Transcript for:
Effective Management Insights from One Minute Manager

now more than ever in the story that follows we present you with a great deal of what we have learned from our studies in medicine and in the behavioral sciences about how people work best with other people by best we mean how people produce valuable results and feel good about themselves the organization and the other people they work with this allegory the one minute manager is a simple compilation of what many wise people have taught us and what we have learned ourselves we recognize the importance of these sources of wisdom we also recognize that the people who work with you as their manager will look to you as one of their sources of wisdom we trust therefore that you will take the practical knowledge you gain from this book and use it in your daily management for as the ancient sage Confucius advises each of us the essence of knowledge is having it to use it when this story was originally published in 1982 people and organizations ready to increase their productivity profits and prosperity over the last two decades we've discovered people also use the one minute manager because they want to enjoy fair and honest treatment and have their work appreciated at work men and women who have used the three one-minute secrets say they are promoted more frequently feel less stress and enjoy their work more like the characters in the story at home people who use the three secrets with their families tell us the results have been equally remarkable using one minute gold one minute praising and one minute reprimands their children begin to manage their own lives and spouses catch each other doing things right more often we have been touched by the countless number of people who have told us how useful the one minute manager has been to them now more than ever when people are asked to do more with less we trust that you will use what you discover in the story to succeed at work and that you too will take it home with you we hope you enjoy using the one minute manager and that as a result you and the people you work with and live with will all enjoy healthier happier and more productive lives Kenneth Blanchard PhD Spencer Johnson empty once there was a bright young man who was looking for an effective manager he wanted to work for one he wanted to become one his search had taken him over many years to the far corners of the world he had been in small towns and in the capitals of powerful nations he had spoken with many managers with government administrators and military officers construction superintendents and corporate executives university presidents and shop foreman utility supervisors and foundation directors with the managers of shops and stores of restaurants banks and hotels with men and women young and old he had gone into every kind of office large and small luxurious and sparse with windows and without he was beginning to see the full spectrum of how people manage people but he wasn't always pleased with what he saw he had seen many tough managers whose organizations seemed to win while their people lost some of their superiors thought they were good managers many of their subordinates thought otherwise as the man sat in each of these tough people's offices he asked what kind of a manager would you say you are their answers varied only slightly I'm an autocratic manager I keep on top of the situation he was told a bottom line manager hard-nosed realistic profit minded he heard the pride in their voices and their interest in results the man also met many nice managers whose people seemed to win while they're organized a lost some of the people who reported to them thought they were good managers those to whom they reported had their doubts as the man sat and listened to these nice people answer the same question he heard on a democratic manager participative supportive considerate humanistic he heard the pride in their voices and their interest in people but he was disturbed it was as though most managers in the world were primarily interested either in results or in people the managers who were interested in results often seem to be labeled autocratic while the managers interested in people were often labeled democratic the young man thought each of these managers the tough autocrat and the nice Democrat were only partially effective it's like being half a manager he thought he returned home tired and discouraged he might have given up his search long ago but he had one great advantage he knew exactly what he was looking for effective managers he thought managed themselves and the people they work with so that both the organization and the people profit from their presence the young man had looked everywhere for an effective manager but had found only a few the few he did find would not share their secrets with him he began to think maybe he would never find out what really made an effective manager tick then he began hearing marvelous stories about a special manager who lived ironically in a nearby town he heard that people like to work for this man and that they produce great results together the young man wondered if the stories were really true and if so whether this manager would be willing to share his secrets with him curious he telephoned the special manager secretary for an appointment the secretary put him through immediately the young man asked this special manager when he could see him he heard anytime this week is fine except Wednesday morning you picked the time the young man quietly chuckled because this supposedly marvelous manager sounded like a kook to him what kind of manager had that kind of time available but the young man was fascinated he went to see him when the young man arrived at the managers office he found him standing and looking out of the window when the young man coughed the manager turned and smiled he invited the young man to sit down and asked what can I do for you the young man said I'd like to ask you some questions about how you manage people the manager willingly said fire away well to begin with do you hold regularly scheduled meetings with your subordinates yes I do once a week on Wednesdays from 9:00 to 11:00 that's why I couldn't see you then responded the manager what do you do at those meetings probe the young man I listen while my people review and analyze what they accomplished last week the problems they had and what still needs to be accomplished then we develop plans and strategies for the next week are the decisions made at those meetings binding on both you and your people question the young man of course they are insist of the manager what would be the point of having a meeting if they weren't then you are a participative manager aren't you ask the young man on the contrary insisted the manager I don't believe in participating in any of my people's decision-making then what is the purpose of your meetings I already told you that he said please young man do not ask me to repeat myself it is a waste of my time and yours we're here to get results the manager continued the purpose of this organization is efficiency by being organized we are a great deal more productive oh so you're aware of the need for productivity then you're more results-oriented than people-oriented the young man suggested no the manager resounded startling his visitor I hear that all too often he got to his feet and began to about how on earth can I get results if it's not through people I care about people and results they go hand in hand here young man look at this the manager handed his visitor a plaque I keep it on my desk to remind me of a practical truth people who feel good about themselves produce good results as the young man looked at the plaque the manager said think about yourself when do you work best is it when you feel good about yourself or when you don't the young man nodded as he began to see the obvious I get more done when I'm feeling good about myself he responded of course you do the manager agreed and so does everyone else the young man raised his index finger with newfound insight so he said helping people to feel good about themselves is a key to getting more done yes the manager agreed however remember productivity is more than just the quantity of work done it is also the quality he walked over to the window and said come over here young man he pointed to the traffic below and asked do you see how many foreign cars there are on the road the young man looked out at the real world and said I see more of them every day and I guess that's because they're more economical and they last longer the manager nodded reluctantly and said exactly so why do you think people are buying foreign cars because American manufacturers didn't make enough cars or the manager said without interrupting because they did not make the quality car the American public really wanted now that I think of it the young man answered it's a question of quality and quantity of course the manager added quality is simply giving people the product or service they really want and need the older man stood at the window lost in his thoughts he could remember not so long ago when his country provided the technology that helped to rebuild Europe and Asia it still amazed him that America had fallen so far behind in productivity the young man broke the managers concentration I'm reminded of an ad I saw on television the visitor volunteered it showed the name of the foreign car and over it came the words if you're going to take out a long term car loan don't buy a short term car the manager turned and said quietly I'm afraid that's a rather good summary and that's the whole point productivity is both quantity and quality the manager and his visitor began to walk back toward the couch and frankly the best way to achieve both of these results is through people the young man's interest increased as he sat down he asked well you've already said that you're not a participative manager just how would you describe yourself that's easy he responded without hesitation I'm a one-minute manager the young man's face showed surprise he'd never heard of a one-minute manager he wrote what the manager laughed and said I'm a one-minute manager I call myself that because it takes very little time for me to get very big results from people although the young man had