my dad, a Wharton grad, about this book, and he said that it was in vogue for a while in the 1980s and then lost its influence in ways that books like "The Seven Habits of Effective People" did not. I feel that the reason the book fails is that it treats American employees and employers like rational, grounded individuals. If you read the Wall Street Journal and the newspapers, you realize that Americans are irrational beings and that this ideal is not always practical. Setting goals with a person that has been marginalized culturally, spiritually, economically, and socially is too reductionist an approach. I'm very interested in programs and management styles that will work with difficult employees, the one's that currently sap the strength of most of the large businesses in corporate America and the large institutions such as our public schools. I think that books like "The One Minute Manager" are best for start ups and new blood who want to impose a new corporate culture on a blank slate. For the majority of businesses that are established and trying to dramatically change course, the ideas in this book will be helpful, but not immediately applicable.

--4 stars

--SD

I read this book right after reading the book "Who Moved My Cheese" by the same authors. It is also a quick read and can be read in about an hour and a half or so. The book is easy to read, and quite frankly I found it a lot better than the cheese book.
Mostly because it gives managers a good insight into what we do wrong and one possible way to correct this.
Their method comes down to a simple advice: Do not wait with compliments and complaints and scoldings and praise until the annual review, but do it whenever it is needed and then scold the behavior, but appreciate the person.
Their second advice (although it is given first) comes down to making clear to both manager and subordinate what is expected. Too many employees and managers think different of what is expected of them and have not written it down. Thus confusion begins and people feel unjustly treated.

This book I also borrowed from the library, although I might someday buy it. I would recommend this book, both due to its good advice and easy readability. But I find the price of 16 dollars high for the content in it.

Very good nearly indispensable information written in a format that oscillates between children's storybook and a raging sociopath obsessed with surrounding people that like to call him a One Minute Manager. The material is amazing but the story is outlandish and contradictory. Right out of the gate the book says people are more effective when they feel good about themselves, but the manager says incredibly harsh things like "'Then don't waste my time,' he snapped." The manager snapped? Really? Does everything the manager says need to be in a pissy italics tone?

I just reread this great little primer on management and found it just as helpful as I did fifteen years ago. While its concepts are simple, they are also quite effective IF managers (including teachers, parents, and front-line supervisors) would implement them correctly. The three secrets of one-minute goal setting, one-minute praisings,and one-minute reprimands are based on sound behavioral principles and are bound to work as long as certain guidelines are met. For instance, goals should be realistic and specific, praisings should be sincere and immediate, and reprimands should end with a bit of encouragement. I love the idea of managers walking around trying to catch people doing things right. What a refreshing idea!

Read the book and apply the principles in your home, office, or factory. While the three guidelines won't solve every human relations problem, they offer sound, practical advice that will lay the foundation for effectiveness.

The One Minute Manager is a parable outlining the fundamental aspects of a "One Minute Manager" program. In the introduction, the authors emphasize the use of the book as a management tool. The key, according to Blanchard and Johnson, is to learn from the program, applying the principles to daily management functions in an organization, and sharing the newfound wisdom with others.

Each section is discussed according to the overarching narrative, followed by a summary emphasizing major concepts. They include "The First Secret: One Minute Goals," "The Second Secret: One Minute Praisings," and "The Third Secret: One Minute Reprimands." Mantras relating to these management techniques are peppered throughout the text, displayed as plaques in various offices. These facets are again summarized in the final chapters, reiterating the key points and offering examples regarding the application in actual situations (although the actual situations are ultimately odd and juvenile). The book concludes with encouragement to adopt the "One Minute" management style immediately, simultaneously sharing the "gift" of the program with others in a tone that eerily conjures cult recruitment.

While the book certainly deals with management concepts, its usefulness as a practical tool is limited. Written from the point of view of an individual seeking more information on the ideal management style, the narrator is referred to an outstanding manager and seeks to discover the nuances of "One Minute" management, a concept that seems too good to be true. The narrative is extremely simplistic, frequently relying on examples that are trite and cloying. The character supposedly embodying the ideal manager is usually just irritating, bombastically talking too much without really saying anything at all. While this makes for a fast read that is easily digestible, it undercuts the seriousness of the lessons outlined by the author. These drawbacks are somewhat diminished through the helpful reiterations of key points in the "One Minute" summaries; serious managers looking for useful strategies without pedestrian fluff would benefit from focusing on these sections exclusively (which are literally encompassed by only four pages). The strategies are not innovative, although the condensed presentation of approaches to goal setting, praise, and reprimand successfully distill this information into extremely manageable parcels that will be easy to implement quickly and effectively. Some suggestions are outdated and potentially dangerous, such as recommendations to touch colleagues when offering feedback, but overall the basic suggestions remain relevant.

Spencer and Blanchard both bring experience as management/human resource consultants for a number of well-known companies. It is clear that as an outgrowth of their consulting work, they have developed the "One Minute Manager" program and the text appears to be the marketing of their trademarked philosophy toward management. The real secret of the "One Minute Manager" is that none of the concepts are actually secrets. They are common, fundamental management principles given a catchy title and framed within a mediocre story. The ideas, while somewhat stale, may be more palatable to inexperienced and broad audiences through the highly anecdotal nature of their delivery.

The One Minute Manager is ultimately useful for individuals seeking suggestions for basic management strategies in the areas of goal setting and evaluation/feedback. Readers seeking in-depth recommendations and management guidance will be disappointed, but those seeking a lighthearted and casual overview of commonly accepted management strategies might appreciate a cute story with a few helpful kernels that outline three fair, honest, and effective management techniques.

'The One Minute Manager', written in 1981 by highly-regarded author and consultant Kenneth H. Blanchard and by Spencer Johnson, is an excellent book on improving management effectiveness and employee productivity. And, while increased 'knowledge worker' efficiency may have made it simple enough in the 80s and early 90s for companies to simply dismiss below-average workers (they didn't require replacing, as fewer total knowledge workers were required to perform the same tasks as before), the 21st century challenge will be to optimize the performance of employees already in the organization, as profitable businesses will likely need to replace dismissed workers. This will involve improved management practices, such as the ones espoused in this book.
'One Minute Manager' is very short (can be read in less than one hour), yet has the potential to greatly improve management efficiency. The book discusses three 'secrets' -- one minute goals, one minute praising, and one minute reprimands. To briefly summarize, the theory espoused in the book is for the manager to set one-page goals with each employee for the top 20% of tasks which, according to Pareto, account for 80% of the productivity of the employee. Next, the manager follows up with either immediate one minute praise or an immediate behavior-based (rather than personal) one minute reprimand. The praise is designed to focus the employee behavior toward continuous improvement. As such, a less-capable employee (typically a newer one) would receive praise for lesser accomplishments than would a more seasoned one. The reprimand is to reinforce the goals of the organization.
The theories made a lot of sense. They espouse the true vision of 'leadership', which is to guide the organization in a specific direction, toward specific goals and achievement. I recommend this book to anyone interested in leadership or effectiveness.

Imagine a show where a whale suddenly emerges above the surface of the water, jumps over a rope to a thunderous applause from the audience who don't mind being drenched by the splash of water. How was the whale trained to do this, one may wonder. The training had actually started under water, where the whale was rewarded with food each time it crossed over the rope. The rope was then gradually raised and the whale jumps over it even if is above the water level.
Imagine the rope as the goal setting exercise in our organizations. We reward people for attaining their goals and we raise the bar every time to get the best out of every one.
This book is about Goal Setting, Rewarding and Reprimanding. It also proves a very important concept. The normal confusion is that democratic managers sacrifice results while the result oriented managers sacrifice people. The One Minute Manager teaches us to be simultaneously good at achieving results and taking care of people.

After the 60's and 70's, the terms reinforcement and punishment held negative cultural connotations that seemed to equate people with Pavlov's dog. Blanchard and Johnson's One Minute method presented scientifically validated behavioral psychology in a way that managers of the time could feel comfortable with. Thus, if you apply these ideas, you will not sound like a psychologist circa 1950. Instead, you'll sound like a Politically Correct 1980's management consultant.
Despite its age, the method is simple -you can read it in half an hour- yet extremely powerful. First, define the behaviors or results you want (One Minute Goal Setting/ Activator), then let your reports go out and perform. During the performance, you offer reinforcement in two forms, positive or negative. Catch someone doing good, you give them a One Minute Praising (positive reinforcement). Catch a report doing something bad, you give them a One Minute Reprimand (punishment/ negative reinforcement). The result is classic operant conditioning and behavior shaping.
I use the concepts in this book regularly. They are simple and very effective. Once you know where you want people to go, the behavior shaping methods presented in this book will likely get your team there, and quickly. One Minute Managing is a surefire way to increase the quantity of actions which add value, while minimizing those which detract. I would recommend Aubrey Daniels' `Bringing out the Best in People,' which goes into operant conditioning in more depth, as a very solid companion for this book.

This is another parable book by Spencer Johnson. I still think "Who Moved My Cheese" is the better of the books as far as delivering the message and getting you to think.

The message here is to "train" your workers to effectively complete their tasks/goals by using one minute goal setting, and one minute praise and reprimands. The author argues that this method is more effective than simply hiring someone, giving them a job description, and then giving them an annual review. He uses an analogy of a bowler bowling a strike. The bowler feels accomplishment when he sees how many pins he has hit right away. The feedback is immediate and it is obvious. If the bowler bowls but an imaginary paper is blocking his view of the pins and all he hears is the strike, then how does he know what just happened; did he do well or do poorly? In the same way, if you don't let your workers know they are doing a good job or even doing a bad job and you just evaluate them once a year, they will show about the same enthusiasm as the bowler who "bowls in the dark."

If you are a good manager or a good boss, I would hope you are already actively monitoring and praising your workers progress. I think if you are a go-getter, you probably already manage this way because you care about the people working for you and the work at hand. I had a supervisor one time when I was at my first job and he used a similar style of managing and things always got done. I felt comfortable around him and work was fun. I had another supervisor in another department that didn't have a clue what was going on. Some people were working, some were slacking and some things just would not seem to get done; the department was inefficient and it was a mess.

The goal of the one minute manager is to make sure everybody clearly knows what needs to be done, and when something isn't getting done, you need to offer immediate feedback by reprimanding them. When things are getting done, you need to also offer feedback in the form of praise/encouragement. The key to all of this is to let your workers know beforehand that this is how you manage.

I only paid a buck for this book so obviously I feel that I got my money's worth. I don't think it's worth the full price considering the message is rather on the basic and somewhat obvious side. I still think it's worth a read. There is no A-ha! moment here, but this advice certainly can benefit you not only at work but also in other relationships.

First published in the early 1980s, this thin book is a classic of the business world. The book is a business parable of sorts, a fictional tale of a young man who wants to learn everything he can about how to be an effective manager.

In the course of his travels, he hears of a manager of a company in a nearby town who has the reputation of being both effective and admired. The young man arranges a meeting with this manager and is surprised to hear him describe himself as a "one minute manager". Rather than explain himself immediately, the manager encourages the young man to talk with other employees and learn about the techniques that he uses.

Essentially, this book covers three areas on interpersonal and organizational skills: Goal setting, praising, and reprimanding. It is not so much a book about the mechanical tasks of managing, but rather a set of lessons in interpersonal relationships and the psychology of job performance.

Starting with the premise that employees who feel valued will be more productive, the book describes simple techniques to encourage productive behavior and to correct deficiencies.

Although the central theme of the book constitutes program of management style, there is plenty here that a prospective manager could come away with, even if they did not choose to embrace the entire One Minute Manager program.

Even if you never plan to become a "one minute manager", this is a good book on interpersonal relations in the workplace and beyond.

This classic is based on the premise that it doesn't take much to "get very big results from people." In fact, it takes about a minute... a well-timed minute. Start by setting goals with employees. Each goal should take no longer than a minute to read. The manager then looks for progress made toward the goals and "catches people doing things right" rewarding them with 1 minute of praise. Conversely, when things are not done well, the manager takes about a minute to reprimand the employee.

Basically, it's about timely and honestly communicating with employees, a practice which is severely lacking virtually everywhere. If managers actually followed the simple advice of this book, there's no telling what they could accomplish. It's a quick, easy, and very beneficial read.

