one minute manager lrc

Trent Stevens BOE-1602 One Minute Manager Report Principles of Management

I would like to start off by stating that I read The New One Minute Manager instead of

the original version, and thus some of the information may be different when compared. With

that disclaimer out of the way, I’ll begin by summarizing the book.

The book starts off with a man who is attempting to find a manager that could be

successful in today’s world. He has gone to several places but each to no avail, until he discovers

that there is a manager of high praise nearby. Our protagonist meets with this manager who talks

to him briefly before telling him to speak to the employees underneath him to discover why he is

such a great manager. From these conversations we learn that there are three unique “secrets” to

becoming a one-minute manager: one minute goals, one minute praisings, and one minute re-

directs.

One minute goals are planned together and described clearly so the employee understands

what needs to be done. Additionally, they must write their own goals and review them daily

while looking at what they have done to ensure they are acting accordingly. One minute

praisings are done in three steps; the first being praising people as soon as possible and stating

what exactly they did correctly with the impact it carries. The second step is simply pausing to

let the praise soak in, and the final step is encouraging them to perform the same in the future

and to show your support. Finally, the one minute re-direct follows closely to the one minute

praising. You should do it as soon as possible; however, you must be certain of the facts

beforehand. Just like the one-minute praising, you should explain how it impacts everything and

how it makes you feel. Thereafter, you should pause to let it soak in. Then finish by reminding

the individual that to err is human and that you still trust them. You must also remember that

once the re-direct is over, it is over.

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The book then goes on to explain why each of the three secrets work. The one-minute

manager explains that one minute goals work because it informs the employees what they should

aim for or what they are trying to accomplish. By doing so there is more satisfaction in

completing the task or doing the job since a feeling of achievement has been earned.

Additionally, setting up one-minute goals is effective since it allows the person to understand

how well they have done and how to be more productive at their job.

When it comes to one-minute praisings, the book tells us that it is effective to praise

people who are learning in the beginning. This is because people who are already great

performers do not need the praising since they already know they are doing a great job. By

praising people along the way you set up small goals to achieve and by doing so you raise an

employee’s esteem and confidence. This point is more important than anything else, since by

doing so you create happier, more productive employees. Additionally, praisings are more

effective than disciplining someone when they have done something wrong because they will

become less productive in fear of repercussion. The main point is to ensure that the praising is

genuine. You should always give a sincere praising; otherwise they will start to lose value.

The final secret, the one-minute redirect, works because you catch undesired behavior

early on while attempting to stop the behavior from occurring frequently. Rather than waiting for

some point in the future to bring it up (i.e. a performance review), the facts about the situation

are still fresh in each person’s mind to avoid any communication errors. Also, you must deal

with the problem without bringing up any other problems as to not destroy the person’s self-

esteem or confidence, which as stated earlier is a big part of the one-minute praising. Keep in

mind that as a one-minute manager you should do a quick praise after the re-direct to ensure that

the person you are talking to leaves with as little negative feedback as possible. Make sure that

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they understand you are upset with their behavior, but not them as a person; otherwise you may

foster disdain within the employee.

In my opinion, I think the one-minute manager is a wonderful read. If I had my own

business I would ask all of my managers to read the book to help the company grow better by

making sure all employees feel like part of the team. The one-minute goals are something I have

never seen a manger perfectly replicate at work, but I have worked in jobs where my manager(s)

have told me concisely what was to be done. By doing so, I was able to accurately judge how

well I was working and I felt more accomplished by measuring my performance to what the

manger expected of me. I have used this to an extent on some of the cashiers I supervise even if

it is something as simple as, “I’d like for you to get as many as the returns put away as possible

in an hour.” By stating the goal like this the cashier can measure their progress to what I have

expected of them and can feel great about the work they have done.

The one-minute praisings I have seen multiple times throughout my jobs and I think it is

a wonderful tool to utilize. My front end manager has come up to me many times informing me

what I have done well. Occasionally, she’ll even give me a reward like buying me a candy bar or

giving me a star (although she does praise me either way). A little thing like praise goes a long

distance since I feel more appreciated as an employee. I have done the same to cashiers,

complimenting them whenever I catch them doing something right and making sure they know I

appreciate them.

Finally, the one-minute redirects are another thing I have seen at work before. Once

again, I will use my front end manager who has pulled me aside many times and told me that I

have done something incorrectly, but then informs me that I still did a great job. To bring up a

specific example, I was doing a WIC transaction and the customer had two separate checks. I

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made sure the ID matched on the check with her ID, that the dates were valid, the items she had

were correct, and ensuring that if there was a limit on the check it did not exceed that amount.

The problem arose when I attempted to use both WIC checks in the same transaction. I was

unaware at the time that only one check could be used per transaction. I had to call my manager

to the front to guide me in reconciling the mistake. When we finished, she explained to me in a

nonthreatening way what I did wrong and made it clear to not perform the same mistake in the

future. She then went on to tell me how I did a great job with everything else, i.e. picking out an

appropriate type of bread that would work since the bread she had gotten was denied as a WIC

approved item. My esteem and confidence were left unharmed, and after the conversation I did

not harbor any negative feelings.

In conclusion, I think the one-minute manager is a great philosophy to have not just as a

manager, but as a regular person too. I think it is applicable to everyday situations whether you

are at work or school and I think it makes you more likable as a person. I think if everyone read,

understood, and practiced what the book says we would have more positive relationships in the

world. It is a must read for not just managers, but for people everywhere in all lifestyles.

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