spoken with many managers he had never heard one talk like this it was hard to believe a one-minute manager someone who gets good results without taking much time seeing the doubt on his face the manager said you don't believe me do you you don't believe that I'm a one-minute manager I must admit it's hard for me even to imagine the young man responded the manager laughed and said listen you'd better talk to my people if you really want to know what kind of manager I am the manager leaned over and spoke into the office intercom his secretary miss Metcalfe came in moments later and handed the young man a sheet of paper those are the names positions and phone numbers of the six people who report to me the one-minute man explained which one should I talk to the young man asked that's your decision the manager responded pick any name talked to any one of them or all of them well I mean who should I start with I already told you I don't make decisions for other people the manager said firmly make that decision yourself he stood up and walked his visitor toward the door you have asked me not once but twice to make a simple decision for you frankly young man I find that annoying do not ask me to repeat myself either pick a name and get started or take your search for effective management elsewhere the visitor was stunned he was uncomfortable very uncomfortable a moment of embarrassed silence seemed like an eternity then the one minute manager looked the young man in the eye and said you want to know about managing people and I admire that he shook his visitor's hand if you have any questions after talking to some of my people he said warmly come back and see me I appreciate your interest and desire to learn how to manage I would in fact like to give you the concept of the one minute manager as a gift someone gave it to me once and it's made all the difference to me I want you to understand it fully if you like it you may want to become a one minute manager yourself someday thank you the young man managed he left the manager's office somewhat dumbfounded as he passed the secretary she said understandingly I can see from your dazed look that you've already experienced our one minute manager the young man said very slowly still trying to figure things out I guess I have maybe I can help you MS Metcalf said I phoned the six people who report to him five of them are here and they have each agreed to see you you may be better able to understand our one minute manager after you've spoken with them the young man thanked her looked over the list and decided to talk to three of them mr. Tran al mr. levy and Ms Brown when the young man arrived at tri Nell's office he found a middle-aged man smiling at him well you've been to see the old man he's quite a guy isn't he he seems that way the young man responded did he tell you about being a one-minute manager he sure did it's not true is it asked the young man you better believe it is I hardly ever see him you mean you never get any help from him puzzle the young man essentially very little although he does spend some time with me at the beginning of a new task or responsibility that's when he does one-minute goal setting one-minute goal setting what's that said the young man he told me he was a one-minute manager but he didn't say anything about one minute goal-setting that's the first of the three secrets to one minute management Trudel answered three secrets the young man asked wanting to know more yes said Trudel one minute goal-setting is the first one and the foundation for one minute management you see in most organizations when you ask people what they do and then ask their boss all too often you get two different lists in fact in some organizations I've worked in any relationship between what I thought my job responsibilities were and what my boss thought they were was purely coincidental and then I would get in trouble for not doing something I didn't even think was my job does that ever happen here that's the young man no sure Nell said it never happens here the one minute manager always makes it clear what our responsibilities are and what we're being held accountable for just how does he do that the young man wanted to know efficiently Trinette said with a smile try now began to explain once he has told me what needs to be done or we have agreed on what needs to be done then each goal is recorded on no more than a single page the one minute manager feels that a goal and it's performance standard should take no more than 250 words to express he insists that anyone be able to read it within a minute he keeps a copy and I keep a copy so everything is clear and so we can both periodically check the progress do you have these one-page statements for every goal yes answered journal well wouldn't there be a lot of these one-page statements for each person no there really aren't sure Nell insisted the old man believes in the 80/20 goal-setting rule that is 80% of your really important results will come from 20% of your goals so we only do one minute goal-setting on that 20 percent that is our key areas of responsibility maybe 3 to 6 goals and all of course in the event a special project comes up we set special 1-minute goals interesting the young man commented I think I understand the importance of one minute goal-setting it sounds like a philosophy of no surprises everyone knows what is expected from the beginning exactly true Nell nodded so is one minute goal-setting just understanding what your responsibilities are the young man asked nope once we know what our job is the manager always makes sure we know what good performance is in other words performance standards are clear he shows us what he expects how does he do that show you what he expects that's the young man let me give you an example sure Nell suggested one of my 1-minute goals was this identify performance problems and come up with solutions which when implemented will turn the situation around when I first came to work here I spotted a problem that needed to be solved but I didn't know what to do so I called the one minute manager when he answered the phone I said sir I have a problem before I could get another word out he said good that's what you've been hired to solve then there was a dead silence on the other end of the phone I didn't know what to do the silence was deafening I eventually stuttered out but but surah I don't know how to solve this problem tournelle he said one of your goals for the future is for you to identify and solve your own problems but since you're new come on up and we'll talk when I got up there he said tell Mitra Nell what your problem is but put it in behavioral terms behavioral terms ayah code what do you mean by behavioral terms I mean the manager explained to me that I do not want to hear only about attitudes or feelings tell me what is happening in observable measurable terms I described the problem the best I could he said that's good for now now tell me what you would like to be happening in behavioral terms I don't know I said then don't waste my time he snapped I just froze an amazement for a few seconds I didn't know what to do he mercifully broke the dead silence if you can't tell me what you'd like to be happening he said 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 being a quick learner I suddenly realized I knew what I wanted to be happening after I told him he asked me to talk about what may have caused the discrepancy between the actual and the desired after that the one minute manager said well what are you going to do about it well I could do a I said if you did a would what you want to happen actually happen he asked no I said then you have a lousy solution what else could you do he asked I could do B I said but if you do B will what you want to happen really happen he countered again no I realized then that's also a bad solution he said what else can you do and I thought about it for a couple of minutes and said I could do C but if I do see what I want to happen won't happen so that's a bad solution isn't it right you're starting to come around the manager then said with a smile on his face is there anything else you could do he asked maybe I could combine some of these solutions I said that sounds worth trying he reacted in fact if I do a this week be next week and see in two weeks I'll have it solved that's fantastic thanks so much you solved my problem for me he got very annoyed I did not he interrupted you solved it yourself I just asked you questions questions you are able to ask yourself now get out of here and start solving your own problems on your time not mine I knew what he had done of course he'd shown me how to solve problems so that I could do it on my own in the future then he stood looked me straight in the eye and said you're good for now remember that the next time you have a problem I remember smiling as I left his office Trinette leaned back in his chair and looked as if he were reliving his first encounter with the one minute manager so the young man began reflecting on what he had just heard one minute goal-setting is simply first agree on your goals second see what good behavior looks like third write out each of your goals on a single sheet of paper using less than 250 words fourth read and reread each goal which requires only a minute or so each time you do it fifth take a minute every once in a while out of your day to look at your performance and six see whether or not your behavior matches your goal that's it Chanel exclaimed you're a fast learner thank you the young man said feeling good about himself but just let me jot that down he said I want to remember that after the young man wrote briefly in the small blue notebook you carried with him he leaned forward and asked if one minute goal-setting is the first secret to becoming a one-minute manager what are the other two turn L smiled looked at his watch and said why don't you ask levy that you're scheduled to see him this morning too aren't you the young man was amazed how did train l know that yes the young man said as he rose to shake train Elle's hand thanks so much for your time sir you're welcome true nel answered time is one thing I have a lot more of now as you can probably tell I'm becoming a one-minute manager myself as the young man left for Nels office he was struck by