-- Nick McCormick, Author, Lead Well and Prosper

I read this book almost immediately after it was first published more than 20 years ago and recently re-read it, curious to learn how well it has held up over the years. In fact, I hold it in higher regard now than I did before because Blanchard and Johnson focus on certain core principles which (if anything) are more relevant today than ever before. Specifically, they offer an allegory in which they use the metaphor of a single minute to suggest how to set goals, praise achievers, and reprimand non-achievers within a brief period of time. It is probably human nature to over-explain. (How often have you asked someone for the correct time and received an explanation of how a watch works?) I agree with Blanchard and Johnson that much of our precious time is wasted during interaction which is out of focus. We waste others' time. They waste ours. Group meetings are unproductive. One-on-one conversations fail to achieve their desired objectives. We also waste time when thinking about what we do and how we do it, about what others do and how they do it, and about unsatisfactory results when working with others.
Blanchard and Johnson draw heavily upon their extensive research in medicine and the behavioral sciences. What they share in this book is organized within 16 brief chapters. In the first, they introduce a "bright young man" who is searching for an effective manager from whom he can learn how to become one himself. In the last, the young man (who by then had become a One Minute Manager) is about to share with a young women the same "gift" which he had previously received from others. "I will make only one request of you." Blanchard and Johnson make the same request of those who read this book.
For whom will The One Minute Manager be most valuable? Good question. My initial response is to recommend it to those who want to increase their organization's productivity and profits as well as their own prosperity. In other words, to almost everyone. In fact, my opinion is that many of them (for whatever reasons) will not be receptive. Why? Perhaps they reject any ideas presented within an allegory. Or perhaps they strongly disagree with Blanchard and Johnson about what can be accomplished in only a minute.
I think it is a thoughtful. well-written, immensely practical book. Just as in my review of Spencer Johnson's The One Minute Sales Person I recommended that sales managers provide a copy of it to each new salesperson, I now strongly recommend that management supervisors provide a copy of The One Minute Manager to anyone for whom they become responsible. I also think that senior-level executives would be well-advised to re-read both books from time to time. Dust and rust do accumulate, don't they?

I was pleasantly surprised with this book... It's not you're typical book on management with charts, diagrams and bullet lists, instead the authors redacted the book in the form of a novel or story about a young manager eager to learn the secret to effective management. It's very descriptive and has immediate and practical "take-away" content from start to finish. This has definitely shaped my way of looking at management forever. I strongly recommend for those interested in expanding their view and stand-point on what good management and leadership should be.

---Summary---
That's a classic book arguing that management of people can be simple (one minute) by applying three basic concepts: Goal setting, praising, reprimand.
There is one key concept stating that it's easier to learn by knowing what to do (i.e. what is right), instead of knowing what not to do (i.e. what is wrong).
This is achieved by putting in place clarity with written goal setting, praising of right behaviours, and reprimanding bad behaviours when the goals and the right behaviours are known.

---Model/concepts---
One Minute Goal Setting
- Agree on goals, and write each goal on a single page with less than 250 words.
- Take a minute regularly to look at your performance and check if your behavior matches your goal.
One Minute Praising
- Praise people immediately and tell them specifically what they did right.
- Tell people how you feel about their behaviour, and how this impacts the success of other people and the whole organization.
- Encourage them to do more of the same.
One Minute Reprimand
- Reprimand people immediately and tell them specifically what they did wrong.
- Tell people how you feel about their behaviour.
- Explain that you reprimand the behaviour, and still you value the people.
- When the reprimand is over, it's over.

---Impact---
Even though the model is quite simplistic, there is one extremely powerful concept that can be used in practice, which is: "Catch people doing something right".
The reason is simple: It's much easier to learn by knowing what to do instead what not to do.
This is indeed a huge motivator for employees, who are rewarded for their successes.
Additionally, when people are rewarded for their good job, they accept more easily the critics (or reprimands).
In my team, this turns out to be a powerful tool.

---Rating---
- rating the store - 4.0/5.0 (206 reviews)
- my rating - 4.0/5.0
- fun factor - 4.0/5.0
- simplicity - 4.5/5.0
- impact - 5.0/5.0

For more details about the review, its format and metrics refer to my startups and teams blog.

Reward or punishment! Is this politically correct now-a-days. You bet not, but the idea is worth looking at and thinking about.
There are some interesting ideas contained in the very short read. It will provide the beginning manager with a good base to develop their own style, but shouldn't be copied outright. The words "reward" and "punishment" should be re-worked so as not to offend those PC fanatics who cannot deal with older thinking. Also, comparing the trreatment of personnel to that of training a dog, well, it doesn't play well anywhere.
I say give this book a read. Find some concepts that you can think about, and see if they can be applied to your present situation. If you spend more than 2 hours reading it, I'd be surprised. Use it as a brainstorming tool, not a How To book.

The One Minute Manager is a book that MUST be read by anyone on the payroll of a fortune 500 company -- especially since there are more than 7 million copies in print. But is it really worth five stars? Well, let's see...
Published in 1980, the One Minute Manager is the story of a hypothetical manager and his hypothetical employees, being interviewed by a hypothetical interviewer who is out to learn how to become a better manager. Through the interviewing process, the interviewer uncovers that the One Minute Manager has developed a three legged process for managing *the behaviours* of working adults. Specifically, the three main components of the One Minute Manager process are:
1) One Minute Goal Setting
2) One Minute Praisings
3) One Minute Reprimands
Throughout the book, the One Minute Manager and his employees frequently use metaphors to clarify the why's and wherefores of the One Minute Manager process and its value-add to an organization. Shockingly, most of the examples used to clarify the value of the process draw on behaviour modifcation techniques used on animals (in the book: a whale, a pigeon, and a puppy), recalcitrant children and even a terminally ill alcoholic. Not exactly the types of paragons I am trying to emulate in my professional life.
The real problem with the One Minute Manager is that the authors, Blanchard and Johnson, evidently believe that a reasonable way to develop a process for managing people is to venture out to the extremes in finding test cases for how best to change behaviour. And in theory, this can work. But in the One Minute Manager the process breaks down in most real-world situations because the One Minute Manager process *requires* a binary world (i.e., black/white, off/on, correct/incorrect). Especially for the One Minute Praisings Praisings and Reprimands -- my experience in the complex world of modern business, is that there frequently does not exist one right way to do things and that good/bad, better/worse, and best/worst cases are often not uncovered or agreed upon for years (example: Time Warner & AOL merger).
What is good about the book is that Blanchard and Johnson have marketed a process that neccesitates engaging both manager and employee in objective setting and driving the success of the business (very TQM/Deming of them). They also encourage folks to praise themselves -- something I have found that many do not do in the workplace. The most poignant part of the story uses the following joke very effectively (paraphrased): "If you don't blow your own horn sometimes, eventually someone will use it for a spit-toon".
So given the above, why the five stars? Well, there are three reasons for this:
1) The One Minute Manager is unique in the business book genre in that it employees a parable (i.e., no new data or primary research) to put forward ideas/concepts for managing people -- somewhat strange that two *supposed* scientists would take this approach
2) I have personally been an employee of someone who, while I worked for her, became a One Minute Manager by reading the book (this manager overcame her mere average incompetence and quickly became ludicrously incompetent), so realize that in the wrong hands, this book can make the lives of employees a nightmare
3) Too many folks in business have bought the book for you not to
Net/net: FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED. Read this and know what other corporate types know if you rely on your paycheck for shelter and food, and have even the slightest interest in being happy and succeeding in corporate America.

On one hand I really like the way this book gets right to the point without consuming lots of time. Too many books with a similar mission would spend 400 pages, but this one can be read in an hour.

The brevity is a double-edged blade though, because the book falls short of fully explaining its concepts. It really touches on only three main approaches to management, but it does not provide anything in the way of examples or contingencies in case real life does not match the story.

I am glad I read it but it is hard to say the book is worth the money. You really do not get much content for the price. Upon finishing the book, you'll soon realize the need to buy more books from these authors to flesh out how to implement their suggestions.

I had this technique used on me back in the 80s. All it it did was get my back up and insult my intelligence.

People are not as stupid as management likes to believe, nor are they that easy to manipulate. If you don't treat your staff right, they will not care, no matter what methods you so cleverly use on them.

This classic allegorical tale is a helpful first step into the world of management. Whether you are a business owner, division supervisor, politician, or pastor, this book can help you manage people in a few easy steps. Indeed, not only are the concepts simple, but the book itself is quick read by any standard.

With over 100 the store reviews, let me just say this: any reader could likely get the gist of the book by simply consulting the pocket-size "Game Plan" near the end of the book. This summarizes the key elements involved in being a One-Minute Manager: One-Minute Goal Setting, One-Minute Praising, and One-Minute Reprimands. The chart is a little weak on "Goal Setting" but the information is outlined (on its own page) early on in the book for further consultation.

For the beginner this is a great resource. For the experienced this is a good reminder, yet will likely be regarded a bit too simplistic.

"The One Minute Manager" might be old news now but I think it has some of the best advice for young managers at all levels available. This is a little book, almost a handbook on how to deal with common issues that come up in dealing with subordinates. The text is crisp and unadorned, matter of fact and quick.
If you are or if you know a young person who finds himself in charge of others, recommend "The One Minute Manager" to him or her. This is not at all the end of the story of an evolving manager but will help clueless young managers to find their way.
I buy copies and put them in the hands of people I care about and want to help along their path.

...just started a new part time job and I read this because the owner found it to be extremely influential in her management style. This book is lickety-split-quick. I read it in about two hours. The story is a fable about a young man who wants to meet the ideal manager, who turns about to be a "one-minute-manager", a composite taken from the authors' research. This book illustrates simple principles in an accessible way with focus on goal setting, affirmation, and effective, though caring, criticism when goals are not met.

For me, this is an effective book as this is a new area of research focus for me. If you're starting out with management techniques or understanding management techniques, then books like this provide accessible points of entry into the field. Ultimately, the book struggles with two flaws that reduce my rating. First, I would like to have more access to the research that generated the one-minute-manager. Without that research this book can be viewed as a fictional fable rather than a practical one. Second, I feel that while effective, several of the techniques are not practical for American business. I asked my dad, a Wharton grad, about this book, and he said that it was in vogue for a while in the 1980s and then lost its influence in ways that books like "The Seven Habits of Effective People" did not. I feel that the reason the book fails is that it treats American employees and employers like rational, grounded individuals. If you read the Wall Street Journal and the newspapers, you realize that Americans are irrational beings and that this ideal is not always practical. Setting goals with a person that has been marginalized culturally, spiritually, economically, and socially is too reductionist an approach. I'm very interested in programs and management styles that will work with difficult employees, the one's that currently sap the strength of most of the large businesses in corporate America and the large institutions such as our public schools. I think that books like "The One Minute Manager" are best for start ups and new blood who want to impose a new corporate culture on a blank slate. For the majority of businesses that are established and trying to dramatically change course, the ideas in this book will be helpful, but not immediately applicable.

--4 stars

--SD

I read this book right after reading the book "Who Moved My Cheese" by the same authors. It is also a quick read and can be read in about an hour and a half or so. The book is easy to read, and quite frankly I found it a lot better than the cheese book.
Mostly because it gives managers a good insight into what we do wrong and one possible way to correct this.
Their method comes down to a simple advice: Do not wait with compliments and complaints and scoldings and praise until the annual review, but do it whenever it is needed and then scold the behavior, but appreciate the person.
Their second advice (although it is given first) comes down to making clear to both manager and subordinate what is expected. Too many employees and managers think different of what is expected of them and have not written it down. Thus confusion begins and people feel unjustly treated.

This book I also borrowed from the library, although I might someday buy it. I would recommend this book, both due to its good advice and easy readability. But I find the price of 16 dollars high for the content in it.

Very good nearly indispensable information written in a format that oscillates between children's storybook and a raging sociopath obsessed with surrounding people that like to call him a One Minute Manager. The material is amazing but the story is outlandish and contradictory. Right out of the gate the book says people are more effective when they feel good about themselves, but the manager says incredibly harsh things like "'Then don't waste my time,' he snapped." The manager snapped? Really? Does everything the manager says need to be in a pissy italics tone?

Back in 1981, I was a first line supervisor for a large steel company. As an organization, we were struggling against the competition coming from Japan dumping large volumes of low quality, low price steel on our shores. Our management team bought everyone a copy of the new book, The One Minute Manager. We found this small book to be a fun and crisp read. In short order, our local group solved our problems and thrived in the face of the competition.

