I was asked if I write. I said I kept a blog. They asked me to do a book review. I said writing a book review is different than posting blog entries. They insisted. I agreed to write the entry only if I write the whole thing my way. They agreed.
So one of the most unusual book reviews was finally written:
The One Minute Manager Book Review
by Arn
One must appreciate the beauty of working in such a competitive environment as it brings out the best in us in so many ways. To succeed, we must perform better than our peers. If they can close fifteen tickets in a day, you close twenty. If they deliver requests in four days, you deliver it in three. If it takes them three minutes to get coffee from the pantry, you get yours in two… you get the idea. It’s no wonder that most, if not all are willing to learn new tips and tricks to ease work and increase their productivity and efficiency.
Enter the One Minute Manager book written by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. It’s one of the most popular management and self improvement books around because its message is simple and it’s easy to read. The book tells a simple story about a young man and his search for the most effective manager which led him to a man they called the “One Minute Manager”. The One Minute Manager is not a wizard on a quest or a vampire who drives a Volvo but he’s this cool guy who has a simple strategy to get the most out of his people and keeping them happy at the same time. He’s not an autocratic manager who concentrates only in results or a democratic manager who looks out only for his people. He’s there right down the middle and his technique is further discussed in the book.
The book won’t bore you with complex philosophies, charts, calculations, catchy acronyms (as if we needed more) or any big words. It concentrates on three major concepts and how to use them effectively together: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praises and One Minute Reprimands – all of which are not really new to us in Accenture.
The book, apparently written by Captain Obvious explains that setting goals, commending and reprimanding people at the correct time are all important. A little too simple isn’t it?
If it’s so simple, why is the book such a big hit? Why do some companies have this as a mandatory reading material for all their leaders and managers? Personally, I believe it’s because most of us have over-analyzed our managing skills and have implemented complex changes to improve. The book reminds us some of the basics of managing, most of which we probably strayed away from. Think about it: do you set realistic short term goals or just say “to do my best and get promoted”? If someone did a good job, do you approach them right away to tell them or just IM them with an animated thank you smiley? After reprimanding someone, was it done in such a way that that someone walks back to his/her desk to do a better job or storms off to the 12th floor to smoke?
Sophisticated problems are mostly solved with very basic solutions – a powerful message from a short book.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, but my recommendation comes with a waiver. It’s a good read for everyone however I don’t recommend doing exactly what the One Minute Manager did in the story. You have to analyze why it worked for the One Minute Manager, analyze your own current situation and customize your own processes keeping in mind the basics discussed in the book. Remember, the book uses a generic setting with examples which can be applied to virtually any industry.
Again, the book can certainly improve your productivity and efficiency and can give you the edge you’ve wanted, unless of course everyone has read it which means you’ll need to check if someone has already written “The 20 Second Manager” (No, I checked and it doesn’t exist yet. Sorry.)