the simplicity of what he had heard he thought it certainly makes sense after all how can you be an effective manager unless you and your people are sure of what they're being asked to do and what an efficient way to do it the young man walked the length of the building and took the elevator to the second floor when he got to mr. Levy's office he was surprised to meet so young a man levy was probably in his late 20s or early 30s well you've been to see the old man he's quite a guy isn't he he was already getting used to the one minute manager being called quite a guy I guess he is responded the young man did he tell you about being a one-minute manager Nast levy he sure did it's not true is it yes the young man wondering if he'd get a different answer from tournelles if you better believe it's true I hardly ever see him you mean you never get any help from him pursued the young man essentially very little although he does spend a fair amount of time with me at the beginning of a new task or responsibility yes I know about one minute goal-setting interrupted the young man actually I wasn't thinking so much about one minute goal-setting I was referring to one minute praisings one minute praisings echoed the young man are they the second secret to becoming a 1-minute manager yes they our levy revealed in fact when I first started to work here the one minute manager made it very clear to me what he was going to do what was that the visitor asked he said that he knew that it would be a lot easier for me to do well if I got crystal clear feedback from him on how I was doing he said he wanted me to succeed he wanted me to be a big help to the organization and to enjoy my work he told me that he would try therefore to let me know in no uncertain terms when I was doing well and when I was doing poorly and then he cautioned me that it might not be very comfortable at first for either of us why the visitor asked because as he pointed out to me then most managers don't manage that way and people aren't used to it then he assured me that such feedback would be a big help to me can you give me an example of what you're talking about the young man requested sure leave he complied shortly after I started to work I noticed that after my manager had done one minute goal-setting with me he would stay in close contact what do you mean by close contact ask the young man there were two ways that he did it explain levy first of all he observed my activities very closely he never seemed to be very far away secondly he made me keep detailed records of my progress which he insisted I sent to him that's interesting said the young man why does he do that at first I thought he was spying and didn't trust me that is until I found out from some of the other people who report to him what he was really doing what was that the young men wanted to know he was trying to catch me doing something right levy said catch you doing something right echo the young man yes responded levy we have a motto around here that says help people reach their full potential catch them doing something right levy continued in most organizations the managers spend most of their time catching people doing what yeah the unmanned the young man smiled and said knowingly doing something wrong right said levy here we put the accent on the positive we catch people doing something right the young man made a few notes in his notebook and then asked what happens mr. levy when the one minute manager catches you doing something right that's when he gives you a one-minute praising levy said with some delight what does that mean the young man wanted to know well when he has seen that you've done something right he comes over and makes contact with you that often includes putting his hand on your shoulder or briefly touching you in a friendly way doesn't that bother you the young man wondered when he touches you no levy insisting on the contrary it helps I know he really cares about me and he wants me to prosper as he says the more consistently successful your people are the higher you rise in the organization when he makes contact it's brief but it lets me know once again that we're really on the same side anyway after that levy continued he looks you straight in the eye and tells you precisely what you did right then he shares with you how good he feels about what you did I don't think I've ever heard of a manager doing that the young man broke in that must make you feel pretty good it certainly does levy confirmed for several reasons first of all I get appraising as soon as I've done something right he smiled and leaned toward his visitor then he laughed and said I don't have to wait for an annual performance review if you know what I mean both men smiled second since he specifies exactly what I did right I know he's sincere and familiar with what I'm doing third he's consistent consistent echoed the young man wanting to know more yes insisted levy he will praise me if I am performing well and deserve it even if things are not going well for him elsewhere I know he may be annoyed about other things but he responds to where I am not just to where he is at the time and I really appreciate that doesn't all this praising have to take up a lot of the manager's time the young man asked not really he said levy remember you don't have to praise someone for very long for them to know you noticed and you care it usually takes less than a minute and that's why it's called a 1-minute praising the visitor said as he wrote down what he was learning right leave he said is he always trying to catch you doing something right the young man asked no of course not me he answered just when you first start work here or when you begin a new project or responsibility then he does after you get to know the ropes he doesn't seem to be around much why the young man wondered because you and he have other ways of knowing when your job performance is praiseworthy you both can review the data in the information system the sales figures expenditures production schedules and so on and then leave he added after a while you begin to catch yourself doing things right and you start praising yourself also you're always wondering when he might praise you again and that seems to keep you going even when he's not around it's uncanny I've never worked so hard at a job in my life that's really interesting commented the young man so one-minute praising is a secret to becoming a one-minute manager it is indeed Levy said with a gleam in his eye he enjoyed watching someone learn the secrets of 1-minute management as the visitor looked at his notes he quickly reviewed what he had learned about the one-minute praising the one-minute praising works well when you first tell people up front that you're going to let them know how they are doing second praise people immediately third tell people what they did right be specific fourth tell people how good you feel about what they did right and how it helps the organization and the other people who work there fifth stop for a moment of silence to let them feel how good you feel sixth encourage them to do more of the same and seventh shake hands or touch people in a way that makes it clear that you support their success in the organization what's the third secret the young man asked anxiously Levy laughed at the visitors enthusiasm rose from his chair and said why don't you ask Miss Brown I understand you're planning to talk to her too yes I am admitted the young man well thanks so much for your time that's okay insisted levy time is one thing I have plenty of you see I'm a one-minute manager myself now the visitor smiled he'd heard that somewhere before he wanted to reflect on what he was learning he left the building and took a walk among the trees nearby he was struck again by the simplicity and common sense of what he had heard how can you argue with the effectiveness of catching people doing something right the young man thought especially after they know what they are to do and what good performance looks like but do one-minute praisings really work he wondered does all this one-minute management stuff really get results bottom line results as he walked along his curiosity about results increased so he returned to the one minute manager secretary and asked MS Metcalf to reschedule his appointment with Ms Brown for some time the next morning tomorrow morning is fine the secretary said as she hung up the phone miss Brown said to tell you to come any time except Wednesday morning that she called downtown and made the new appointment he requested he was to see MS Gomez an official in the headquarters office they have information there about all the different plants and locations in the total company miss Metcalfe said in a very knowing way I'm sure you'll find whatever you're looking for he thanked her and left after lunch the young man went downtown he met with MS Gomez a competent looking woman in her early 40s getting down to business the young man asked could you please tell me what is the most efficient and effective of all your operations in the country I want to compare it with the so-called 1-minute managers a moment later he laughed as he heard miss Gomez say well you won't have to look very far because it is the one minute managers he's quite a guy isn't he his operation is the most efficient and effective of all our plants that's unbelievable said the young man does he have the best equipment no said miss Gomez in fact he's got some of the oldest well there's got to be something wrong out there said the young man still puzzled by the old man's management style tell me does he lose a lot of his people does he have a lot of turnover come to think of it miss Gomez said he does have a lot of turnover aha the young man said thinking he was on to something what happens to those folks when they leave the one minute manager the young man wanted to know we give them their own operation miss Gomez quickly responded after two years with him they say who needs a manager he's our best trainer of people whenever we have an opening and need a good manager we call him he always says somebody who was ready amazed the young man thanked miss Gomez for her time but this time he got a different response I was glad I could fit you in today she said the rest of my week is really jammed I wish I knew what