In 2007, I was now a corporate director for a fortune 500 company and one of our operations were struggling with continual losses. Part of my corrective action was to dust off my old copy of The One Minute Manager and put it to use. I was somewhat surprised that it was still available through the store. I bought multiple copies for the managers and as in the past, they started solving their people issues which in turn solved all the other problems.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this 'old' book. Plain and simple, it works. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs

I just reread this great little primer on management and found it just as helpful as I did fifteen years ago. While its concepts are simple, they are also quite effective IF managers (including teachers, parents, and front-line supervisors) would implement them correctly. The three secrets of one-minute goal setting, one-minute praisings,and one-minute reprimands are based on sound behavioral principles and are bound to work as long as certain guidelines are met. For instance, goals should be realistic and specific, praisings should be sincere and immediate, and reprimands should end with a bit of encouragement. I love the idea of managers walking around trying to catch people doing things right. What a refreshing idea!

Read the book and apply the principles in your home, office, or factory. While the three guidelines won't solve every human relations problem, they offer sound, practical advice that will lay the foundation for effectiveness.

The One Minute Manager is a parable outlining the fundamental aspects of a "One Minute Manager" program. In the introduction, the authors emphasize the use of the book as a management tool. The key, according to Blanchard and Johnson, is to learn from the program, applying the principles to daily management functions in an organization, and sharing the newfound wisdom with others.

Each section is discussed according to the overarching narrative, followed by a summary emphasizing major concepts. They include "The First Secret: One Minute Goals," "The Second Secret: One Minute Praisings," and "The Third Secret: One Minute Reprimands." Mantras relating to these management techniques are peppered throughout the text, displayed as plaques in various offices. These facets are again summarized in the final chapters, reiterating the key points and offering examples regarding the application in actual situations (although the actual situations are ultimately odd and juvenile). The book concludes with encouragement to adopt the "One Minute" management style immediately, simultaneously sharing the "gift" of the program with others in a tone that eerily conjures cult recruitment.

While the book certainly deals with management concepts, its usefulness as a practical tool is limited. Written from the point of view of an individual seeking more information on the ideal management style, the narrator is referred to an outstanding manager and seeks to discover the nuances of "One Minute" management, a concept that seems too good to be true. The narrative is extremely simplistic, frequently relying on examples that are trite and cloying. The character supposedly embodying the ideal manager is usually just irritating, bombastically talking too much without really saying anything at all. While this makes for a fast read that is easily digestible, it undercuts the seriousness of the lessons outlined by the author. These drawbacks are somewhat diminished through the helpful reiterations of key points in the "One Minute" summaries; serious managers looking for useful strategies without pedestrian fluff would benefit from focusing on these sections exclusively (which are literally encompassed by only four pages). The strategies are not innovative, although the condensed presentation of approaches to goal setting, praise, and reprimand successfully distill this information into extremely manageable parcels that will be easy to implement quickly and effectively. Some suggestions are outdated and potentially dangerous, such as recommendations to touch colleagues when offering feedback, but overall the basic suggestions remain relevant.

Spencer and Blanchard both bring experience as management/human resource consultants for a number of well-known companies. It is clear that as an outgrowth of their consulting work, they have developed the "One Minute Manager" program and the text appears to be the marketing of their trademarked philosophy toward management. The real secret of the "One Minute Manager" is that none of the concepts are actually secrets. They are common, fundamental management principles given a catchy title and framed within a mediocre story. The ideas, while somewhat stale, may be more palatable to inexperienced and broad audiences through the highly anecdotal nature of their delivery.

The One Minute Manager is ultimately useful for individuals seeking suggestions for basic management strategies in the areas of goal setting and evaluation/feedback. Readers seeking in-depth recommendations and management guidance will be disappointed, but those seeking a lighthearted and casual overview of commonly accepted management strategies might appreciate a cute story with a few helpful kernels that outline three fair, honest, and effective management techniques.

'The One Minute Manager', written in 1981 by highly-regarded author and consultant Kenneth H. Blanchard and by Spencer Johnson, is an excellent book on improving management effectiveness and employee productivity. And, while increased 'knowledge worker' efficiency may have made it simple enough in the 80s and early 90s for companies to simply dismiss below-average workers (they didn't require replacing, as fewer total knowledge workers were required to perform the same tasks as before), the 21st century challenge will be to optimize the performance of employees already in the organization, as profitable businesses will likely need to replace dismissed workers. This will involve improved management practices, such as the ones espoused in this book.
'One Minute Manager' is very short (can be read in less than one hour), yet has the potential to greatly improve management efficiency. The book discusses three 'secrets' -- one minute goals, one minute praising, and one minute reprimands. To briefly summarize, the theory espoused in the book is for the manager to set one-page goals with each employee for the top 20% of tasks which, according to Pareto, account for 80% of the productivity of the employee. Next, the manager follows up with either immediate one minute praise or an immediate behavior-based (rather than personal) one minute reprimand. The praise is designed to focus the employee behavior toward continuous improvement. As such, a less-capable employee (typically a newer one) would receive praise for lesser accomplishments than would a more seasoned one. The reprimand is to reinforce the goals of the organization.
The theories made a lot of sense. They espouse the true vision of 'leadership', which is to guide the organization in a specific direction, toward specific goals and achievement. I recommend this book to anyone interested in leadership or effectiveness.

Imagine a show where a whale suddenly emerges above the surface of the water, jumps over a rope to a thunderous applause from the audience who don't mind being drenched by the splash of water. How was the whale trained to do this, one may wonder. The training had actually started under water, where the whale was rewarded with food each time it crossed over the rope. The rope was then gradually raised and the whale jumps over it even if is above the water level.
Imagine the rope as the goal setting exercise in our organizations. We reward people for attaining their goals and we raise the bar every time to get the best out of every one.
This book is about Goal Setting, Rewarding and Reprimanding. It also proves a very important concept. The normal confusion is that democratic managers sacrifice results while the result oriented managers sacrifice people. The One Minute Manager teaches us to be simultaneously good at achieving results and taking care of people.

After the 60's and 70's, the terms reinforcement and punishment held negative cultural connotations that seemed to equate people with Pavlov's dog. Blanchard and Johnson's One Minute method presented scientifically validated behavioral psychology in a way that managers of the time could feel comfortable with. Thus, if you apply these ideas, you will not sound like a psychologist circa 1950. Instead, you'll sound like a Politically Correct 1980's management consultant.
Despite its age, the method is simple -you can read it in half an hour- yet extremely powerful. First, define the behaviors or results you want (One Minute Goal Setting/ Activator), then let your reports go out and perform. During the performance, you offer reinforcement in two forms, positive or negative. Catch someone doing good, you give them a One Minute Praising (positive reinforcement). Catch a report doing something bad, you give them a One Minute Reprimand (punishment/ negative reinforcement). The result is classic operant conditioning and behavior shaping.
I use the concepts in this book regularly. They are simple and very effective. Once you know where you want people to go, the behavior shaping methods presented in this book will likely get your team there, and quickly. One Minute Managing is a surefire way to increase the quantity of actions which add value, while minimizing those which detract. I would recommend Aubrey Daniels' `Bringing out the Best in People,' which goes into operant conditioning in more depth, as a very solid companion for this book.

This is another parable book by Spencer Johnson. I still think "Who Moved My Cheese" is the better of the books as far as delivering the message and getting you to think.

The message here is to "train" your workers to effectively complete their tasks/goals by using one minute goal setting, and one minute praise and reprimands. The author argues that this method is more effective than simply hiring someone, giving them a job description, and then giving them an annual review. He uses an analogy of a bowler bowling a strike. The bowler feels accomplishment when he sees how many pins he has hit right away. The feedback is immediate and it is obvious. If the bowler bowls but an imaginary paper is blocking his view of the pins and all he hears is the strike, then how does he know what just happened; did he do well or do poorly? In the same way, if you don't let your workers know they are doing a good job or even doing a bad job and you just evaluate them once a year, they will show about the same enthusiasm as the bowler who "bowls in the dark."

If you are a good manager or a good boss, I would hope you are already actively monitoring and praising your workers progress. I think if you are a go-getter, you probably already manage this way because you care about the people working for you and the work at hand. I had a supervisor one time when I was at my first job and he used a similar style of managing and things always got done. I felt comfortable around him and work was fun. I had another supervisor in another department that didn't have a clue what was going on. Some people were working, some were slacking and some things just would not seem to get done; the department was inefficient and it was a mess.

The goal of the one minute manager is to make sure everybody clearly knows what needs to be done, and when something isn't getting done, you need to offer immediate feedback by reprimanding them. When things are getting done, you need to also offer feedback in the form of praise/encouragement. The key to all of this is to let your workers know beforehand that this is how you manage.

I only paid a buck for this book so obviously I feel that I got my money's worth. I don't think it's worth the full price considering the message is rather on the basic and somewhat obvious side. I still think it's worth a read. There is no A-ha! moment here, but this advice certainly can benefit you not only at work but also in other relationships.

First published in the early 1980s, this thin book is a classic of the business world. The book is a business parable of sorts, a fictional tale of a young man who wants to learn everything he can about how to be an effective manager.

In the course of his travels, he hears of a manager of a company in a nearby town who has the reputation of being both effective and admired. The young man arranges a meeting with this manager and is surprised to hear him describe himself as a "one minute manager". Rather than explain himself immediately, the manager encourages the young man to talk with other employees and learn about the techniques that he uses.

Essentially, this book covers three areas on interpersonal and organizational skills: Goal setting, praising, and reprimanding. It is not so much a book about the mechanical tasks of managing, but rather a set of lessons in interpersonal relationships and the psychology of job performance.

Starting with the premise that employees who feel valued will be more productive, the book describes simple techniques to encourage productive behavior and to correct deficiencies.

Although the central theme of the book constitutes program of management style, there is plenty here that a prospective manager could come away with, even if they did not choose to embrace the entire One Minute Manager program.

Even if you never plan to become a "one minute manager", this is a good book on interpersonal relations in the workplace and beyond.

This classic is based on the premise that it doesn't take much to "get very big results from people." In fact, it takes about a minute... a well-timed minute. Start by setting goals with employees. Each goal should take no longer than a minute to read. The manager then looks for progress made toward the goals and "catches people doing things right" rewarding them with 1 minute of praise. Conversely, when things are not done well, the manager takes about a minute to reprimand the employee.

Basically, it's about timely and honestly communicating with employees, a practice which is severely lacking virtually everywhere. If managers actually followed the simple advice of this book, there's no telling what they could accomplish. It's a quick, easy, and very beneficial read.

-- Nick McCormick, Author, Lead Well and Prosper

I read this book almost immediately after it was first published more than 20 years ago and recently re-read it, curious to learn how well it has held up over the years. In fact, I hold it in higher regard now than I did before because Blanchard and Johnson focus on certain core principles which (if anything) are more relevant today than ever before. Specifically, they offer an allegory in which they use the metaphor of a single minute to suggest how to set goals, praise achievers, and reprimand non-achievers within a brief period of time. It is probably human nature to over-explain. (How often have you asked someone for the correct time and received an explanation of how a watch works?) I agree with Blanchard and Johnson that much of our precious time is wasted during interaction which is out of focus. We waste others' time. They waste ours. Group meetings are unproductive. One-on-one conversations fail to achieve their desired objectives. We also waste time when thinking about what we do and how we do it, about what others do and how they do it, and about unsatisfactory results when working with others.
Blanchard and Johnson draw heavily upon their extensive research in medicine and the behavioral sciences. What they share in this book is organized within 16 brief chapters. In the first, they introduce a "bright young man" who is searching for an effective manager from whom he can learn how to become one himself. In the last, the young man (who by then had become a One Minute Manager) is about to share with a young women the same "gift" which he had previously received from others. "I will make only one request of you." Blanchard and Johnson make the same request of those who read this book.
For whom will The One Minute Manager be most valuable? Good question. My initial response is to recommend it to those who want to increase their organization's productivity and profits as well as their own prosperity. In other words, to almost everyone. In fact, my opinion is that many of them (for whatever reasons) will not be receptive. Why? Perhaps they reject any ideas presented within an allegory. Or perhaps they strongly disagree with Blanchard and Johnson about what can be accomplished in only a minute.
I think it is a thoughtful. well-written, immensely practical book. Just as in my review of Spencer Johnson's The One Minute Sales Person I recommended that sales managers provide a copy of it to each new salesperson, I now strongly recommend that management supervisors provide a copy of The One Minute Manager to anyone for whom they become responsible. I also think that senior-level executives would be well-advised to re-read both books from time to time. Dust and rust do accumulate, don't they?

