The One Minute Manager

Key Takeaways

1. The One Minute Manager
   1. One Minute Goals
      1. Once what needs to be done has been agreed upon, each goal is recorded on no more than a single page – 250 words or less, read it in less than a minute.
      2. Once we know what our job is, the manager always makes sure we know what good performance is – show what you expect
      3. Tell what is happening in observable, measurable terms. If you can’t tell me what you’d like to be happening, you don’t have a problem yet. You’re just complaining. A problem only exists if there is a difference between what is actually happening and what you desire to be happening
      4. The number one motivator of people is feedback on results
      5. Take a minute – look at your goals, look at your performance, see if behavior matches goals
   2. One Minute Praisings
      1. Help people reach their full potential, catch them doing something right
      2. You must catch someone doing something right as quickly as you can. The goal is to create small wins, creating reinforcement and small habits. Catch them doing something right – even approximately right – until they can learn to do it exactly right
   3. One Minute Reprimand
      1. Goals begin behaviors, consequences maintain them
      2. Tell people beforehand that you’re going to let them know how they’re doing in no uncertain terms (and have to have seen the bad behavior first hand)
      3. The first half of the reprimand: repridmand immediately, specifically what they did wrong, how you feel about what they did wrong, stop for a few seconds to let them feel how you feel
      4. Second half: shake hands, remind them how much you value them, reaffirm you think well of them but not of their performance, realize that when the reprimand is over, it’s over
      5. Doing it early is key, helping reinforce the norms. Performance reviews are ongoing and not an ‘event’.
2. Quality is simply giving people the product / service they really want and need

What I got out of it

1. A short, simple, powerful story about how to manage and lead effectively and efficiently. One minute goals, praisings, reprimands