the one minute manager secrets were I've been meaning to go over there and see him but I just haven't had time smiling the young man said I'll give you those secrets as a gift when I find them out myself just like he's giving them to me that would be a precious present miss Gomez said with a smile she looked around her office and said I could use whatever help I can get the young man left MS Gomez's office and walked out into the street shaking his head the one minute manager was absolutely fascinating to him that night the young man had a very restless sleep he found himself excited about the next day about learning the third secret to becoming a one-minute manager the next morning he arrived at ms Brown's office at the stroke of nine a very smartly dressed woman in her late 50s greeted him he got the usual he's quite a guy isn't he routine but by now the young man was getting to the point where he could sincerely say yes he is did he tell you about being a one-minute manager asked Ms Brown that's all I've been hearing about the young man said laughing it's not true is it he asked still wondering if he'd get a different answer you better believe it is I hardly ever see him you mean you don't have much contact with him pursue the young man outside your regular weekly meeting essentially very little except of course when I do something wrong said Miss Brown shocked the young man said you mean the only time you see the one minute manager is when you do something wrong yes well not quite said Miss Brown but almost but I thought a key motto around here was catching people doing things right it is insisted Brown but you have to know some things about me what asked the young man I've been working here for quite a few years I know this operation inside and out as a result the one minute manager doesn't have to spend much time with me if any on goal setting in fact I usually write out my goals and send them over to him is each goal on a separate sheet of paper asked the young man you bet no longer than 250 words and each one takes me or the one minute manager only a minute to read another thing about me that's important is that I just love my work as a result I do most of my own one minute praisings in fact I believe if you're not for yourself who is a friend of mine told me a motto I'll always remember if you don't blow your own horn someone else will use it as a spittoon the young man smiled he liked her sense of humor does your manager ever praise you he asked sometimes he does but he doesn't have to do it very often because I beat him to the punch answered Miss Brown when I do something especially good I might even ask the one minute manager for appraising how would you ever have the nerve to do that that's the young man it's easy just like making a bet where I either win or I break even if he gives me the praising I win but if he doesn't the young man broke in then I break even responded Ms Brown I didn't have it before I asked the young man smiled as he took note of MS Browns philosophy and then continued you said he spends time with you when you do something wrong what do you mean asked the young man if I make a significant mistake that's when I invariably get a one-minute reprimand Ms Brown said what the startled young man asked a one-minute reprimand Ms Brown repeated that's the third secret to becoming a one-minute manager how does it work wondered the young man out loud it's simple said Miss Brown I figured you'd say that said the young man Miss Brown joined his laughs and explained if you have been doing a job for some time and you know how to do it well and you make a mistake the one minute manager is quick to respond what does he do ask the young man as soon as he has learned about the mistake he comes to see me first he confirms the facts then he might put his hand on my shoulder or maybe just come around to my side of the desk doesn't that bother you asked the young man sure it does because you know what's coming especially since he doesn't have a smile on his face he looks me straight in the eye she continued and tells me precisely what I did wrong then he shares with me how he feels about it he's angry annoyed frustrated or whatever he's feeling how long does that take ask the young man only about 30 seconds but sometimes it seems forever to me confided Ms Brown the visitor couldn't help but remember the feelings he had when the one minute manager told him in no uncertain terms how annoyed he was with his indecision and then what happens the young man asked as he moved to the edge of his chair he lets what he said sink in with a few seconds of silence boy does it sink in then what the young man asked he looks me squarely in the eye and lets me know how competent he thinks I usually am he makes sure I understand that the only reason he is angry with me is that he has so much respect for me he says he knows this is so unlike me he says how much he looks forward to seeing me some other time as long as I understand that he does not welcome that same mistake again the young man broke in it must make you think twice it certainly does Ms Brown nodded vigorously the young man knew what miss brown was talking about he was taking notes now as fast as he could he sensed that it wasn't going to take this woman long to cover several important points first of all Miss Brown said he usually gives me the reprimand as soon as I've done something wrong second since he specifies exactly what I did wrong I know he is on top of things and that I'm not going to get away with sloppiness third since he doesn't attack me as a person only my behavior it's easier for me not to become defensive I don't try to rationalize away my mistake by fixing blame on him or somebody else I know he's being fair and fourth he's consistent does that mean he'll reprimand you for doing something wrong even if things are going well for him elsewhere yes she answered does the whole process really take only a minute the young man asked usually she said and when it's over it's over a one-minute reprimand doesn't last long but I can guarantee you you don't forget it and you usually don't make the same mistake twice I think I know what you're talking about the young man said I'm afraid I asked him I hope she interrupted you didn't ask him to repeat himself the young man was embarrassed I did he confessed then you know what it's like to be on the receiving end of a one-minute reprimand she said although I expect as a visitor you got a rather mild one I don't know if you'd call it mild he said but I don't think I'll ask him to repeat himself very often that was a mistake I wonder the visitor said out loud if the one minute manager ever makes a mistake he seems almost too perfect Ms Brown began to laugh hardly she said but he does have a good sense of humor so when he does make a mistake like forgetting to do the last half of the one-minute reprimand we pointed out to him and kid him about it after we've had time to recover from the reprimand that is we might for example phone him later and tell him we know we were wrong then we might laugh and ask for the praising half of the reprimand because we're not feeling too good and what does he do then the young man asked he usually laughs and says he's sorry he forgot to remind me that I'm an okay person you can laugh about praisings and reprimands the young man asked sure Ms Brown said you see the one minute manager has taught us the value of being able to laugh at ourselves when we make a mistake it helps us get on with our work that's terrific the young man enthused how did you learn to do that simply Ms Brown answered by watching the boss do it himself you mean your boss can laugh at himself when he makes a mistake the astonishing man asked well not always Ms Brown admitted he's like most of us sometimes it's tough but often he can and when he does laugh at himself it has a positive effect on everyone around him he must be pretty secure the young man suggested he is Ms Brown answered the young man was impressed he was beginning to see how valuable such a manager was to an organization why do you think the one-minute manager's reprimands are so effective he asked I'll let you ask the one minute manager she said as she rose from behind the desk and walked the young man to the door when he thanked her for her time Ms Brown smiled and said you know what the response to that is going to be they both laughed he was beginning to feel like an insider rather than a visitor and that felt good as soon as he was in the hall he realized how little time he'd spent with her and how much information she had given him he reflected on what she had said it sounded so simple he reviewed in his own mind what you should do when you catch an experienced person doing something wrong the one minute reprimand works well when you first tell people beforehand that you're going to let them know how they're doing and in no uncertain terms the first half of the reprimand second reprimand people immediately third tell people what they did wrong be specific fourth tell people how you feel about what they did wrong and in no uncertain terms fifth stop for a few seconds of uncomfortable silence to let them feel how you feel the second half of the reprimand sixth shake hands or touch them in a way that lets them know you are honestly on their side seventh remind them how much you value them eighth reaffirm that you think well of them but not of their performance in this situation and ninth realized that when the reprimand is over it's over the young man may not have believed in the effectiveness of the one-minute reprimand if he hadn't personally experienced its effect there was no doubt that he felt uncomfortable and he did not want to experience it again however he knew that everyone made mistakes now and then and that he might very well receive another reprimand someday but he knew if it came from the one minute manager that it would be fair that it would be a comment on his behavior and not on his worth as a person as he headed toward the one-minute manager's office he kept thinking about the simplicity of one minute management all three of the secrets made sense one minute goals one minute praisings and one minute reprimands but why do they work he wondered why is the one minute manager the most productive manager in the company [Music] when