I was pleasantly surprised with this book... It's not you're typical book on management with charts, diagrams and bullet lists, instead the authors redacted the book in the form of a novel or story about a young manager eager to learn the secret to effective management. It's very descriptive and has immediate and practical "take-away" content from start to finish. This has definitely shaped my way of looking at management forever. I strongly recommend for those interested in expanding their view and stand-point on what good management and leadership should be.

---Summary---
That's a classic book arguing that management of people can be simple (one minute) by applying three basic concepts: Goal setting, praising, reprimand.
There is one key concept stating that it's easier to learn by knowing what to do (i.e. what is right), instead of knowing what not to do (i.e. what is wrong).
This is achieved by putting in place clarity with written goal setting, praising of right behaviours, and reprimanding bad behaviours when the goals and the right behaviours are known.

---Model/concepts---
One Minute Goal Setting
- Agree on goals, and write each goal on a single page with less than 250 words.
- Take a minute regularly to look at your performance and check if your behavior matches your goal.
One Minute Praising
- Praise people immediately and tell them specifically what they did right.
- Tell people how you feel about their behaviour, and how this impacts the success of other people and the whole organization.
- Encourage them to do more of the same.
One Minute Reprimand
- Reprimand people immediately and tell them specifically what they did wrong.
- Tell people how you feel about their behaviour.
- Explain that you reprimand the behaviour, and still you value the people.
- When the reprimand is over, it's over.

---Impact---
Even though the model is quite simplistic, there is one extremely powerful concept that can be used in practice, which is: "Catch people doing something right".
The reason is simple: It's much easier to learn by knowing what to do instead what not to do.
This is indeed a huge motivator for employees, who are rewarded for their successes.
Additionally, when people are rewarded for their good job, they accept more easily the critics (or reprimands).
In my team, this turns out to be a powerful tool.

---Rating---
- rating the store - 4.0/5.0 (206 reviews)
- my rating - 4.0/5.0
- fun factor - 4.0/5.0
- simplicity - 4.5/5.0
- impact - 5.0/5.0

For more details about the review, its format and metrics refer to my startups and teams blog.

Reward or punishment! Is this politically correct now-a-days. You bet not, but the idea is worth looking at and thinking about.
There are some interesting ideas contained in the very short read. It will provide the beginning manager with a good base to develop their own style, but shouldn't be copied outright. The words "reward" and "punishment" should be re-worked so as not to offend those PC fanatics who cannot deal with older thinking. Also, comparing the trreatment of personnel to that of training a dog, well, it doesn't play well anywhere.
I say give this book a read. Find some concepts that you can think about, and see if they can be applied to your present situation. If you spend more than 2 hours reading it, I'd be surprised. Use it as a brainstorming tool, not a How To book.

The One Minute Manager is a book that MUST be read by anyone on the payroll of a fortune 500 company -- especially since there are more than 7 million copies in print. But is it really worth five stars? Well, let's see...
Published in 1980, the One Minute Manager is the story of a hypothetical manager and his hypothetical employees, being interviewed by a hypothetical interviewer who is out to learn how to become a better manager. Through the interviewing process, the interviewer uncovers that the One Minute Manager has developed a three legged process for managing *the behaviours* of working adults. Specifically, the three main components of the One Minute Manager process are:
1) One Minute Goal Setting
2) One Minute Praisings
3) One Minute Reprimands
Throughout the book, the One Minute Manager and his employees frequently use metaphors to clarify the why's and wherefores of the One Minute Manager process and its value-add to an organization. Shockingly, most of the examples used to clarify the value of the process draw on behaviour modifcation techniques used on animals (in the book: a whale, a pigeon, and a puppy), recalcitrant children and even a terminally ill alcoholic. Not exactly the types of paragons I am trying to emulate in my professional life.
The real problem with the One Minute Manager is that the authors, Blanchard and Johnson, evidently believe that a reasonable way to develop a process for managing people is to venture out to the extremes in finding test cases for how best to change behaviour. And in theory, this can work. But in the One Minute Manager the process breaks down in most real-world situations because the One Minute Manager process *requires* a binary world (i.e., black/white, off/on, correct/incorrect). Especially for the One Minute Praisings Praisings and Reprimands -- my experience in the complex world of modern business, is that there frequently does not exist one right way to do things and that good/bad, better/worse, and best/worst cases are often not uncovered or agreed upon for years (example: Time Warner & AOL merger).
What is good about the book is that Blanchard and Johnson have marketed a process that neccesitates engaging both manager and employee in objective setting and driving the success of the business (very TQM/Deming of them). They also encourage folks to praise themselves -- something I have found that many do not do in the workplace. The most poignant part of the story uses the following joke very effectively (paraphrased): "If you don't blow your own horn sometimes, eventually someone will use it for a spit-toon".
So given the above, why the five stars? Well, there are three reasons for this:
1) The One Minute Manager is unique in the business book genre in that it employees a parable (i.e., no new data or primary research) to put forward ideas/concepts for managing people -- somewhat strange that two *supposed* scientists would take this approach
2) I have personally been an employee of someone who, while I worked for her, became a One Minute Manager by reading the book (this manager overcame her mere average incompetence and quickly became ludicrously incompetent), so realize that in the wrong hands, this book can make the lives of employees a nightmare
3) Too many folks in business have bought the book for you not to
Net/net: FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED. Read this and know what other corporate types know if you rely on your paycheck for shelter and food, and have even the slightest interest in being happy and succeeding in corporate America.

On one hand I really like the way this book gets right to the point without consuming lots of time. Too many books with a similar mission would spend 400 pages, but this one can be read in an hour.

The brevity is a double-edged blade though, because the book falls short of fully explaining its concepts. It really touches on only three main approaches to management, but it does not provide anything in the way of examples or contingencies in case real life does not match the story.

I am glad I read it but it is hard to say the book is worth the money. You really do not get much content for the price. Upon finishing the book, you'll soon realize the need to buy more books from these authors to flesh out how to implement their suggestions.

I was a little disappointed when 'The One Minute Manager' arrived in the mail and I saw its small size and large fonts. However, this tiny little fairy-tale is the best management book I've read. I strongly recommend this book for managers in all fields, including professors in academia. 'The One Minute Manager' takes less than an hour to read, and if you have any interest in becoming a better manager or a stronger leader, surely you can risk 60 minutes of your time? The ideas are not contrived, artificial mechanisms that interfere with our natural personalities. Instead, the entire strategy can be implemented by following a few simple rules that feel natural and are easy to perform and maintain. Sound too good to be true? Just try it!
A word of caution though, use of the strategy assumes the individuals on the manager's team are intelligent, and the tools presented are designed to encourage subordinates to become more independent and responsible, not reliant on a manager's approval, input or direction on minor decisions. Any manager who wants to be involved in all aspects of a project couldn't possibly use the strategies of 'The One Minute Manager' without driving his team nuts.

I have pushed myself through countless management books in various U.S. Navy leadership and civilian management courses. One Minute Manager was a required textbook for a college communication course. I initially thought that the little book with the big print would be a waste of time. I previewed it in a bookstore over coffee and nearly finished it before the coffee. It reads incredibly quick and unfolds a strategy so simple and straightforward that the reader wonders why anyone would behave any differently. I wanted to go back in time and slip it into half a dozen bosses' in boxes. Not since Strunk and White's "Element's of Style" have I encountered such concise, natural-feeling instruction on things we use everyday. This isn't just big business either - I'm seeing improvements with my four and five year old boys as well. The look of accomplishment on their faces tells me that these ideas can work anywhere! Required: a leader, communication, confidence, pride and praise.

The original One Minute Manager deals with the three "secrets" of good management: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands. I found this book well done but simplistic (apparently this manager does very little outside of the two hour staff meeting each week), which I guess is all one might expect from a breezy read that one could polish off in an hour or so.

Nevertheless, I certainly would recommend it as reading to all managers. And because of its short length, it is a book that a manager could reread every year. The basic insights and principles are valid and should be considered by all thoughtful managers. Certainly not the only management book you'll ever need, but a helpful supplement to your bookshelf.

This is the book that started it all. I was recently reorganizing my books and ran across a copy of the original version. I decided to reread it and was really a little dissappointed. I remember reading this back in the 80's and being quite impressed with it.

So why was I not impressed with it twenty years later? Well, a few reasons. Back in the 80's, we bought our books at a place called a book store. There, you could actually thumb through the book before buying it. So, you could easily see that there wasn't much content. The book is 112 pages, but could have easily fit on half that number. Ah, the magic of formatting. Today, we buy our books online and cannot see that we are dupped into believing there is more content than what is actually here.

Also, the basic concept here revolves around 3 simple principles, 1 minute goal setting, 1 minute praising and 1 minute reprimanding. There you have it. Don't get me wrong, this is great stuff to know and live by, but by today's standards, this is simply not enough content to warrant the price.

If you haven't read this book, by all means, get a copy. But don't pay $14.95 for it. It's easy enough to find a nice used copy for a couple of dollars.

I finally ordered this book to see for myself if all the hype was true. After reading through the pages very quickly (it only took a couple of brief sittings), I was thoroughly impressed. Blanchard and Johnson truly have a classic here, a volume that fulfills its high expectations.
The key to the success of this book is the combination of its simplicity and its practicality. Three lessons are given to managers: the one-minute goal, the one-minute praising, and the one-minute reprimand. The material is presented in a parable-like format, which makes the concepts even easier to grasp.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. For the small price paid and the short time required to read it from cover to cover, it is a superb investment. If you are any type of leader or manager, READ THIS BOOK!

I have a wonderful hardcover copy of the book from Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson that started the whole "The One Minute..." best-selling series.

Over the year the One Minute Goal and the One Minute Reprimand have been two of my favorites "One Minutes...." This is a superb classic management book, reminding us of what is essential. Indeed, parents can benefit from reading and applying the suggestions as well because, of course, parents are the "Managers" (and stewards) of their children.

The One Minute Manager is a book I take off the shelf and review annually. You will definitely want to add it to your library as well.

The One Minute Manager is direct and to the point. It teaches you what you need to know without all the fluff. The book reveals that techniques that increase your productivity, job satisfaction and personal achievement. The book gives you three very practical secrets on how to be a good manger and get the most productive out of your team while keeping them inspired and engaged.

This book is simple, short and opens your eyes to the right way of managing your team and workplace.

We have read this book with our Landscape, Golf and Airport leaders at Ole Miss. It is a great simple way to encourage leaders managing and leading people. Keeping it clear, simple and managing does not have to be super complicated, but it does need to be consistent. It is very applicable to ground level leadership.

I liked this book and it's easy to read style. However I highly recommend purchasing (from the store of course) "The Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback" by Shirley Poertner, Karen Massetti Miller. I combined the info from the 2 books to give myself a complete system of "reinforcement" and "redirection" to use (I dislike Blanchard's use of the term reprimand; sounds too harsh and punishment-like). It takes the process a step further than Blanchard by showing what to do if after a "reprimand" the employee gives resistance or is confused about the expectations. I highly recommend Blanchard's "Situational Leadership and the One Minute Manager". The situational leadership system made my "lightbulb" come on.

I am now ready to be the manager I was hoping to learn to be when I first purchased the One Minute Manager book!

For an adult to have not read this book, to me, is like a person who never read "Green Eggs & Ham" or "Jack and Jill". This is a MUST read for anyone who is involved in the corporate community at any level. The three concepts introduced in "The One Minute Manager" are so simple to understand, yet so profound at what they accomplish. Actually, "The One Minute Manager" IS as easy to read as "Green Eggs & Ham". I love the "story book" format that is used to tell the tale of this enigmatic character who calls himself a one-minute-manager. The other character, a young man on a quest to learn what makes a good manager, who subsequently encounters the one-minute-manager, reminds me of Columbo who asks questions and investigates tirelessly until he finds answers. This book is an easy read and a fun read. Yet the concepts that it reveals are priceless.

B.F. Skinner, K. Breland, and N. Guttman discovered shaping in 1943 at a General Mills flour mill. Oh, the excitement they must have had teaching pigeons to do funny tricks like bowl, peck discs, and pull strings. Now, you can share the fun. Let your employees be the pigeons and you can use Skinners 60-year-old principles to teach your employees tricks.

Kenneth H. Blanchard and Spencer Johnson shamelessly repackage Skinner's operant conditioning as a management tool. Even the examples are the same: Pigeons and bowling. Told in parable form, the "employees" of the imaginary company love their successive approximations ("One-Minute Goals"), positive rewards ("One-Minute Praisings"), and aversive stimulus ("One-Minute Reprimands"). Using operant conditioning principles to control humans is not new; in fact, B.F. Skinner himself suggested that the principles of operant conditioning can be used efficiently to control a society. In his 1948 novel, Walden Two, he presented a utopian society guided by operant conditioning principles. His 1971 book, Beyond Freedom and Dignity, caused a controversy by presenting his ideas on how operant conditioning could be utilized in an actual society. Although most people are not willing to accept Skinner's utopian ideal, the principles of operant conditioning are being applied in our everyday lives. Apparently, DRS. Johns and Blanchard feel employees, as pigeons, can be controlled with simple antique behavioral modifications.

This is a great little introduction to personnel management. Though slightly misnamed, the book introduces three skills of management which can be done in a concise way (but probably not quite 60 seconds). Managers should cast clear vision and expectations, commend good work, and correct mistakes. That's it.

The reason the book is so good is that so many managers can't or won't do those three simple things. The ability to confront employees in a non-combative way is too abrasive for sensitive people-people, and too limited for true autocrats. Praise is simple and obvious enough, but many managers think they've done it when they haven't. And precise goal-setting is sometimes beyond business leaders who do not have sharp mental editing skills. When you're finished with the book, you haven't heard anything you didn't already know, you've only been reminded of how important it is to do these things. Like diet and exercise, most of us know what's best for us regardless of whether or not we do it. Additionally, and this is a subtle point, the manager has to express how he or she feels about an employee's performance, and accurate expression of feeling is sometimes beyond the emotional range of some really driven leaders.

It's a top notch, brief read. Everyone in leadership ought to read it, even if they walk away with nothing new. The only thing I'd correct is some mediocre narrative, as the whole book is written as a fictional set of interviews by a young manager-to-be of his idiolized One Minute Manager, running a company. But no one's reading this book because they meant to pick up a good novel, so writing style is a minor issue. That aside, it's worth the content.

The One Minute Manager is a very short book, in the shape of a modern tale in which a young man wants to learn about some company and its esteemed manager. He meets him, he becomes exposed to his philosophy of work, and goes on to meet other members of the company; each of which presents another aspect of the One Minute Manager work ethic.

This is a book that everyone in business is required to learn in many countries, such as Japan, and I can see why. It is not only interesting for the work place, but you could learn a thing or two about the management of any human group, like a family, a club, or else.

I have read this a couple of times in my career already, but the new boss just bought a hardback copy for his management team so I read it again. It doesn't take long.

The authors of the negative reviews here miss the point. It's not a management tome meant to provide day-to-day advice, but rather a parable offering a timeless philosophy: Tell your employees what you expect, offer timely feedback and exhibit support.

One reviewer recommended an annual reading. I concur. It's easy to get lost in the specific details and lose sight of foundation principles. Buy the hardback, read and reread. Yes, there is a lot of whitespace, but it's about the message. It's not rocket science, but it's timeless. You and I could have written it, but Blanchard and Johnson beat us to it.

The tools the authors advocate in this book are effective and easy to work with in any organization. They are simplistic but surprisely effective. They are not a silver bullet for all the ills of an organization. However if practiced, they will lead to a better work environment.

As with many management tools, the policy advocated in this book are not a cure for all organizational difficulties. In organizations that don't care for their workers, this policy would not work. Organizations using only this method will not become more profitable. This is just one of many tools a manager should use in leading his/her organization.

This Johnson/Blanchard collaboration is one of the most synergistic and powerful of the Blanchard stable of management books.
The principles are simple and may come across as intuitively obvious for most seasoned managers looking for motivational techniques for their charges. However, these time-tested techniques of appropriate praising and reprimands are often not applied in a timely enough fashion to achieve their maximal effect on staff and colleagues. As a result, managers sometimes wonder why their efforts fall short of producing tangible results.
The authors seek to provide the Whys to the application of these techniques. This serves as powerful reminder to managers that although there is a price to pay in order to be a One-Minute Manager, there is a bigger price to pay if we do not become One-Minute Managers. The bigger price of course is the loss of the privilege to manage talents under our charge.
This book deserves 4 stars for its creative, succinct parable-led coaching style which has served the readers well. It is true to its title of One Minute - Short, straight to the point, immediately applicable.

When most people become a manager for the first time, they are more than a little unsure of themselves. Naturally, they often use speech and ways of doing things that they have seen others use. That's great if their role models are good, but can be terrible otherwise.
The One Minute Manager provides a positive role model for those who have not yet seen one, and good reinforcement for those who have not seen one lately.
If organizations try to operate on the assumption that only the manager has ideas worth acting on, then very little will be accomplished. The One Minute Manager provides a useful model for opening up and stimulating the minds of everyone in the organization to accomplish more.
Not only is this advice worth following from an effectiveness point of view, it will also make you feel better about yourself as a manager and as a person when you follow it. And you will certainly make those who report to you feel a lot better, as well.
I like the use of a parable to help each of us reexamine ourselves, because it makes the reader feel less defensive. But be sure to remember what you gut instincts would have been in the same situations the One Minute Manager describes. Otherwise, you may miss the point of how much your behavior needs to change.
This is one of a handful of books well worth rereading annually.
Unlike most business books, this one is short and easy to read. The academic language has been banished, and it is well written.
If you want to go beyond The One Minute Manager to get even better results, you will have to learn and use other beneficial habits as well. But you can have all the great ideas in the world, and if you annoy and stifle everyone around you, not much will happen. So think of this book as necessary for more success, but not sufficient in and of itself for getting the utmost benefits in working with others.

This is an excellent book for teaching simple communications
in a typical business environment. The main theme is to provide
meaningful communication immediately when an employee act is to
be praised or criticized. The idea is to have an immediate
association between the praise or blame so that much time
does not pass between your recognition of the critical behavior
and the quick assessment and communication of it. In rapid
succession, the author poses many typical scenarios and the
optimal response to the observed behaviors . This book can help
you to assess critical behaviors so that corrective action can
be taken at a point in time when you have the most control.

"The One Minute Manager" is about finding the balance between being an autocratic manager who cares only about the results, and a democratic manager, who cares only about the people.
The authors use the parable of a young man on a quest to find a truly effective manager. In his search, he meets the One Minute Manager, a willing mentor who seems to have things well in control and plenty of time on his hands.
During the course of the story, the young man finds that a good manager is an honest, straight-shooter, that really cares for his people. According to his mentor, the process for ensuring this can be boiled down into three rules.
1. Make and set One Minute Goals. Keep them short, simple, and easily measured.
2. Give One Minute Praise. Try and catch your folks doing things right.
3. Give One Minute Reprimands. Do it immediately. Talk only about the incorrect behavior. Then remind them how valuable the are to the organization.
The key to using these rules is to be consistent. Rely on people to do their best. Let them know when they do. And, let them know when they don't. The result will be a work group that is individually more responsible. The reward for you is that you will have happier employees and more time for planning, organizing, etc.
Two additional notes from personal experience. First, whenever possible, praise folks where their teammates can see. Unless the staff person is adverse to public attention (in which case, praise in private), the recognition is valuable to both you and your staff. They feel good about their work and you get more productivity from them and their teammates-remember you get what you reward. Second, reprimand in private. Public humiliation is very destructive. A reprimand, no matter how well deserved or how well intentioned will be viewed as humiliation if done publicly.
I think you'll find this book an excellent addition to your library. It is a very quick read. The rules are simple to remember, and make a lot of sense. Unfortunately, they are not quite so easy to implement, but they do work. You will find the results well worth the effort.

The issue is that most of the managers are not effective.
The conclusion is that if you use the One Minute technique, you can become very effective.
The One Minute technique is:
One Minute Goal setting- Take time to set major goals as that the employee knows what needs to be done.
One Minute Praising- Praise your employees by catching them doing the RIGHT thing
One Minute Reprimand- First reprimand the BEHAVIOR, Second encourage the PERSON (shake hands)
There are examples given to explain each point.
This books is a bestseller because of it's simplicity. But subsequent books by the authors have acknowledged the need of more than the above 3 items.
It is good in theory but it's practice demands much more.

There are three simple precepts, which the One Minute Manager establishes with his employees: One Minute Goal Setting, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands. This makes the basics of the book very simple to understand. I was quite stunned to find the content extremely useful. Strangely the simplicity of the book is deceiving. This book is good for those that are looking for a quick read and who are either currently managing people or wanting to manage people.
Goal setting is all about making sure employees understand perfectly what their duties are, what is expected of them and that there are no surprises. The Praisings and Reprimands are simply managers acknowledging that the employees are doing there jobs or not and how to deal with the situation and how to convey it to the employee.
In my opinion the book is pretty good but I think everyone should read Leadership and the One Minute Manager rather than this book as Leadership is essential and it is what differentiates great companies from good ones. The key, like most books that are self-help, is to apply these principles each and every day. Catch yourself when you slip and find ways to incorporate them into your value system.

If you can't take something directly from THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER to make you a better manager, you can take something from it and modify it. Maybe in reality your company can't run efficiently on the "one-minute" theory. But you could on a "five-minute" or "ten-minute" concept. Even that adjustment would cut down on the wasted prodution during those "costly" meetings.
When I first looked at the book, I thought it too small to be efficient. However, this is a case of "good things come in small packages" being real. It's a very interesting, though controversial book.

The book is brief, the language is simple, and the best of all...it works.

This handy, and concise book will teach you how to manage your life (Not only your Work!!), and thus reduce your stress, simplify your life, and get the work done in less time.

What you will find in this book is an easy to read story, that quickly teaches you three very successful and practical management techniques: One Minute Goals Setting, One Minute Praising, and One Minute Reprisals.

Its story format makes this book readable and light,.. but yet very insightful and effective. You will want to read this book over and over, just for the pleasure of doing it. I bought this book 13 years ago, and I still enjoy reading it.

Sooner or later every manager or leader reads Blanchard. I got into his work because he promotes Anthony Robbins. I also saw him in person at a seminar; his inspired me to honest tears. His books may be pricey, but that is because he said he didn't want to write 10 dollar books. His value is seen in the fact that people finish his books due to their smaller size and their interesting stories. One of the most helpful in this one is his discussion between leaders and ducks. It is an unforgettable lesson.

1 minute goal, 1 minute praising, and 1 minute reprimand can help you not only on your career but also in your personal life. This is a short book and very easy to read. The main idea is knowing what your outcome, catching people doing things right, catching people doing things wrong. Simple but convincing. At the end of the book, it does explain why these things work and why people function these way. Pleasure reading in 2 hours. Very helpful and practical!

For the CD audio book version, it also includes an interview with Dr. Spencer Johnson about where did the 1 minute manager's idea come from and how did Dr. Johnson apply the idea on his daily life.

(Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 07-Jan-2007)

Is there a short, easy-to-read management book that can be really useful to the businessman but also helpful for the housewife and in the conduct of family affairs? Is it possible to squeeze into 100 pages enough valuable information so that it serves a multiple audience and could even be a guide for raising children? This book is based on techniques occupying one minute. Concentrating on three core issues, the author first concentrates on goals. In the business world goals would probably be getting more bang for the buck or more widgets per shift or greater efficiency; in the home goal setting can start with children making the bed, keeping the bedroom tidy or clearing up afterwards. Goal setting is only successful if both parties buy into it - boss and employee or parent and child. Agreeing on objectives, expressing them concisely as bullet points, and setting a time frame may take more than a minute but they can be reviewed rapidly and without dispute. The other two core issues - praise or reprimand - follow naturally and each party knows in advance what it will be. There are no surprises.
You can easily read this book and map out your strategy in an evening. It is difficult to imagine that anyone could not find this book helpful in some part of their life.