he got to the one-minute managers the secretary said you can go right in he's been wondering when you'd be back to see him as the young man entered the office he noticed again how clear and uncluttered it was he was greeted by a warm smile from the one unit manager well what did you find out in your travels he asked a lot the young man said enthusiastically tell me what you learned the manager encouraged I found out why you call yourself a one-minute manager you set one-minute goals with your people to make sure they know what they are being held accountable for and what good performance looks like then you try to catch them doing something right so you can give them a 1-minute praising and then finally if they have all the skills to do something right and they don't you give them a one-minute reprimand what do you think about all that ask the one minute manager I'm amazed at how simple it is said the young man and yet it works you get results I'm convinced that it certainly works for you and it will for you too if you're willing to do it the manager insisted perhaps said the young man but I would be more likely to do it if I could understand more about why it works that's true of every one young man the more you understand why it works the more apt you are to use it I'd be happy therefore to tell you what I know where do you want to start well first of all when you talk about one minute management do you really mean it takes a minute to do all the kinds of things you need to do as a manager no not always it's just a way to say that being a manager is not as complicated as people would have you believe and also managing people doesn't take as long as you'd think so when I say one minute management it might take more than a minute for each of the key elements like goal-setting but it's just a symbolic term and very often it does only take a minute let me show you one of the notes I keep on my desk when he looked the young man saw the best minute I spend is the one I invest in people it's ironic the manager said most companies spend 50 to 70 percent of their money on people's salaries and yet they spend less than one percent of their budget to train their people most companies in fact spend more time and money on maintaining their buildings and equipment than they do on maintaining and developing people I never thought of that the young man admitted but if people get results then it certainly makes good sense to invest in people exactly the manager said I wish I had had someone invest in me sooner when I first went to work what do you mean the young man asked well in most of the organizations I worked in before I often didn't know what I was supposed to be doing no one bothered to tell me if you asked me whether I was doing a good job I would say either I don't know or I think so if you asked why I thought so I would reply I haven't been chewed out by my boss lately or no news is good news it was almost as if my main motivation was to avoid punishment that's interesting the young men admitted but I'm not sure I understand it then he added anxiously in fact if it's all right with you maybe I could understand things better if I could get to some of my why questions let's start with one minute goal-setting why does it work so well you want to know why one minute goals work the manager said fine he got up and began to pace slowly around the room let me give you an analogy that might help I've seen a lot of unmotivated people at work in the various organization I've been employed in over the years but I've never seen an unmotivated person after work everyone seems to be motivated to do something one night for example I was bowling and I saw some of the problem employees at work from my last organization one of the real problem people who I remembered all too well took the bowling ball and approached the line and rolled the ball then he started to scream and yell and jump around why do you think it was so happy because he got a strike he had knocked down all the pins exactly why don't you think he and the other people are that excited at work because he doesn't know where the pins are smile the young man I get it how long would he want a bowl if there were no pins right said the one minute manager now you can see what happens in most organizations I believe that most managers know what they want their people to do they just don't bother to tell their people in a way they would understand they assume they should know I never assume anything when it comes to goal-setting when you assume that people know what's expected of them you are creating an ineffective form of bowling you put the pins up but when the bowler goes to roll the ball he notices there's a sheet across the pins so when he rolls the ball and it slips under the sheet he hears a crack but doesn't know how many pins he knocked down when you ask him how he did he says I don't know but it felt good it's like playing golf at night a lot of my friends have given up golf and when I asked them why they said because the courses are too crowded when I suggested that they play at night they laughed because who would ever play golf without being able to see the pins it's the same with watching football how many people in this country would sit in front of their TVs on a Sunday afternoon or a Monday night and watch two teams run up and down the field if there were no goals to shoot at or any way to score yeah why is that that's the young man it's all because clearly the number one motivator of people is feedback on results in fact we have another saying here that's worth noting feedback is the breakfast of champions feedback keeps us going unfortunately however when most managers realize that feedback on results is the number one motivator of people they usually set up a third form of bowling when the bowler goes to the line to roll the ball the pins are still up in the sheet is in place but now there is another ingredient in the game a supervisor standing behind the sheet when the bowler rolls the ball he hears the crash of the falling pins and the supervisor holds up two fingers to signify you knock down two pins actually do most managers say you got to know the young man smiled they usually say you missed eight right on said the one minute manager the question I always used to ask was why doesn't the manager lift the sheet up so both he and his subordinate can see the pins why because he has the great American tradition performance review coming up because he has performance review coming up wondered the young man right I used to call that ni h y sob which stands for now I have you you sob such managers don't tell their people what they expect of them they just leave them alone and then zap them when they don't perform at the desired level why do you suppose they would do that the young man inquired being very familiar with the truth in the manager's comments so they can look good said the manager what do you mean so they can look good asked the young man how do you think you would be viewed by your boss if you rated everyone that reported to you at the highest level on your performance review scale as a soft touch as someone who could not discriminate between good performance and poor performance precisely said the manager in order to look good as a manager in most organizations you have to catch some of your people doing things wrong you have to have a few winners a few losers and everyone else somewhere in the middle you see in this country we have a normal distribution curve mentality I remember one time when visiting my son's school I observed a fifth grade teacher giving a state capitals test to her class when I asked her why she didn't put atlases around the room and let the kids use them during the test she said well I couldn't do that because all the kids would get 100% as though it would be bad for everyone to do well I remember once reading that when someone asked Einstein what his phone number was he went to the phone book to look it up the young man laughed you're kidding no I'm not kidding he said he never cluttered his mind with information he could find somewhere else now if you didn't know better the manager continued what would you think of someone who went to the phone book to look up his own number would you think he was a winner or a loser the young man grinned and said a real loser sure the manager responded I would too but we'd be wrong wouldn't we the young man nodded his agreement it's easy for any of us to make this mistake the manager said then he showed his visitor the plaque he had made for himself look at this everyone is a potential winner some people are disguised as losers don't let their appearances fool you you see the manager said you really have three choices as a manager first you can hire winners they're hard to find and they cost money or second if you can't find a winner you can hire someone with the potential to be a winner then you systematically train that person to become a winner if you're not willing to do either of the first two and I am continually amazed at the number of managers who won't spend the money to hire a winner or take the time to train someone to become a winner then there is only the third choice left prayer that stopped the young man cold he put down his notebook and pen and said prayer the manager laughed quietly that's just my attempt at humor young man but when you think about it there are many managers who are saying their prayers daily I hope this person works out oh the young man said seriously well let's take the first choice if you hire a winner it's really easy to be a one-minute manager isn't it it sure is the manager said with a smile he was amazed at how serious the young man was now as though being more serious made a person a better manager all you have to do with a winner is do one minute goal-setting and let him run with the ball I understand from Ms Brown sometimes you don't even have to do that with her said the young man she's absolutely right said the manager she's forgotten more than most people know around here but with everyone winner or potential winner one minute goal-setting is a basic tool for productive behavior is it true that no matter who initiates the one-minute goal-setting the young man asked each goal always has to be written down on a single sheet of paper absolutely insisted the one minute manager why is that so important so people can review their goals frequently and then check their performance against those goals I understand you have them write down only their major goals and responsibilities and not every aspect of their job the young man said yes that's because I don't want this to be a paper mill I don't want a lot of pieces of paper filed away somewhere and looked at only once a year when it's time for next year's goal-setting or performance review or some such thing as you probably saw everyone who works for me has a plaque near them that looks like this he showed his visitor a copy of the plaque take a minute look at your goals look at your performance see if your behavior matches your goals the young man was amazed he'd missed this in his brief visit I never saw this he said it's terrific could I get one of these plaques sure the manager said I'll arrange it as he was writing down some of what he was learning the aspiring manager said without lifting up his head you know it's difficult to learn everything there is to learn about one-minute management in such a short time there's certainly more I'd like to learn about one-minute goals for instance but maybe I could do that later could we move to one-minute praisings now ask the young man as he looked up from his notebook sure said the one minute manager you were probably wondering why that works - I certainly a.m. the visitor responded let's look at a few examples the one minute manager said maybe then it will be clear to you why one minute praisings work so well I'd like that said the young man I'll start with a pigeon example and then move on two people said the manager just remember young man 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's a key to good management with that in mind let's look at several simple examples which show us that we all seek what feels good to us and we avoid what feels bad to us suppose you have an untrained pigeon that you want to enter a box in the lower left-hand corner and run across the box to the upper right-hand corner and push a lever with his right foot suppose that not too far from the entry point we have a pellet machine that is a machine that can release pellets of food to reward and reinforce the pigeon what do you think is going to happen if we put the pigeon in the box and wait until the pigeon runs over to the upper right-hand corner and pushes the lever with his right foot before we give him any food ask the one minute manager he would starve to death responded the young man you're right we're going to lose a lot of pigeons the pigeon is going to starve to death because he doesn't have any idea what he is supposed to do now it's actually not too hard to train a pigeon to do this task all you have to do is to draw a line not too far from where the pigeon enters the box the pigeon enters the box and crosses the line bang the pellet machine goes off and the pigeon gets fed pretty soon you have the pigeon running to that spot but you don't want the pigeon there where do you want the pigeon in the upper right hand corner of the box said the young man right the one minute manager confirmed therefore after a while you stop rewarding the pigeon for running to that spot and draw another line which isn't too far from the last line but is in the direction of the goal the upper right-hand corner of the box now the pigeon starts running around his old spot and doesn't get fed pretty soon though the pigeon makes it across the new line and bang the machine goes off again and the pigeon gets fed then you draw another line again this line has to be in the direction of the goal but not too far away that the pitching can't make it again we keep setting these lines closer and closer to the upper right-hand corner of the box until we won't feed the pigeon unless he hits the lever and then finally only when he hits the lever with his right foot why do you set up all these little goals wondered the young man by setting up these series of lines we're establishing goals that the pigeon can achieve so the key to training someone to do a new task is in the beginning to catch them doing something approximately right until they can eventually learn to do it exactly right we use this concept all the time with kids and animals but we somehow forget it when we're dealing with big people adults for example at some of these sea aquariums you see around the country they usually end the show by having a huge whale jump over a rope which is high above the water when the whale comes down he drenches the first ten rows the people leave that show mumbling to themselves that's unbelievable how did they teach that whale to do that do you think they go out in the ocean in a boat the manager asked and put a rope out over the water and yell up up until a whale jumps out of the water over the rope and then say hey let's hire him he's a real winner no laughs the young man but that really would be hiring a winner the two men enjoyed the laughs this year you're right the manager said when they captured the whale he knew nothing about jumping over ropes so when they began to train him in the large pool where do you think they started the rope at the bottom of the pool answered the young man of course responded the manager every time the whale swam over the rope which was every time he swam past he got fed soon they raised the rope a little if the whale swam under the rope he didn't get fed during training whenever he swam over the rope he got fat so after a while the whale started swimming over the rope all of the time then they started raising the rope a little higher why do they raise the rope asked the young man first the manager began because they were clear on the goal to have the whale jump high out of the water and over the rope and second the one minute manager pointed out it's not a very exciting show for a trainer to say folks the whale did it again everybody maybe looking in the water but they can't see anything over a period of time they keep on raising the rope until they finally get it to the surface of the water now the great whale knows that in order to get fed he has to jump partially out of the water and over the rope as soon as that goal is reached they can start raising the rope higher and higher out of the water so that's how they do it the young man said well I can understand now how using that method works with animals but isn't it a bit much to use it with people no it's very natural in fact the manager said we all do essentially the same thing with the children we care for how do you think you teach them to walk can you imagine standing a child up and saying walk and when he falls down you pick him up and spank him and say I told you to walk no you stand the child up and the first day he wobbles a little bit and you get all excited and say he stood he stood and you hug and kiss the child the next day he stands for a moment and maybe wobbles a step and you're all over him with kisses and hugs finally the realizing that this is a pretty good deal starts to wobble his legs more and more until he eventually walks the same thing goes for teaching a child to speak suppose you wanted a child to say give me a glass of water please if you waited until the child said the whole sentence before you gave her any water the child would die of thirst so you start off by saying water water all of a sudden one day the child says Wyler you jump all over the place hug and kiss the child get grandmother on the phone so the child can say water water that wasn't water but it was close now you don't want a kid going into a restaurant at the age of 21 asking for a glass of water so after a while you only accept the word water and then you begin on please these examples illustrate that the most important thing in training somebody to become a winner is to catch them doing something right in the beginning approximately right and gradually moving them toward the desired behavior with a winner you don't have to catch them doing things right very often because good performers catch themselves doing things right and are able to be self reinforcing is that why you observe new people a lot in the beginning ask the young man or when you're more experienced people are starting a new project yes the one minute manager said most managers wait until their people do something exactly right before they appraise them as a result many people never get to become high performers because their managers concentrate on catching them doing things wrong that is anything that falls short of the final desired performance in our pigeon example it would be like putting the pigeon in the box and not only waiting until he hits the lever to give him any food but putting some electric grills around the box to punish him periodically just to keep him motivated that doesn't sound like it would be very effective the young man suggested well it isn't agreed the one minute manager after getting punished for a while and not knowing what acceptable behavior is that is hitting the lever the pigeon would go into the corner of the box and not move to the pigeon it's a hostile environment and not worth taking any risks in that is what we often do with new inexperienced people we welcome them aboard take them around to meet everybody and then we leave them alone not only do we not catch them doing anything approximately right but periodically we zap them just to keep them moving this is the most popular leadership style of all we call it the leave alone zap style you leave a person alone expecting good performance from them and when you don't get it you zap them what happens to these people ask the young man if you've been in any organization and I understand you visited several the manager said you know because you've seen them they do as little as possible and that's what's wrong with most businesses today they're people really don't produce either quantity or quality and much of the reason for this poor business performance is simply because the people are managed so poorly the young man put his notebook down he thought about what he just heard he was beginning to see one-minute management for what it is a practical business tool it was amazing to him how well something as simple as the 1-minute praising worked whether it was inside or outside the business world that reminds me of some friends of mine the young man said they called me and said that they'd gotten a new dog they asked me what I thought of their plant method of training the dog the manager was almost afraid to ask how were they gonna do it they said if the dog had an accident on the rug they were gonna take the dog shove his nose in it pound him on the butt with a newspaper and then throw the dog out this little window in the kitchen into the backyard where the dog was supposed to do his job then they asked me what I thought would happen with this method I laughed because I knew what would happen after about three days the dog would poop on the floor and jump out the window the dog didn't know what to do but he knew he had better clear area the manager roared his approval that's a great story he said you see that's what punishment does when you use it with somebody who lacks confidence or is insecure because of lack of experience if inexperienced people don't perform that is do what you want them to do then rather than punish them we need to go back to one minute goal setting and make sure they understand what is expected of them and that they have seen what good performance looks like well then after you've done one minute goal-setting again the young man asked do you try to catch them doing something approximately right again precisely so the one minute manager agreed you're always trying to create situations in the beginning where you can give a one-minute praising then looking the young man straight in the eyes the manager said you are a very enthusiastic and receptive learner that makes me feel good about sharing the secrets of one minute management with you they both smiled they knew a one-minute praising when they heard one I sure enjoy appraising more than a reprimand the young man laughed I think I understand now why one minute goals and one minute praisings work they really do make good sense to me good said the one minute manager but I can't imagine why the one minute reprimand works the young man wondered out loud let me tell you a few things about it said the one minute manager there are several reasons why the one minute reprimand worked so well to begin with the manager explained the feedback in the one minute reprimand is immediate that is you got to the individual as soon as you observe the misbehavior or your data information system tips you off it's not appropriate to gunnysack or save up negative feelings about someone's poor performance the fact that the feedback is so immediate is an important lesson in why the one-minute reprimand works so well unless discipline occurs as close to the misbehavior as possible it tends not to be as helpful in influencing future behavior most managers are gonna sack discipline or that is they store up observations of poor behavior and then someday when performance review comes or they're angry in general because the sack is so full they charge in and dump everything on the table they tell people all the things they've done wrong for the last few weeks or months or more the young man breathe too deep science said so true and then the one minute manager went on the manager and subordinate usually end up yelling at each other about the facts or simply keeping quiet and resenting each other the person receiving the feedback doesn't really hear what he or she has done wrong this is a version of the leave alone zap form of discipline that I've spoken about earlier I remember it well responded the young man that's certainly something I want to avoid absolutely agree the manager if managers would only intervene early they could deal with one behavior at a time and the person receiving the discipline wouldn't be overwhelmed they could hear the feedback that's why I think performance review is an ongoing process not something you do only once a year so one reason that the one minute reprimand works is that the person receiving the reprimand can hear the feedback because when the manager deals with one behavior at a time it seems more fair and clear the young man summarized yes the manager said and secondly when I give a one-minute reprimand I never attack a person's worth or value as a person since their okayness as a person is not up for grabs they don't feel they have to defend themselves I reprimand the behavior only thus my feedback and their own reaction to it is about the specific behavior and not their feelings about themselves as human beings so often when disciplining people managers persecute the individual my purpose in a one-minute reprimand is to eliminate the behavior and keep the person so that's why you make the second half of the reprimand appraising the young man said their behavior is not okay they are okay yes agreed the one minute manager why wouldn't you give the praising first and then the reprimand suggested the young man for some reason it just doesn't work insisted the manager some people now that I think of it say that I am nice and tough as a manager but to be more accurate I'm really tough and nice tough and nice echoed the young man yes insisted the one minute manager this is an old philosophy that has worked well for literally thousands of years there is in fact a story in ancient China that illustrates this once upon a time an emperor appointed a second-in-command he called this Prime Minister in and in effect said to him why don't we divide up the tasks why don't you do all the punishing and I'll do all the rewarding the prime minister said fine I'll do all the punishing and you do all the rewarding I think I'm going to like this story the young man said you will you will the one minute manager replied with a knowing smile now this Emperor the manager continued soon noticed that whenever he asked somebody to do something they might do it or they might not do it however when the Prime Minister spoke people moved so the Emperor called the Prime Minister back in and said why don't we divide the tasks again you've been doing all the punishing here for quite a while now let me do the punishing and you do the rewarding so the Prime Minister and the Emperor switched roles again and within a month the Prime Minister was Emperor the Emperor had been a nice person rewarding and being kind to everyone then he started to punish people people said what's wrong with that old codger and they threw him out on his ear when they came to look for a replacement they said you know who's really starting to come around now the Prime Minister so they put him right into office isn't that a true story the young man asked who cares said the one minute manager laughing seriously he added I do know this if you are first tough on the behavior and then supportive of the person it works do you have any modern-day examples of where the one-minute reprimand has worked other than in management the young man asked the wise manager yes certainly the manager said let me mention to one with severe adult behavior problems and another in disciplining children what do you mean when you say severe adult behavior problems the young man asked I'm talking about alcoholics in particular the manager answered about 30 years ago an observant clergyman discovered a technique which is now called crisis intervention he made the discovery when he was helping a physicians wife she was in a Minnesota Hospital in critical condition and slowly dying from cirrhosis of the liver but she was still denying that she had a drinking problem when all her family had gathered at her bedside the clergyman asked each of them to describe specific drinking incidents they had observed that's an important part of the one minute reprimand before giving a reprimand you have to see the behavior yourself you can't depend on what someone else saw you never give a reprimand based on hearsay interesting the young man broke in let me finish after the family described specific behaviors the clergyman asked each of the family members to tell the woman how they felt about those incidents gathered closely around her one by one they told her first what she did and second how they felt about it they were angry frustrated embarrassed and then they told her how much they loved her and they instinctively touched her and gently said how they wanted her to live and to enjoy life once again that was why they were so angry with her that sounds so simple said the young man especially with something as complicated as a drinking problem did it work amazingly so the one minute manager insisted and now there are crisis intervention centers all over the country it's not as simple as I've summarized it of course but these three basic ingredients telling people what they did wrong telling people how you feel about it and reminding people that they are valuable and worthwhile lead to significant improvements in people's behavior that's nothing short of incredible the young man said I know it is the manager agreed you said you'd give me two examples of how other people successfully use methods like the 1-minute reprimand the young man said yes of course in the early 1970s a family psychiatrist in California also made the same amazing discovery with children he had read a lot about bonding the emotional ties people have to people he knew what people needed people need to be in contact with people who care about them to be accepted as valuable just because they are people the doctor also knew that people need to have a spade called a spade to be pulled up short by people who care when they're not behaving well how does that translate the young men wanted to know into practical action each parent is taught to physically touch their child by putting their hand on the child's shoulder touching his arm or if he is young actually sitting the child in their lap then the parent tells the child exactly what he did wrong and how their parent feels about it and in no uncertain terms you can see that this is very like what the family members did for the sick woman finally the parent takes a deep breath and allows for a few seconds of silence so the child can feel whatever the parent is feeling then the parent tells the youngster how valuable and important the child is to the parent you see it's very important when you're managing people to remember that behavior and worth are not the same things what is really worthwhile is the person managing their own behavior this is as true of each of us as managers as it is of each of the people were managing in fact if you know this the manager said as he pointed to one of his favorite plaques you will know the key to a really successful reprimand we are not just our behavior we are the person managing our behavior if you realize that you're managing people and not just the recent behavior the manager concluded you'll do well it sounds like there's a lot of caring and respect be such a reprimand the young man said I'm glad you noticed that young man you'll be successful with the one minute reprimand when you really care about the welfare of the person your reprimanding that reminds me the young man injected mr. levy told me that you pat him on the shoulder or shake hands or some other way make contact with him during appraising and now I noticed that the parents are encouraged to touch their children during the scolding is touching an important part of the one-minute praisings and reprimands yes and no the manager answered with a smile yes if you know the person well and are clearly interested in helping the person to succeed in his or her work and know if you or the other person has any doubts about that touch is a very powerful message the manager pointed out people have strong feelings about being touched and that needs to be respected would you for instance like someone whose motives you weren't sure of to touch you during a praising or a reprimand no the young man answered clearly I really wouldn't you see what I mean the manager explained touch is very honest people know immediately when you touch them whether you care about them or whether you're just trying to find a new way to manipulate them there's a very simple rule about touching the manager continued when you touch don't take touch the people you manage only when you're giving them something reassurance support encouragement whatever so you should refrain from touching someone the young man said until you know them and they know you're interested in their success that you're clearly on their side I can see that but the young man said hesitantly while the one-minute praisings and the one-minute reprimands look simple enough aren't they really just powerful ways for you to get people to do what you want them to do and isn't that manipulative you're right about one minute management being a powerful way to get people to do what you want them to do the manager confirm however manipulation is getting people to do something they are either not aware of or don't agree to that's why it's so important to let each person no upfront what you're doing and why it's like anything else in life the manager explained there are things that work and things that don't work being honest with people eventually works on the other hand as you've probably learned in your own life being dishonest eventually leads to a failing with people it's just that simple I can see now the young man said where the power of your management style comes from you care about people yes the manager said simply I guess I do the young man remembered how gruff he thought this special manager was when he first met him it was as though the manager could read his mind sometimes the one minute manager said you have to care enough to be tough and I am I'm very tough on the poor performance but only on the performance I'm never tough on the person the young man liked the one minute manager he knew now why people like to work with him maybe you'd find this interesting sir the younger man said is he pointed to his notebook it's a plaque I've created to remind me of how goals the one-minute goals and consequences the praisings and the reprimands affect people's behavior goals begin behaviors consequences maintain behaviors that's very good the manager exclaimed do you think so the young man asked wanting to hear the compliment once again young man the manager said very slowly for emphasis it is not my role in life to be a human tape recorder I do not have time to continually repeat myself just when he thought he would be praised the young man felt he was in for another 1 minute reprimand something he wanted to avoid the bright young man kept a straight face and said simply what they look at each other for only a moment and then they both burst into laughter I like you young man the manager said how would you like to go to work here the young man put down his notebook and dared in amazement you mean go to work for you he asked enthusiastically no I mean go to work for yourself like the other people in my department nobody ever really works for anybody else I just help people work better and in the process they benefit our organization this was of course what the young man had been looking for all along I'd love to work here he said and so he did for some time the time the special manager had invested in him paid off because eventually the inevitable happened he became a one-minute manager he became a one-minute manager not because he thought like one or talked like one but because he behaved like one he set one minute goals he gave one minute praisings he gave one minute reprimands he asked brief important questions spoke the simple truth laughed worked and enjoyed and perhaps most of all he encouraged the people he worked with to do the same he had even created a pocket-sized game plan to make it easier for the people around him to become one-minute managers he had given it as a useful gift to each person who reported to him many years later the young man looked back on the time when he first heard of the principles of 1-minute management it seemed like a long time ago he was glad he had written down what he learned from the one minute manager he had put his notes into a book and had given copies to many people he remembered MS Gomez's telephoning to say I can't thank you enough it's made a big difference in my work that pleased him as he thought back on the past he smiled he remembered how much he had learned from the original one minute manager and he was grateful the new manager was also happy that he could take the knowledge one step further by giving copies to many other people in the organization he had solved several practical problems everyone who worked with him felt secure no one felt manipulated or threatened because everyone knew up front what he was doing and why they could also see why the seemingly simple 1-minute management techniques goals praising and reprimands worked so well with people every person who had their own copy of the text could read and reread it at their own pace until they could understand it and put it to good use themselves the manager knew full well the very practical advantage of repetition in learning anything new sharing the knowledge in the simple and honest way had of course saved him a good deal of time and it had certainly made his job easier many of the people reporting to him had become 1-minute managers themselves and they in turn had done the same for many of the people who reported to them the entire organization had become more effective as he sat at his desk thinking the new 1 minute manager realized what a fortunate individual he was he had given himself the gift of getting greater results in less time he had time to think and to plan to give his organization the kind of help it needed he had time to exercise and stay healthy he knew he did not experience the daily emotional and physical stress other managers subjected themselves to and he knew that many of the other people who worked with him enjoyed the same benefits his department had fewer costly personnel turnovers less personal illness and less absenteeism the benefits were significant as he looked back he was glad he had not waited to use one minute management until he thought he could do it just right after his staff had read about this management system he had asked each person who reported to him if they would like to be managed by a one-minute manager he was amused to learn that there was something that people really wanted even more than learning how to become a 1 minute manager themselves and that was to have one for a boss once he knew this it was a lot easier for him to clearly tell his staff that he wasn't sure that he could do it just exactly the way he was supposed to I'm not accustomed to telling people how good they are or how I feel about things he had said and I'm not sure I can remember to calm after I've given someone a reprimand and reminded them of how good they are as a person the typical answer from his associates had caused him to smile well you could at least give it a try by simply asking if his staff wanted to be managed by a one-minute manager and by admitting that he might not always be able to do it right he had accomplished something very important the people he worked with felt that he was honestly on their side from the very beginning and that made all the difference then the new one minute manager got up from his desk and began to walk about his uncluttered office he was deep in thought he felt good about himself as a person and as a manager his caring about people had paid off handsomely he had risen in the organization gaining more responsibilities and more rewards and he knew he had become an effective manager because both his organization and the people in it had clearly benefited from his presence suddenly the intercom bust and startled the man excuse me sir for interrupting you he heard his secretary say but there is a young woman on the phone she wants to know if she can come and talk to you about the way we manage people here the new one minute manager was pleased he knew more women were entering the business world and he was glad that some of them were as keen to learn about good management as he had been the managers department was now running smoothly as you might expect it was one of the best operations of its kind in the world his people were productive and happy and he was happy too it felt good to be in his position come anytime he heard himself telling the caller and soon he found himself talking to a bright young person I'm glad to share my management secrets with you the new one minute manager said as she showed the visitor to his couch I will only make one request of you what is that the visitor began simply the manager began that you share it with others [Music]