Despite the wonderful accomplishments of Drs. Blanchard and Johnson, this book was very dissappointing.
I think of it as typical consultants' babble because you will get wrapped up in intellectual theories and appraoches to the art of management, but after you put the book down you'll realize you've got nothing tangible and practical to use in your everyday life. As a management consultant once explained to me about his field, many consultants are good "Beanbag Punchers". They make an amazing change where they strike the bag, but on the opposite side nothing has really changed. I was disappointed in this book because the authors are clearly not Beanbag Punchers, but nothing about my management sytle has benfitted from this book.
Furthermore, the fictional approach of the book (I'm assuming the underlying story is fictional) is borderline condescending. Its tone is similar to the grade school books your 10-year-old reads to learn good manners.
However, the book is reasonably priced and very short reading, so you may enjoy its content based on the effort you'll expend. The theories expressed are unique and thought provoking.
Bottom line:
If you want to learn how to be a better manager, this book isn't your answer.
If you want to explore news ways to manage people, it's worth a quick read.

This is a very effective message in managing and communicating with people under your charge. It can be applied in any situation whether military or civilian. It's more effectve when used in a small group in my opinion. You can see the one minute manager technique in action simply by watching shows like "ST: Next Generation". Capt. Picard uses it consistantly throughout the series when reprimanding Worf or Data. It's a short book and can be finished in one sitting. I remember to always give praise and encouragement after reprimanding someone. Works everytime!!

The One Minute Manager is one of those books that stands even on grocery store shelves, which indicates to me not only that it is a best-seller but also that it is for people with short attention spans who crave repetition. In fact, the One Minute Manager is one of those books that is easy about which to generalize without even reading it first. You, like me, might be wrong about your pre-conceived notions about it. But it is nearly inevitable to make judgments about the book before reading it. While the content turns out to be more useful and less dismissive than I first feared it might, a book of this style and (considerable lack of) length really lends validation and credibility to a managerial style suited for those without real leadership skills-the brush off, the rude and direct kiss off or needless and personal criticism. Sure, when time is limited we may not have the time to be sensitive and to speak deliberately in soft metaphors that cushion the real and blunt intent of our words. However, tact is always appropriate, but this book somehow excuses those who choose to communicate in a non-productive but always critical fashion, even though the book's content by no means condones such tactics. The book's style might lead you to dismiss it as I originally did. It offers quick, keen, simplistic distillations, a McDonaldization fast food approach, if you will, to dealing with people. Never having managed people, I always had the impression that I have been managed by people who absorb the brief and oversimplified "methods" espoused here. Read the eminent qualifications of the writers (developers of the "one minute system") and you will be convinced that they definitely discovered the essence of this fast food managerial style. Maybe Blanchard and Johnson have perfected it, but in true self-help "hackery" those who read the book will selectively choose bits and pieces of the philosophy to apply to their own stylistics or, worse yet, will adopt the book's tenets with almost Biblical reverence and live all facets of life according to the One Minute Gospel. This sort of book is theoretically dangerous if misapplied because it very easily and summarily reduces people, problems and communication to ONE MINUTE. It reeks of shallowness and erases the human face of management (much like Boeing executives who recently announced that they will leave Seattle. Most likely so they will not have to face the employees when the time comes to fire them). Strangely the simplicity of the book is deceiving. Some people who employ these theories fail to remember the very first and overriding principle the book names, "The One Minute Manager's symbol-a one minute readout from the face of a modern digital watch-is intended to remind each of us to take a minute out of our day to look into the faces of the people we manage. And to realize that they are our most important resources." This book encourages managers to discover "how people produce valuable results and feel good about themselves", but the "knowledge" most people gain from this book in reading it is seldom applied this way. For example, the book emphasizes giving constructive criticism... letting an employee know immediately when s/he has done something good or when s/he has done something wrong and why. A close friend's manager, as an example of a horror story of misapplied principles, read an employee's write-up of something and wrote an expletive in LARGE, red letters across the text of the write-up but failed to provide any insight as to why he wrote that or why he felt it necessary to belittle the work of his employee. He might ask himself the question that the book asks, "How on earth can I get results if it's not through people? I care about people AND results. They go hand in hand." It is only natural and logical that if you belittle, ridicule, or mistreat your employees, they will not respect you as their manager, will not be as willing to give their best and will certainly be less productive as a result. "Productivity is both quantity and quality." In the One Minute Management philosophy there are three simple precepts which the One Minute Manager establishes with his employees: One Minute Goal Setting, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands. These are all very logical steps-goal setting makes sure that employees understand perfectly what their duties are, what is expected of them and that there are no surprises. Many times in real life managers assume employees know exactly what to do without sitting down with them and concisely defining the goals. (A problem exists if there is a difference between what is actually happening and what you desire to be happening). Sadly, a common description of a misguided manager sounds a lot like managers I have encountered, including those who have read this book. They focus on the negative and do not make their expectations clear. Then they "zap" the employee at a performance review to make themselves look good or like they are administering discipline, an approach completely full of vanity and professional insecurity. It also leads to unhappy and fearful employees and benefits no one. One Minute Praising is all about the manager catching the employee doing something right and giving her/him immediate feedback. This is seen as a motivator, with constructive progress reports, focused on the positive. Lastly, the one minute reprimands are honest, direct, specific "what's wrong with what you did and why" moments. These moments are handled with sensitivity and define only wrong behavior not personal attacks on an individual. The book, my friends, is basically common sense. Plain and simple. "People are not pigeons. People are more complicated. They are aware, they think for themselves, and they certainly don't want to be manipulated by another person. Remember that and respect that. It is a key to good management." This is one statement I can take away from this book, feeling like the 80 or so pages were worthwhile. Now if only I could plaster that statement across the foreheads of the bad managers throughout the world.

The One Minute Manager has a few good nuggets of wisdom, but it hardly qualifies as a #1 bestseller. As in "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson, a few simple concepts are delivered by way of a fairly short story, but the story is not nearly as thought provoking or interesting, nor are the ideas particularly profound. In fact, they seem somewhat outdated. For example, touching an employee for any reason other than to shake hands would be ill advised in today's workplace, unless you don't mind getting slapped with a sexual harassment suit. The manager in the story comes across as a bit condescending, and the frequent use of the word "reprimand" seems more applicable to an elementary school class room than a professional work environment. It is a very short and easy read, so there's not much time wasted, but there's not much knowledge or wisdom gained, either.

As I have seen among employees in different jobs that I have had, too often is the employee left to figure out his/her own job expectations. When an employee experiences this feeling of insecurity, it is usually the trigger for many other undesired exhibited behaviors which soon follow. Lack of motivation, lack of initiative, competing for the boss' attention, and trying to adopt someone else's talent rather than using one's own strengths to benefit the organization are a few of those behaviors seen. Written job descriptions and performance evaluations are at times too vague in letting the employee know how to plan or work through their day-to-day operation. With the concept of One Minute Goal Setting, a powerful tool for invoking motivation is born. The employee feels like he/she has responsibility for a task, the task and the goal is written down and performance against the goal is frequently checked. Success with the goal is then measurable.
One Minute Praising is another concept of great benefit. More than just providing feedback, it becomes a wonderful tool for reinforcing positive behavior or results, i.e. usually seen as quantity or quality work. The employee feels a sense of fulfillment and importance, knowing that his/her work made an impact or made a difference. It also allows the manager to currently share how he/she feels about the work rather than wait or most likely forget to mention it at the time of the employee's performance evaluation. Out of the three concepts, I think this technique builds employee confidence the most. When one feels confident, one is able to set higher standards for himself/herself. Higher standards develop the attitude for working with excellence.
Similarly, One Minute Reprimands "nip things in the bud." Undesired behaviors are curbed and discouraged and because of the seriousness in which the situation is handled, most employees will want to avoid getting reprimanded. Two important and notable aspects of the reprimand is that the behavior of the employee is addressed, not the employee's worth. The reprimand is also not based on "hearsay" but rather on what has been evidenced by the manager himself. Therefore, using this technique, feelings of resentment are not fostered between the employee and the manager.
I found this book to be very inspiring. Though I am not yet a manager, these concepts can be used at home, with family, as well as at work with my fellow employees - especially when we work together on projects. They can be even be used with the managers who currently supervise me. The principles are reciprocal and universal. This is how I would want to be managed and this is the way I would like to manage. Great book!

I came across this book in the first year of college when I had to read it for my Introduction to Management class.

This book gives positive insight to newcomers in the business world who are searching for ways to be an outstanding manager in today's society. It is a straightforward book which could be finished within an hour. It also allows readers to understand the responsibilities of being a manager from a different perspective.

The reason why the book is called The One Minute Manager because it reveals three secrets of being a good manager which only takes one minute to process. In addition to being realistic, the book tries to entertain the reader by telling these secrets in a story format, which makes it more interesting.

After four years, I remembered this book as the best business book I ever read in my college life. Overall, it is a quick and easy read for anyone who is looking for a game plan for their businesses and improving relationships with their employees.

The one minute manager is a bit of an anachronism now...when it was first published this book seemed simplistic - with recent research being published you're going to find the notion of 'a minute here' and 'a minute there' is simply not enough for the needs and motivations of different staff. While the advice in this book is fine and you can only benefit by reading it don't assume that this book has any real answers for real mangement issues. Any movement beyond docile staff who are satisfied with a one minute word of encouragement or 'feedback' is beyond the depth of this book.

This book has influenced me for many years. It's wonderful. Some people may consider it too simple and common sense...unfortunately common sense isn't always common practice. It's quick and easy reading and on my personal "Top 10 List of Great Book." I refer to it in nearly every Seminar I present, because it's basic philosophy motivates people...catch them doing something right and tell them about it. This book is simple, yet very powerful. I'm still amazed how few people raise their hands when I ask in my Seminars, "How many people have read `The One Minute Manager.'" This is must reading for all leaders.

My comments on this book are as follows:
- Easy to read
The story is very short and the English is simple. It can be understand by the readers easily.
- Clear messages
The messages of this book are very clear. Firstly, how to use one minute setting the goals with the employee? It can make employee clearer to understand what is the main focus on their job. It is one of the useful ways to increase the employee productivity.
Then, base on the employee later performance, manager will either give them a one-minute praise or a one-minute reprimand. If the employee receives praise, it means that they perform in the right way; otherwise, it means that they perform in the wrong way.
- Practice
Reader can learn how to be a good manager in this book. The messages bring in this book is practical and useful. It can help the reader develop the leadership skill. Moreover, it can also help readers know how to increase the employee productivity and how to reduce the misunderstanding of employee.

A young man searches for an effective manager because he wants to work for one and become one. When he discovers a nearby manager, the young man visits him. When the young man asks the manager what type of manager he is, the manager alleges that he is a One Minute Manager. The young man wants to learn more, so the manager arranges for him to talk to three of his people.

The first person that the young man talks to is Mr. Trenell. Mr. Trenell explains to the young man the first secret of One Minute Management: One Minute Goal Setting. One Minute Goal Setting requires one to set goals that would take a minute to read, and then see if the individual's behavior matches his/her goals.

The second person that the young man talks to was Mr. Levy. Mr. Levy explains to the young man the second secret of One Minute Management: One Minute Praisings. One Minute Praisings requires one to tell people in person specifically what they are doing right, encourage them to do more of the same, and leave a positive feeling about their progress.

The third person that the young man talks to is Ms. Brown. Ms. Brown explains to the young man the third secret of One Minute Management: One Minute Reprimand. One Minute Reprimand requires one to tell people specifically what they are doing wrong, but attacking the behavior of the individual, not the individual himself/herself. Afterward, remind the individual that they are a good person.

As you can see, the book merely tells you that an effective manager will set goals, and give praising and reprimands--and nothing more. If you like to read novels, this doesn't cut it neither. It qualifies more as a short story. You can read it in about half hour, so don't waste your money on this book. You can just walk over to your local bookstore and sit down for 30 minutes, and leave having read a semi-interesting short story.

This book is astonishing. Teachings on leadership is truly applicable. Short book and story telling format allows one to read it in 1 minute and apply it right away! Take it to action people! I never thought this book would be helpful but it changed my perspective on managing people. At home or bussiness, this book contains infinite wisdom on how to make people truly happy and enjoy what they do. Whether you are a parent of a single child or an older brother of your family, this book will surely help you to bring your families and friends to happiness and success. "Be strict to yourself and only to yourself and mellow with others around you." Enjoy!!

I just finished reading the One Minute Manager, and I loved it! In fact, I've started adapting and reading it for my 6-year old. This should be required reading for every kid in school - it would help them to develop success strategies early in life that could follow them forever. As an adult, it is very difficult to change, even when confronted with an excellent idea - like the One Minute Manager. I am, however, going to work on this concept and try to implement it on a daily basis as I work with my staff, my child, my husband, my church, etc. I'll hardly know how to act with all the extra time!

Thanks!

This book provides a concise, easy-to-read overview of the basic principles of behavioral psychology. The book concentrates on three basic principles: goal setting, praising, and reprimands; however, the key point to all three of these being effective is clear communication and understanding between the manager and the employee.
The one-minute goal setting is an effective tool in any setting. The authors recommend writing down the goals of any project or employee responsibility on one sheet of paper in 250 words or less, with a copy provided for review to both the manager and the employee for occasional review. This is contracting with the employee for the desired results and has been shown to be quite effective in several behavioral psychology clinical trials.
The one-minute praisings also work across disciplines. Providing brief, positive, immediate feedback reinforces the desired behavior. Again, clinical trials have proven this to be effective. The authors do a good job of reminding managers to actually do this and to do it in a timely manner. Studies have also shown that the longer the time delay between the desired behavior and the positive reinforcement dilutes the effectiveness of the reinforcement. The authors could have done a better job reinforcing the point that managers must be present to observe the desired behavior.
The one-minute reprimands work similarly as the one-minute praisings and, again, must be tied temporally to the undesired behavior in order to have the greatest effect. Here, again, the authors could have done a better job reinforcing that the managers must be present to observe the undesired behavior and that the reprimands should only be used once it is clear to the manager that the employee knows the desired behavior and how to do it prior to the reprimand.
As a pediatrician, I am often trying to teach my patients' parents several of these same principles in regards to child-rearing, i.e. how to get a child to stay in bed, sitting at the dinner table and actually eating, etc. In the future, I will recommend this book to my parents along with 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 by Thomas W. Phelan Ph.D., another very good behavioral psychology book.

After 30 plus years of training some of the worlds top companies personnel at all levels to turning around small to medium companies in extreme trouble, there has been one major constant that I could trun to without fail; The One Minute Manager!

For years I have scoured the shelves of new bookstores, online shops and every used book emporium available, just to find copies of this magnificent book for system hungry managers from CEO's to Parents. The quality of your life is driectly the result of how well you manage it. This phenominal book teaches you exactly how to do just that!

Buy it, Read it, Share it, Re-read it often, Teach its principles, Re-read it and never, not ever, should you ever stop. Every time you open its pages you'll learn something new!

Buy title and use it in your everyday life! (Now, I buy the CD's whenever possible so that those that I help may listen to its teachings everyday, over and over!)

Dave Gorham
[...]
The LEADTRUST
(A Discount Printing & Direct Mail Agency.)

Interesting look into what it takes to be an effective and efficient leader/manager. The book takes place in a business setting, but these tips and ideas could be used in many aspects of everyday life. The OMM takes management theories and explains them in a way that flows freely in a story. Some ideas can be a little outdated, as I don't know that something like touching in the workplace would still be acceptable in today's world. But the ideas are all still valid and significant.

...I was given this as a gift and did take the time to wade through its moralizing, preachy text. "People are Your Most Valuable Assets," the authors breathlessly remind us, as if those of us in business are somehow blind to this obvious truth. Its fundamental promise of transforming ones' organization, like that of so many management gurus, rests on the notion that the authors' sheer intelligence and brilliant insights into human nature will transform any organization into a productivity machine. This, as anyone with a real job can tell you, is long, hard work deeply idiosyncratic to the specifics of one industry -- nothing that can be collapsed into a book; certainly not one as thin as this one. Which is not to say that the One Minute Managers is all bad. It paints a wonderful theoretical world where all interpersonal problems can be solved in 59 seconds flat thanks to the fact that the characters are all fictional. It is a terrific daydream. Because that is really what the One Minute Manager, like most fad management books, are about...

One might be tempted to say that the steps outlined in this book are "common sense". But it's full of wisdom I had not been using in my managerial position. And I know hundreds of other bad managers. This book is a gem. It's ideas are simplly presented and simply apprehended but amazingly powerful. It's no quick fix, though: you have to work at it to get results. A must for ever manager. It fits well with new-fangled ideas of organizational structure presented by Drucker, Peters, and other gurus.

I read this book in my last year in university. I was a senior management student and after reading this book, I understood that during the past four years; I was not introduced to Ken Blanchard, and this masterpiece book.
I will keep it short. This book is actually not a book, it is an advisor when you need one, it is a friend who approves or shows you what to do in some common, but real life situations in business life. This book, I suggest, should be read by everybody (not necessarily only by managers or supervisors or employees but everyone who lives a social life) because it teaches you how to communicate with people. It is so easy to read, and one should read after and after so that the principles and ways are embedded and implemented by the readers. Thank you Ken Blanchard and his co-authors for writing this book.

Ever wanted to read those managerial books out there but had been put off by the the thick textbooks and theories? Look no further with "The One Minute Manager" series of books. Written in simple layman style in the form of a story, each book presents different management concepts. The first book in the series starts off by introducing us to the two types of managerial styles that we know: The task oriented and the people oriented. To get results, the effective manager has to have the correct balance of the two. This can be achieved through 3 one minute secrets: One Minute Goals, One Minute Reprimands and One Minute Praisings. Ponder on the One Minute teachings and you realise how true and simple they are. Of course, as with all things, theory and applications are two different matters altogether. You will still need lots of practice to apply what is taught here. After all, you can't really become a One Minute Manager overnight right?

Recommendations: A must read for all managers out there, especially 'senior management' who often think highly of themselves and their results. :) The concepts would also be useful for parents who need to 'manage' their children better. For fast readers, don't really need to buy the book though as it can be easily digested in less than an hour.

"The One Minute Manger" by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson teaches the readers the three skills to achieving effective management. Although the keys to being an effective and successful manager, as described by Blanchard and Johnson, seems unbelievably simple, they will strike an understanding chord among most people who have ever managed and supervised employees. Not because managers typically follow the principles, but precisely because these simple principles are ones that they intuitively know they should be practicing yet do not because of lack of conviction in the methods, worry about changing management styles, low level of interest, or apprehension that they will take too much time.
Not to fear, Blanchard and Johnson address these concerns in their short simple book. The allegory starts off with a young man in search of an effective manager. Initially disillusioned by the managers he encounters, who are only results-oriented at the expense of the employees or only people-oriented at the expense of the organization, the young man discovers The One Minute Manager. The young man learns from The One Minute Manager and the people whom he manages the philosophy of the one-minute management style. The authors gradually convince the readers through examples, anecdotes, explanations, and quotable quotes why and how their three principles, when followed appropriately, actually work. A brief guideline list accompanies each of the three management skills: the "one minute goal setting," "one minute praising," and "one minute reprimand." There is even a concise flow chart to help solidify the management principles into one page near the end of the book; no doubt, designed to be cut-out or photocopied and posted in every manager's office. By the end of the short 60 minutes required to finish the book, most readers will be convinced to at least test out the method. After all, the title of the book already suggests that time commitment is not an issue; one can become an effective manager by investing a short 60-second of time. When one reads the book, this really translates to several 60-second intervals per day, but the amount of time will be much less than what most managers are used to.
More effective management in significantly less time? Is it possible? The authors certainly make a compelling yet uncomplicated and clear case for this. One does have to wonder if this is too easy. Will it work for managing all types of people in all types of organizations? How about the slackers? Or the employee who is the wrong fit for the job, doesn't have the appropriate training, or lacks motivation? How about the company with a long tradition of top-down management style? The book doesn't get mired in the details or specifics of every possible variation or situation; instead it attempts to provide the general strategies of effective management. The simple message of the book is to focus on making people feel valued which will lead to greater self-motivation and increased productivity for the individual and organization. As the One Minute Manager best described it, "People who feel good about themselves produce good results." And because they are not difficult to understand, learn, or implement, the skills can be readily used by most managers immediately.
The book is not only for managers of people. The message from the book is relevant to anybody interacting with people or when managing your own work and life. For example, I can utilize the skills to not only manage the people who report to me, but also in working with my colleagues or my supervisor, although the lesson on reprimanding may be less applicable in such situations. The most useful setting to apply the skills, perhaps, is when teamwork is involved, such as in committees, meetings, and group projects. This is when setting goals and timelines are critical and working effectively with colleagues, including giving praise and constructive criticism, is paramount to success. Furthermore, I can even see me being a One Minute Manager to myself, be it in the work environment, personal life, educational pursuits, or participation in hobbies. Who wouldn't want to be happier and have better results in all of these activities? I wouldn't mind impressing my boss more, fulfilling all my New Year's resolutions, or running a marathon in 3 hours and 15 minutes. After reading "The One Minute Manger", most readers will want to be a One Minute Manager tomorrow.

The One Minute Manager by Drs. Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson was a breviloquent, easy to read manual on efficient yet effective management. The text focuses on goal setting, one minute praising, and constructive reprimands; the principles are clearly stated and widely applicable to a range of personal and professional circumstances.
The authors underscore the importance of clearly visualizing, verbalizing, and working toward the actualization of short-term and long-term goals. Goals are written down in 250 words or less then used to guide and gauge daily progress toward the declared objectives. Goal-setting can be applied in one's personal life or professional life providing they are in harmony with the goals of the organization.
The "second secret" to effective management is the "one-minute praising". The authors stress the importance of catching subordinates in the act of "doing something good" and recognizing their good work. Correspondingly, constructive criticism is necessary at times. The authors stress the "one-minute reprimand" - good managers let subordinates know what they did wrong, that they are capable of doing better, and facilitate the identification and implementation of corrective action.
The principles discussed in One Minute Manager are extremely valuable in a professional medical workplace. Employees should be focused on their own goals as well as those of the office as a whole. In such a high-stress environment, recognition of even the smallest employee successes will lead to a more productive workplace.

If you can't role model, you certainly can't expect others to participate in your surpassing your responsibiities.
This is a small book, with a big message
"Demonstrate that you are listening to each person who you want to influence to perform, on your behalf."
In one minute do you set a goal that all participants understand and voluntarily follow? Do you also praise others in one minute? What about reprimands - yes, one minute?
When you've mastered this you don't feel compelled to press against anyone's mind. You also expand what Napoleon Hill called the benefit of your mastermind.

Very interesting take on a great manager. This book is short, to the point and is written like a novel which makes is real easy to read. What I liked about it is its wisdom. It gives you quick but effective lessons on how to treat people that work for you right, how to create the most effective organization through your people and how to free up your own time by delegating and developing experts within your organization. Read it, you won't regret it. I won't recommend buying it though, get it through your local library.

I know for a fact that when this book idea first came into its eventual publisher's hands, all the editors laughed at it! "Who would read a silly book like this with almost no words in it?" they scoffed. Yet for whatever reason they decided to publish it and the rest became amazing publishing history! In my own book, "The Expert's Edge," I discuss how to develop leading-edge ideas as well as the importance of viewing failure as "desirable." Without practicing both, you will never produce an unexpected success. Ken Blanchard was obviously doing both back when he conceived this groundbreaking book and the world (and his publisher) has never been the same.

This is a good book for first-time managers. It's short, quick and to the point. The biggest benefit is showing that reprimands and praise deserve equal time. Employees don't grow if they don't make mistakes, and some of the greatest learning opportunities come from reprimands followed by encouragement.
Since the whole books takes about an hour to read, it's well worth your time.

It's easy to belittle this book for its endless platitudes, but the fact remains that its advice - if shallow - is rock solid. Every manager thet reads this book will be rude about it, but very manager SHOULD read this book and, despite their predictable rudeness, will go away with some simple and valuable points that are worth remembering. When I first read it (back in the Middle Ages sometime) I hated it, hated its style and hated the sense that I was being patronised. But I have found, over the years, that its message has stuck and that its fundamentals do apply to the real world of management much more than many "worthier" tomes.

This book is an absolute must read. It is hard to imagine that such a small and simply written book can pack such profound insights. It is a book which can be finished in one sitting, but I have actually found it worthwhile to read it a couple of times.
Is this book for the first time manager? It is definitely useful, but it is most useful for managers who have managed without this system for a while. They will clearly see a big difference very quickly on implementing this philosophy. A people friendly manager and a results oriented manager do not have to be on the opposite sides of the spectrum. In fact the one minute manager is both.The One Minute Manager

Although written around 1980, this 100 page book packs a wallop of solid, timeless advice on managing employees. The premise of the book is simply (although often forgotten) "happy employees produce great results." While there are other aspects of good management, The One Minute Manager provides foundational direction on how to communicate goals, motivate positive action, and make adjustments in employee behavior when necessary. If every manager read this book, employee morale would skyrocket and the corporate world would be far better off.

Ken Blanchard has established himself as a thoughtful, forward looking, provider of very solid advice for managers. This seminal work has developed a following of copycats, but none as succinct as clear as Blanchard.

"The One Minute Manager" purports to give the reader instructions on managing work and life. It does that, but the advise is so obvious and the instruction so superficial as to make reading even this short volume a waste of time.

The advice is to give employees clear instructions, then praise them when they do well, and reprimand them when they do not. That is nearly the whole book. Now you don't have to read it.

While this advise seems correct to me, it is also very obvious. I would think that any manager who does not already know this needs more help then this book can provide.

In any case the book can not do much harm since it is short.

There sitting on a self was this timeless book.

I've read it again. I wonder why I don't read it more often.
I suggest you read it again too. It is so simple and concise you can read it quickly.
The message is still as relevant and as timeless. Take an hour from your day for an entertaining and edifying book.
It's well worth a revisit.

"Who Moved My Cheese?" is just beside it. . .

Lana Vilmain
PHR, M Ed
[...]
[email protected]
[...]

This definitely feels to me like there were a few good ideas puffed up with lots of words and air to make a longer book. Anyone who needs this info doesn't need all that storytelling and wants the info in the most effective form not in some long drawn-out storyline. It also feels like it was a set-up for more books at big prices to present info that could have been presented effectively in one book. I am very glad I got this out of my local library instead of buying it!

A practical guide for anyone thrust into a corporate management position. Outlines methods to improve the bottom-line by improving employee morale. Sometimes the approach is overly-simplistic, sometimes a little too new age consultant-speak, but a good, quick read.

I have never had people working for me until recently, so I bought this book to help me get a handle on how to manage people. This book has given me so many great ideas and things to think about. It is simply written as a story. There's nothing bad I can say about it.

Blanchard and Johnson's The One Minute Manager presents a novel, yet simplistic perspective for corporate management. The authors tell a very boring and manufactured story in order to present a "new and exciting" form of management. The author's stress honesty, shared sense of responsibility and dialog between boss and employee. In order to keep this flow of communication open the manager must engage in three tools or secrets.
First, the employee must submit and record a one-minute, one-page set of goals. The manager asks how and when the goals will be achieved and helps to define success in the situation. The end result will be compared to the initial goal setting sheet in order to identifying the goal achieved or failed. This exercise puts the boss and employee on the same page about the true responsibilities of the employee.
The second secret is one-minute praising. When an employee does something right they are immediately praised for a minute. This furthers the employee's understanding of quality work because there is an immediate validation or rejection in their work. Employees strive to be praised and repeated good habits become second nature for the employees.
The third secret is the One Minute Reprimand. When an employee does something wrong they are to be reprimanded for a minute. The manager informs the employee that they are doing something wrong. The problem is specifically defined and explained. The manager explains the problems in the action but does not attack the employee specifically. The manager must then remember to praise the employee to remind them that they are valued and respected.
Though this form is of management is innovative it is not a groundbreaking concept. Open lines of communication and specific goals are not new theories of organization, but they are effective tools. This book does a good job of explaining a couple tools to improve communication but still is not worth reading.

Can anyone learn the complex art of management by reading fairy tales? Probably not, and certainly not from this book.
The book is the glib story of a manager who does almost no work. He isolates himself from his employees, forces them to make his decisions for him, and withholds useful information from them. On a regular basis, he manipulates their emotions through pre planned reprimands and praise.
Bosses like the One Minute Manager exist in real life - the unproductive, poisonous managers who make everyone's life miserable. In the story, of course, his employees display a cult like devotion to the him, and are eager to apply his techniques to their own hapless subordinates.
The book is not a positive guide for managers, and is not recommended.

This book is a very fast read and gives and overview to some nice concepts. Managing people is a bit more complicated than the book explains, so I consider this book and intro to see if you enjoy reading management books. If you like this book, then there are many more solid books out there to graduate to.

Really good book. I found it very useful and allowed me to increase my daily productivity for sure. To switch from theory and to practice I recommend an app called Beesy if you’re used to work with your ipad. It’s a business app designed for productivity improvement. It’s an all-in-one app based on a unique concept of dynamic note-taking.
An ipad is a great tool for work with the appropriate app. Along with the one minute manager tips you can get from the book (and all the tips you can get from various managerial books), you could get significant productivity increase.
If you want to find out more about the app below, follow this link: [...]

I really enjoyed reading Blanchards now esential business read which I have jsut been through for the second time. To a certain extent the edge was taken off the messages within the book following my reading of Geoff Burchs "Resistance is Useless" and, more recently, "Way of the Dog" which are now setting the standard of the business book as well as being genuinely funny in their own right.

I look forward to Blanchards future work and particularly see how he deals with the hot reads such as Sumo and of course, Burch's publications

My first real manager pointed me in the direction of this book, and you know what it's helpful. Offering some nice tips on how to make people feel important. One tip in the book about touching people on the elbow or shoulder really adds something to a quick exchange. Nothing earth shattering here but if you are new to managment or want to brush up on some concepts before going on a first interview for a managment job this is a nice read.

This book is definitely simple, but definitely not profound, timeless OR classic.

This is a rather short book -- readable in a single sitting -- and yet it is still mostly fluff. It could easily be condensed to 1/3 of its original length or less without losing any meaning.

My biggest gripe with the book is the format: it is written as a fictional narrative, with a contrived storyline that reads like it was translated from some other language. I really can't stand this style of writing. Why introduce these characters at all in a non-fiction book? Especially if they aren't based on real-world events, aren't developed at all, and don't serve any allegorical purpose?

I, on the other hand, believe that the word is a very large and complex place. Real knowledge can be condensed down to some set of first principles, but over time you only gain understanding by understanding the subtle complexity that underlies everything inside and around us.

The principles in this book are valid -- but almost to the point of obviousness.

1) Set goals with your employees (to communicate expectations and set evaluation criteria).
2) Reward your employees when they do something right.
3) Reprimand your employees when they do something wrong.

Sure, this is a jumping off point for some extremely clueless managers, but it also glosses over a lot of subtle complexity involved in motivating people.

To my mind, one of the single most obvious things you can do to motivate people is to flip the question around: ask your employees what motivates *them*. This is going to be different for everybody. Money is an important motivator, but some people are also interested in job security; some employees want to be challenged; others want to work on something meaningful, and so on. You really need to understand these various sources of motivation in order to have any hope of keeping them productive.

This book, however, presents a binary view of motivation: either you encourage, or else you reprimand. (I suppose there's a third state suggested, but not explicitly described: not communicating at all.)

As a final nit to pick: for some reason, the unenlightened managers in this book are characterized as having messy offices and calendars that are booked up heavily. The one minute manager, on the other hand, has a perfectly tidy office, and is rarely too busy to take walk-in appointments. This distinction isn't explained in the book at all, but it seems to me to be a subconscious message that one minute managers are also magically transformed into tidy, efficient workers who have a lot of free time to philosophize. Indeed, the student in this book evolves into this one minute manager mold and magically his office is cleaned up, too. I'd love to read a "one minute office organizer" book. Let me know when they write that one.

I once worked for a boss who swore by this book, although I think he quoted it more as a justification to constantly issue "reprimands" to his subordinates (turnover rates in his office were quite high).
The book has a very oversimplified and condescending tone, and attempts inflate the "veteran manager" into some sort of sage-like fountain of knowledge (I have yet to meet such a seemingly wise, all-knowing manager like the one in this book).
Dilbert owes much of his popularity to fed-up employees working under the thumb of managers who mindlessly latch onto management fads such as this book.
If you really want to expand your mind, read *Heart of Darkness* by Joseph Conrad and *The Dilbert Principle* by Scott Adams after reading this book. Reality falls somewhere within these extremes.

A positive management culture is a worthy goal for any corporation.

This book plants the seeds for such a culture.

The only problem is the people, who need this book the most, are the very people who will reject it.

I was forced to read this, and attend multiple seminars from the Blanchard group. Our CFO lives by the concepts, and he is running our department into the ground by following them. The book is mostly fluff and took less than an hour to read.

There is ONE good point that I got from it, and that is when setting goals for people they should be trackable, relevant, and attainable. I got that message in about 5 minutes though. The rest anyone should already know -- praise in public and reprimand in private. No kidding, learned that the first time I got humiliated in grade school.

Skip the book, and polish that resume if you are forced to read it.

Another business book from bestseller list. Does it really help your vision? I do not think so. It is simple, well written, easy to read book. But, I did not get anything from it. If you have really have time, go ahead and read it. By the way, it takes only 45 minutes to finish it.

This book is required reading for the course I teach in educational methodology. The fact is that we all need to manage our interpersonal communications in an effective manner and both the ideas presented here and the manner in which they are presented exemplify how to do just that.

A measurement of a good leader is ability to develop other leaders, not followers. In today's world, many new supervisors are thrust into a "baptism by fire" management environment. I found this book to be an easy to read guide that arms newcomers to management with the basic tools for building worker relationships and getting the best out of their staffs. As a result, their efforts are guided into decisions that generate increasingly positive outcomes in uncomfortable situations. Self confidence builds and leadership/management styles improve.
I have made it a habit during my welcome interviews to provide each new management employee with a copy of "The One Minute Manager". We all enjoy the benefits!

This is a must-read for anyone who is managed by someone else. I can't believe this is still popular and recommended as a guide for managing people. Its top-down philosophy (sort of a "manager knows best" approach) assumes that subordinates must be praised and punished based upon the manager's notion of what's right and wrong.
In an environment where professionals with different skill-sets work in teams to accomplish common goals, this book is more dangerous than helpful. So read this to protect yourself from anyone who manages you this way. A much better alternative is "The 59-Second Employee" by Andre and Ward, if you need to know "how to stay one second ahead of your One-Minute manager".

I picked this book up for $1.00 at the local library bookstore. It was a great, quick read. I'd like to give it to every manager at the courthouse that I work in, but I don't think that would go over well. It's obviously very basic, and doesn't provide too much instructional information, but it is still entertaining.

This book is garbage. I had a manager, Matt, who recommended this book to me awhile back and I just got around to reading it. I absolutely hated working for Matt and he ended up getting fired from his position. Everyone hated working for him. I see him following a lot of what is written in this book. Within the first few pages the "One Minute Manager" is snapping at employees who have questions instead of finding a positive, non threatening, constructive way to tell the employee they need to be more self sufficient... Sounds like Matt, who expected everyone to act like they had already read this stupid ass book. Seriously, there's no room for treating an employee in a negative way EVER if you're a good manager. There are positive and constructive ways to do even the unpleasant and negative duties of a manager. Matt was obviously an idiot who took this book too much to heart, now I see why he was such a psycho for a manager.

A very good and thought provoking book. We overlook the obvious every day. Blanchard and Johnson have explained the fundamental secrets ("One minute Goal setting", "One minute Praising" and " One minute Reprimanding")in a very engaging way. I recommend everybody, especially managers to read this book .This is not a mere management book, the secrets explained in this book could be applied to our personal lives.

-- Chandra Vadamodula

People can't be managed like Pavlov's Dog with some cheap reprimands, goals, and praisings. They are much more complex than that. Horrid writing. Make it 3 or 4 bullet points and don't go beyond that. And touching people to praise them is creepy.

Highly effective. Straight-forward. Well-written.
At first I expected a cheesy business-version of behavioral modification, but the authors emphasize that sincerity is essential for this technique to work.
Using it as a manipulative tool will only backfire.
I enjoyed the audio version very much - it includes a radio interview with one of the authors that gives a lot of insight into the development of the idea for the book.

This book is really the cornerstone of so much of what people really do in management to be successful. As managers, we are so busy that it is often impossible to take any time to really learn anything new. But this book stays in my office all the time-- I can pick it up for a little refresher course anytime. A Classic!

I managed to complete reading this book in a bookstore in less than 60 minutes,yet I insisted on purchasing it. The great thing about the book is that it reflects the finer aspects of our life that we often ignore or just deny. This book has really open my mind and 'behaviour'..thanks 'One minute manager'. This is in did on of the best management book I ever read.

Great principles in this book that stand firm in the management space. It's laid out simply but packed with a lot of power that sends an important message to all in the positon to lead.Navigating Life's Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey