One Minute to Make a Difference
Big egos move slowly. They worry about protocol, image, and butt kissing.
Humble managers deliver results and develop talent quickly.
Successful management is about many brief encounters.
One minute management:
(What follows comes from, “The New One Minute Manager.”)
Start: Let people know up front what you are going to do to help them win.
One minute goals:
It takes more than a minute to design goals. But, any goal that takes longer than a minute to review is too complicated.
- Make it clear what the goals are.
- Show what good behaviors look like.
- Write each goal on one page.
- Quickly review goals frequently.
- Encourage people to notice what they’re doing, and see if it matches their goals.
- If not, urge them to change what they’re doing and win.
One minute praisings:
- Praise the behavior.
- Do it soon. Be specific.
- Say how good you feel about it.
- Pause to let people feel good too.
- Encourage them to keep up the good work.
Proceed with more success.
One minute re-directs:
- Re-clarify and agree on goals.
- Confirm what happened.
- Describe the mistake soon.
- Say how concerned you feel.
- Pause to let people feel their own concern.
- Tell them they’re better than mistakes and you value them.
- When it’s over, it’s over.
Proceed to better performance.
What “one minute practice” seems most useful to you today?
Thinking how to apply this in a classroom of high school seniors….
I know a lot of “leaders” that could use some of these suggestions.
Prioritize until hurts! Listen, learn, lead!
Every minute counts, so make your one minute count
Great comments. I love the review in less than a minute. People need to understand that goals are either met or they are not. They do not require long drawn out explanations as to why they are not met. If you are meeting your goals…great job and thank you for the effort. If you are not, what are you doing about it? If there is a long drawn out explanation, nothing is usually being done.
Celebrating wins is key to success and morale building. Always set some goals that are easy wins (easy to achieve) so you can get to the Celebration quickly.
I like #5 – Encourage people to notice what they’re doing… Raise their awareness and presence.
Today is about investing and showing care evenly amongst the team. Too many times I spend too much time with the top performers…but everyone needs my attention.
Clear, Concise and Complete direction and instruction will be golden to completing tasks.
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.
The one minute re-directs are so very important in this fast paced, instant gratification world. Thank you
I am struck by how many of these items can also be applied to parenting. I think I could read this everyday and gain additional insights.
This all relates to being an authentic leader, transparency & honesty count. Who you are matters.
I have a rule to never spend more than 1 minute venting or rehashing a bad situation. 1 minute allows me to get it off my chest and feel better but any more than that amount of time can lead to retaining bad feelings over the experience and can hurt partnerships.
Value staff mistakes are made though keep the goals in sight
I agree that we have to be crystal clear about goals, convoluted ones are a waste of time.
I learned so much from the “old” One Minute Manager that I can’t wait to see what the new one wants to teach me!!
Reminds me of a life lesson some 20 years ago… When communicating to executives, do so in concise way: two sentence email summary before “details” as an example.
The flashcard idea for each goal is intriguing–assuming leaders and their employees can stay current on these iterations (“goal version control”), this could be a strong tool for reinforcement and motivation. Thanks, Dan.
I found the tips for re-directing to be helpful – it’s so easy for people to focus on the negative or where they fell short, so strategies for getting them back on track are always good to know/try!
Thank you for these thoughts. Small changes add up to better leadership.
Everyone likes to know how they are doing; they also like to know they matter. Even a minute or two of your attention to them, gives them that feeling, and reassurance. They will respond – often by giving more to their job.
Back in England in 1969 at my first job, the Branch Manager, Mr. C.W. Kempley, was the first to arrive at work and he stood outside and personally greeted every single employee as they arrived. It was a little easier then since everybody worked the same hours but nearly 45 years later it’s an essential element of my “One-Minute” managing. I also hold the door open and I can’t tell you how many people express their appreciation and tell me how it lifts their mood to be welcomed to work every day.
valuable notes but sometimes can’t be applied
If you only have 1 minute to make a difference, I find that it forces you to be real. Great post!
What I like is that it is simple, straight-forward, and clear action steps.
We all know the benefits of praise and how important it is to give it immediately. It’s much harder, but just as important, to quickly correct troublesome behavior before it has a chance to blow out of proportion.
Regular quick touch-points.
Since my goal everyday is to provide the two things virtually any employee needs in his or her workplace, to ADD value and to BE valued, I look for one minute opportunities to generate and recognize wins! Translates into engagement and performance, and feels pretty great as well!
“Do it (praise) soon. Be specific.” – A helpful reminder to me who–while I do often praise others’ work, I’m inclined to wait for the ‘right moment,’ and so probably miss many ‘ripe’ occasions. Also, being specific is preferable to a general ‘good job’ praise, which can sound like an empty platitude.
Make every minute count! Love 1 minute praise!
“Start: Let people know up front what you are going to do to help them win.”
I work very hard to share this message with my team. This is our team base for setting goals and achieving them. It also is a reminder when mistakes (opportunities) present themselves, that it is an opportunity to improve and continue to reach for the goal.
Praise the behavior really resonates with me. I have worked for an administrator this year who starts every admin. meeting with the “stepped in it award”. I am offended and feel my morale sinking every time this happens! We are supposed to tell the rest of the team what we did wrong that month. So humiliating! I wish you could train this administrator to be a good leader so that our district morale doesn’t sink further than it already is. Praise people when they try new things, for great teaching, for whatever! A staff will respond. Thank you for your great ideas and positive leadership ideas.
Thanks for the encouragement of intentionally spending even the briefest amount of time with all of those who are needing our guidance and mentoring. Between meetings and “important” conversations we tend to rush back to our safe-haven for a breather before jumping back into the next “important” matter. By giving time, no matter the amount, allows the touch points leading to the vision of all parties being trusting, caring, and relevant.
Great post. This really reiterates the need for leadership to be intentional and relational in their management. Being intentional requires us to stop and think about how we can make their day better, how can we move them to excellence, how can we come along side the team and help them excel. Many times… and probably in most cases… a simple encouragement or positive and specific praise can go so far… and boost productivity. Building relationships is also so important – this is an opportunity to connect and build trust.
The lifetime of a good idea is five days, if you haven’t done anything with it in five days, it’s not a very good idea!
#7 – leave the past in the past and move forward.
It’s not about happiness, it’s not about profit, it’s about always doing what’s right. Doing what’s right requires the practice of loving others. Be that leader.
The most important part about being a One Minute Manager is to spend more than a minute thinking about the business. While goals and redirects likely can take “a minute”, the business needs to be deeply understood so that surface management doesn’t replace thoughtful management (and leadership).
I agree goals must be succinct enough to be remembered. I like to review them daily as a reminder of my focus. Then I develop action plans to turn goals into success!
One minute praisings is one of the easiest, least expensive ways to raise morale and reduce turnover. It baffles me how reluctant so many managers are to do something so simple that can yield such powerful results.
These tips are relevant and useful regardless of generation and tenure. When applied consistently, the results may lead to increased focus, motivation, engagement and high performance.
A brief encounter can go the distance when it comes to establishing relationships in the work place. In the field of education, the new teacher can be spurred on to seek out others when he/she feels that relationships are important in the school where they teach. Veteran teachers are empowered to move forward in the ever-demanding digital teaching world. One minute–moves people forward.
I was struggling with a challenging personality in my volunteer crew, who always projects “the old Yankee way” , and does not adapt well to change. This posting came at the most opportune time to “take one minute” and redirect to a positive enforcing of the good work she does everyday, and put me back in the leadership role of valuing her presence and what she does. Thank you for the right post and the right time, again!
It’s a challenge to write goals that can be reviewed in a minute.
My life motto is “Make the most of every opportunity.” This means making the most of each minute. When we learn to be intentional with our time – minute by minute, we can be confident that we will cross the finish line at the end of our lives with our arms raised high in celebration.
Great comments, and amazing thoughts, even a simple one minute step can make a huge difference. I am looking forward to your book,
Keep it simple. Win it in a minute!
Intentional, specific, frequent–feedback and redirection to support engagement with good work–Love the perspective!
Quickly reviewing goals is a step that I need to become more efficient in doing. I often lay out the goal, but just move on without stopping and reviewing the goals in the whole process. I can easily get too focused on getting to the end and not worry about how we get there. So taking the time to review the goals along the way could make a big difference in the overall quality of the project, as well as the satisfaction of the team members.
“A minute to win it” really is doable!
Fantastic reminder that we need to encourage simple achievable goals
Leadership freak has dearly moulded me so dearly, I appreciate.
I really need this!! Some very definite challenges with my employees to overcome!
Many of my own personal “ah ha” moments have come from brief pieces of feedback at random times. I need to remind myself that the frequent seemingly small acknowledgements of success or bits of feedback I can give others may have the same results with others. This was a good reminder for me to notice and respond to my staff more often on how they are doing, not just during formal check-ins.
A ‘one minute practice’ I’ve found helpful is stopping by people’s workspace for a personal check-in a couple of times each week. Despite knowing what this practice might do to strengthen relationships I was hesitant initially. I was concerned (fear) that it would take more than a minute, come off as contrived or both. Recognizing the fear I stepped into it, did a little reading, talked to people I trust and then got started.
Results have been truly amazing. People want to be heard and they want to be known. I’m reminded of the power of incremental change when people floor me by commenting on how much I care about others. I do care and this practice helped me demonstrate it, not to mention what I’ve received from others as a result of implementing it.
In order to make this work – because it will – we need to make it a consistent priority in our daily practice.
If that’s true don’t wait to “maybe” win a copy, make the investment as you’ve portrayed and buy a copy
My staff would benefit from having me read this book.
Describe the mistake soon… Too may times leaders wait until mistakes are habits. Redirect quickly… Great insight!
Redirect. Tel them they are better than their mistake.
I’m going to do some praising and encouraging today. Both face to face and in some messages for those who work across town. Excellent post.
Redirect is the one I will work on. Tell them they’re better than mistakes and you value them.
One minute praising I think goes a long way. And more often than not it increases the chance of the person continuing to display the behavior again. Plus it makes them feel good and when people feel good, they do great work.
Thanks for the reminder that every minute counts! 🙂
The last point under the re-directs, “When its over, its over.” is powerful for both the giver and receiver of the re-direct. For the receiver, knowing that the feedback is sincere, meant for their betterment and not a “stain” on them allows them to absorb the lesson and move on+up. For the giver, it allows freedom from the burden of unresolved concerns, resentment and setting perceptions of your team in stone.
Clear goals for the win!! Cear/concise goals consistantly lead to success.
I liked #7 “when its over, its over” the most. Finish the past and get on with the future.
Our team takes a minute of every team meeting to review the good news that’s come in from our customers (they always write) – it takes very little effort to assemble this into a newspaper format and the public recognition goes a long way.
I Like One Minute Praisings:
Never underestimate the Power of Praise. Even if you organization has a formal recognition program, take the time to say Good Job, Excellent Work or Thank You on the spot and follow-up through the formal system.
What’s your goal, who’s your audience – I must repeat that about 5 times a week!
Love it!! And just as each minute is so important to use well it’s also great to remember that each minute is made up of 60 glorious seconds 🙂
We often forget how precious time is and what we can generate by giving people just one minute can be the difference between someone have not a great day or not.
simple and easy… i can make things way too complicated most times! thank you!
I read the older version of this book a few years ago. The principles are so helpful for leaders and managers in all organizations.
Always go with a solution when you go to your supervisor for help. Don’t go in there with a monkey on your back and leave it with your supervisor.
Good tips. I am on contract with a government agency. I deal with egos everyday. Many of these people would not survive the private sector. I remember a past post of yours that goes something like “how to make people you don’t like successful”, I try to keep that in mind when struggles become tougher.
Aside, Ken Blanchard has some great information. I took some of his training in the past.
Very interesting…
Very good post that reminds you the little things in leadership don’t take a long time to communicate. Thanks!
I would love to read more!!! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful resource and thank you for your daily inspirations!
I’ve never read that book. But after reading this article, I will! Thanks
We change the world one step at a time.
Yes ego eats out all merit good article
I like the concept of keeping it very simple and immediate. Goals don’t have to be huge and if stated simply, likely much easier to focus on and accomplish.
The theory and application is sound, its the execution within these snippets where the flaws will occur
There needs to be succinct and clear “boundaries” and “rules” to this approach; clarity of direction is essential.
We’ve come to a place in business acumen where we have nuance words replacing existing words for the perception that the evolving word is more precise, clearer. I see many of the new terms misleading and lacking clarity.
The perception of this approach, though admirable in direction, could be interpreted as too much kumbiya from those who don’t grasp the incentives of this approach.
The “re-directs” are “critiques”. Call them that
There’s this driving need to make everyone feel good. That is applauded, not lauded. The problem is you as the manager need to have the where-with-all to separate those who embrace the grace of that approach from those who view that approach as you being a soft-touch.
Business needs to require of itself the recognition of human-ness in the work-place, for sterility appears to have replaced. That will be difficult unless those Managers develop those interpretative skills as well as those of a Leader
Let’s say it together: “When it’s over, it’s over.” We are talking about value of people and their skills in a separate place from practice or performance that should be improved. Nothing better than the concise on-target guidance of this leadership style. Loved the first One-Minute. . .
ask them or yourself when the first action step will take place. Goals don’t count if you don’t take the first and successive steps. then review each step to make sure that actions are on track and don’t need to be modified
Any ideas on how to apply this in a distributed environment, where all of your team (management and direct reports) not only work in other cities and states, but many are in different time zones across the country and in other countries? There is zero ‘catching someone in the hallway, in their cube/office, or at the water cooler’ in the physical sense. Much communication is written only (e-mail, text, Skype chat), some is audio (concall, audio Skype call), and a little is video concall via Skype. I think we’re doing well, and if I’m going to incorporate these ideas to make us even better, I need to somehow convert the concepts from a ‘predominantly in-person environment’ to one that is 100% distributed. Thanks!
There is both beauty and practicality in the simple concept: “Make the goal clear.”
I’ve seen SO many projects flounder, stagnate, even fail because the goal was never made clear. By doing this one thing at the very beginning, you can avoid misunderstandings, wasted resources, frustration; the list goes on and on.
Thanks for another great post, Dan!
Updating my email with this post.
Show what good behavior looks like – the best!
When it’s over, it’s over…and time to move on! I often see managers reference behavior that happened a week, a month or a year ago. Address it and let it go!
I particularly like the note to pause and let them share the experience (both positive and negative). Something many of us in this fast paced world forget to do.
Would be interested in reading the book
I have been working on an “ultralean” technology business model for years. Managing in one minute speaks to the very heart of my idea of a small, fast and responsive business. Many small interactions is perfect as it spotlights the cumulative, accurate and constantly rethought process of ongoing improvement. Great stuff Dan. You always give me more to think about.
Recently, I have started texting the younger folks I supervise that work offsite. Typically we would have no contact on these days. It takes very little time to check in, do a goal check, express any challenges and send them off with a positive thought for the day. I wish I would have thought of this sooner. They seem to really appreciate the effort and we are more connected as a result. I can see real value in developing other one minute techniques because of the pace of our work and the challenge with getting any time together.
It can be said that our most important job, is that of parenthood. Arguably, analogies are made with the workplace, but I can’t help but think of those ‘teaching moments’ that happen not infrequently when progeny is between 2 and 20. (Almost gave my soon-to-be-16 year old son a ‘time-out’ of all things, last night. First time in years!)
I read today’s writing, Dan, while reflecting on why and the how, both at home and at the office…
…both the giving and receiving. Often wish I were a better person and could do it all just so, as it should be and needs to be done.
Thank you for bringing this one to top of mind today.
I’m certain my son would thank you as well.
If I’m doing my math right…we each have 1,440 opportunities a day to make a difference. How’s that for a reframe?
As an elementary principal I use a great deal of “one minute praising” each day! We all need this especially our little kiddos!
Dan,
Combatting the tendency to want to eliminate all mishaps may be a sign that I am new to leadership and seems overwhelming in terms of time. But the idea that effective managing can be done in small increments gives relief ! Cant wait to read this new version of a classic tool.
I would love to read this!
Read the first One Minute Manager 26-27 years ago. Looking forward to the new edition. Love your blog too! 🙂
One can never underestimate the importance of humility in a good manager, especially as it relates to achieving results and outstanding people management skills.
Keeping it simple and clear is the key. Great post!
Make it clear what the goals are.
This should be an interesting read. Ken’s writings have been an inspiration to me and I look forward to reading this new one.
I so need to read this.
I love the the thoughts about One Minute Praisings. That’s something that is hard to do sometimes when you are in the middle of a busy season of life. But it’s great to affirm what people are doing well and affirm people that are serving the Mission of the organization well. So simple.
Great post, ability to communicate your ideas is key
Redirects can be difficult, but it helps to position the redirect as part of the process the leads to successful outcomes. Redirects are a win.
I’m going to get better at one minute praisings.
Dan, you always amaze me at the breadth of your 300-word additions to what real leadership practice constitutes. While I work in the public sector, in education, your daily contributions are frequently shared among my administrative colleagues. Especially today, the One Minute notion of goals, praises and/or redirects speaks so well to what it takes, simply and succinctly. Thanks!
Like the term “re-directs” better than the “reprimands” in the original One Minute Manger.
Everything is moving so fast in today’s hyperactive, hyper-connected world. I plan to add a “One Minute Relish” to every waking hour so that I can appreciate at least one present moment throughout the day.
One minute goals………. when discussing goals people seem to expand the explanation as to why or why not the goal was achieved.
I like #6 under redirect–letting people know they are better than their mistakes and are valued. We have a few people in our office who can be very hard on themselves, but don’t hear this important message enough!
Your post has helps me realize my true potential, they also help in mid term course corrections.
Excellent timing to read this today!
Great tools in every aspect of life to become a better leader.
I would say that One miniute management works equally well in business as well as in the personal arena 🙂 Especially re-directs.
The necessity of reviewing goals frequently and admitting mistakes honestly is powerful.
This is a great way to live life and lead people. Somehow I think this is what Jesus was hoping we would catch.
We should all be making a difference!
“Successful management is about many brief encounters.” Reminder that coaching doesn’t have to be to be done in one perfectly planned and scripted session (which is likely to be postponed and procrastinated on past the point of being meaningful), it is instead continuous, gradual and evolving.
Saw him at ATD2015 and he is such an inspiration! So personable & true.
I really enjoy getting these emails every day. They let me start the day on a very positive note.
Keep it simple, keep it real. Great tips!
1 minute redirects were the most helpful tips for me to consider, but the 1 minute praises still top the priority list.. every day!
Fantastic! Great read! Make every minute count!
Love the one minute praisings- so needed.
To master the art of Decision making you have to MAKE decisions
Powerful message. Something we forget when we’re overwhelmed.
I really like the seven points on the one minute re-directs.
One minute praises because they don’t happen often enough
These are so straightforward and yet so powerful. Now I just need to work it into my regular rhythm.
It only takes one minute to show others that we value their effort. Don’t miss another minute.
Hi Dan,
Another great post! The graphic used is an excellent depiction of the article. As a supervisor and team leader, I spend at least a minute face-to-face with each team member each day, in addition to other forms of communication. I am definitely forwarding this article to them for reference. Thank you!
Hi
Thanks again for another terrific blog to start my morning. i liked one minute praises, number 2, ” Do it soon , be specific” , increases the possibility of the praise being received as sincere as well as not having the individual “guess” at what’s being praised. Person doesn’t have to guess at what they are being praised for and it’s nor “milky toast” general!!
Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson have impacted the way I go about my day as much if not more than any other authors. The New One Minute Manager is sure to become a classic leadership book along with the others they’ve published.
So important to start a “crucial conversation” by reconfirming the goal. Makes it less of a “you” moment. If only I could remember to do so.
This is such a great reminder of simple, yet powerful practices. For years, I did little to thank people for their work on a regular basis because I thought it had to be a big thing. Now a quick bit of specific positive feedback is a daily goal. It’s a little thing with big results.
I will be applying the One minute re-direct to my daily work interactions. This is an awesome strategy.
Couldn’t agree more. If you can be clear and concise in 1 minute, then you cannot leave anything up to interpretation. This also allows those receiving the advice to develop there own plan to achieve your feedback, rather then simply trying to copy everything you asked them to do (in more than 1 minute:)). Great stuff….only took 1 minute to read as well!
I have used the One Minute Manager both in my own management practices for many years and have mentored and coached those mangers that lead my teams in this practice. In fact, we just finished reading the book together and practicing goals, praisings and reprimands or re-directs (I like this term much better). The managers I manage that follow the One Minute Manager “secrets” are the most successful and have the most connected and highly producing teams. I look forward to reading the new One Minute Manager to understand better how to use new methods (email/text) of communication when using the One Minute strategies. The teams I lead are in different areas so immediate and in person praisings and re-directs are challenging.
When It’s Over, It’s Over – do not dwell on the issue any longer. Move forward for better performance.
We can say the words and encourage people to work toward goals. And Bullet #2 under ‘Goals’ really embodies all of the others for me: Show what good behaviors look like. When I review MY own goals, and strive to be the EXAMPLE for others, I am impressed by how my group responds. Thank you Ken Blanchard.
Great post, as usual! Clear goals; praise that is specific; and timely redirects are simple steps that, for whatever reason, seem to be forgotten by today’s managers. Sad.
Quickly review goals frequently.– I think I need to review the goals more frequently. It is easy to lose sight of what we are working toward.
“One Minute Praisings” is a great reminder that it doesn’t take long to show someone they are doing a great job. It makes all the difference to your peers and those that follow you because it shows you value their work, their skill set, and them as a person! Great reminder!
Gee, love the fact that a follow up book has been written – I got the first version from my CEO as newly appointed people manager back in 1980 and valued is at a pragmatic tool. The sentence “Successful management is about many brief encounters” I find absolutely correct. With global workforces emerging (I for example have had the pleasure for years to have 36 people reporting, stationed in 15 different countries, some of which I had no opportunity to meet face2face for years), encounters necessarily had to happen in calls, videoconferences or even at sessions with avatars in virtual worlds; setting up campfire- and education sessions. The trick is to secure these trust-building measures upfront and then continuously execute, and on top thru these, build a high degree of self-sufficiency (hey, I am a strong fan of ‘starfish organisations’ – with just a tiny spider included); this made feasibly by securing many such brief encounters. And so – I will certainly have to dig in, to see what is perhaps/hopefully proposed here as additional suggestions in these contemporary times…
Nice article. I’ve stored the suggestions on my iPad so I can look everyday at it.
I hope it will help to stimulate my employees (80)
I look forward to the posts everyday, and with my goals in Flux right now, this was very helpful.
I do monthly meetings with every Sales Professional in my organization. I will be taking this information and breaking down their goals to a more simple format.
It doesn’t take long at all to make a difference to someone. Sincere praise is one of my favorites.
I especially am drawn to the pauses. Let the other person think. Let the other person speak. Let the other person…
Good point 😉
Simple yet powerful. Make the right thing to do seem like the easy thing to do.
Excellent article and one of my favorite books, The One Minute Manager. Looking forward to the new book!
I can see how this can work with teenagers also.
As a pastor, I work largely with volunteers. These are great strategies for me.
Keep it simple, it is easy but it seems that we prefer complicate thing. I will practice that I have all to win .
For me, writing the goal down on paper seems the most useful to me today. It makes the goal tangible and more real. It is something that Dr. Alan Zimmerman also talks about in his new book, The Payoff Principle.
Listening, not talking, for one minute can make a huge difference in getting your team on board to buy in on a new project/direction.
I liked the one minute redirects best. We all probably do 1 and 2 (agree on goals and what happened), but probably fall short on 3 (soon). I think I do a good job of 4 (tell them how I feel), but maybe not as good with 5 (how they feel). I especially like 6-7 though. Tell them you value them, and get on with it. Thank you for the daily wisdom and food for growth!
I am great at one minute praisings- but really need to work on one minute re-directs! I will work on this with my co-workers especially since I am in the healthcare field! Think it will help me grow into a better leader. Thanks for sharing!
“Encourage people to notice what they’re doing” – that was an aha moment for me.
Irrespective of specific incident or circumstance, I would invest the entire “one minute” speaking with a staff member about the big picture: How important she or he is to the GOAL of the organization, to the organization, and to me, as manager. And I would chat about two essential contribution/fulfillment concepts:
1) The more liberty people in our midst experience because of us, the more “we” will have because of “their” free enterprise.
2) Free enterprise means the more enterprising we are, the freer we are!
When staff members feel and believe they are part of the big picture, their daily work becomes a fait accompli–and their focus is less of a grind and more of a mission…all because of a one-minute talk.
Pausing is something I have to make myself do today. In this fast paced world, we oftentimes forget to just take a moment to breathe, to enjoy the moment, to really think about what is taking place right then. This is a HUGE element that I have got to put back into my own to do list.
Goals, Praising, and Re-directs are so crucial to the group’s successes. Thank you Ken and Spencer.
And thank you again, Dan for your generosity of letting others provide crucial messages to us on your site.
I like the part where you talk about if it takes longer than a minute to review the goal, it’s too long. This is inspiring me to go back and look at our team’s goals and review them – thanks!
Well said. Im a chiropractor in West Texas and these principals are spot on. I get to apply them every day, every patient, and every staff encounter. When I don’t then the team suffers through inefficiency or a patient gets lost or confused on the clear direction we are going. Less than a minute should be all that is said.
Review goals frequently
#5 spoke to me, there are many demands on my time and attentions, but it is, will become more, critical to check the noisemakers vs. the tasks that will determine results. It is so easy to get distracted by the easy, check off the list tasks… but they are often not the most important tasks to be accomplished.
Thank you!
Many small but meaningful encounters! Thank you for this blog- always so pertinent and applicable!
I love it! Simplicity rules with one minute tools!
Thank you for Leadership Freak – it has been a wonderful learning journey in becoming a leader.
Quickly review goals frequently
This highlights the importance of touches between people. Not every meeting needs to take a lot of time
If I could only keep one of my leadership tools, the Leadership Freak wind hands down! The sensible, practical advice on the site, and that offered by subscribers is so helpful. And it only takes a few minutes a day to be reminded of what great leadership looks like.
One minute reflection on what is going well
“When it’s over, it’s over.” You can’t reinforce this part enough.
One minute praising is key. I have a great team who are empowered to set their goals and priority and self manage most redirects. I try to focus on praising them to keep fueling/re-fueling their performance.
Another winner , reminds you that simplicity and human touch always wins ! Inspirational.
Great to see this book updated. It is the single best reminder of leadership balance ever produced. I can’t wait for it to be translated into mandarin for our Wuxi team. Thanks Mr. Blanchard.
Great reminder, i tend to focus to problems and solutions. Praising is something i rarely do. Thanks!
Clear and concise communication of goals is the best way to start and making the evaluating quick and concise really makes it easier on resources and mangers alike. Celebrate small and large goals… it’s the acknowledgement and shared praise that contributes to great culture and capitalize on the positive momentum that energy brings.
Consistency of these brief encounters is equally important.
Agree, consistency is a vital ingredient when exercizing all the mentioned great one minute actions, or it wiil be beautiful wasted efforts 🙂
Great stuff.
Quoting: “Encourage people to notice what they’re doing, and see if it matches their goals. If not, urge them to change what they’re doing and win.”
The best thing about these two recommendations is that they ask the person(s) involved to review their efforts and goals for revision – far better than trying to present them with your version of changes to be made!!!
Agree, having people take responsibility for their own efforts is inline with a starfish (/w a tiny spider) organization concept 🙂
Great advice! Tough to do consistently. But, put it to practice for guaranteed success with your teams.
The praise seems the most important to me, to give and to receive! Makes a huge difference when encouragement is present!!
I like this! Encouragement to make a minute worthwhile!
Thanks Dan for a succinct review. Makes me want to read the book!
Very to the point. Good stuff.
Dear Dan,
A very interesting & inducing post! It compels me to look at various things that I do it daily on a professional and personal front.
The daily list of priorities take a considerable time in execute in the planned way yet it needs a one-minute attention before I start working on it. That calls for a mental framework as to how I am going to make progress on it. where I shall need the support of others, whom to approach for the necessary help and how fast you expect the desired support.
I am also appreciative of linking the rewards with a one minute thought to keep me and others satisfied on achieving the desired goals.
Investing in a one minute thinking on the purpose [‘why’ aspect] before doing any planning, execution or control kind of activities can fetch much better results.
I am pursuing a degree in organizational leadership and supervision and this book was brought up in several discussions.
This will help my team when we meet each morning defining critical items and with their engagement of staff. Thanks
Everyone must know the organization’s goals otherwise individual goals will be achieved at the expense of the organization.
I think we all need to work on our leadership….you can have it without being the boss….just watch in your workplace and see where your employees go if they have a question….
One of the things I like most about OMM is that it is just as applicable in your personal life (those with children will relate!) as it is in work life.
Great reminder to make every minute count and the impact one minute can have. Love the check on keeping goals clear enough to review in a minute.
It is those moments that make a difference. Not just another meeting.
Thanks for sharing another great post Dan! I think you and Ken Blanchard could make a great collaboration
Followership.
I use the One Minute Manager concepts in our beginning leadership development workshop. I read the first one oh-so-many years ago and have modeled the behaviors ever since. It’s helped me be a successful manager and successful trainer in leaderhip development. Love that the new version is coming out.
As short as the average attention span is, the next edition might be “The Eight Second Manager” –
Great stuff as always… I appreciate taking a minute (or two) out of my day to check your posts.
Helping employees to develop short term goals, which support long term goals, which support the company’s goals and giving positive feedback as they reach these short term goals, praising them when then reach long term goals and rewarding them when the help in attaining corporate goals is gives the employee a sense of accomplishment and fosters ownership. Building leaders within an organization is important to a company’s stability.
Listening in on BYU Radio on SiriusXM right now. I read the 1-Minute Manager in college. Now that I’m starting up a law firm, I think it’s time to re-read it.
Excellent post! One minute can have a huge impact on your team and yourself.
Great way to make it possible for ANYONE to be a good manager…need to do these with everyone on the team though, high and low performers !
Love this post. The key for me is frequently revisiting my goals…keeping the in front of me.
I would love to read this new edition of The One Minute Manager.
Most of the time, if I talk for longer than one minute, it’s just chatting and not really a focused interaction with a purpose. Great post to help keep the focus!
Printing this and putting it where I can see it every day. Thanks!
I find your metric, “any goal that takes longer than a minute to review is too complicated”, to be simple and meaningful.
I believe two things are missing from the one minute redirects. What did we learn and how do we make sure it does not happen again? I have found this allows people to feel in a positive way they are part of the solution. It also increases ownership in the solution.
quick and concise, love it!
One minute re-directs are ones I need to work on – any re-direct is hard for me at this point. So one minute one’s are really intriguing!
Love your blog! Brilliant ideas !My favorite!
The best management blog there is!!!
Brilliant!!!
Thanks for the encouragement – I look forward to using this tips to encourage others!
I just inherited a new set of ops leaders and have applied some of these steps without knowing there WERE steps like these. I’ll be utilizing the celebration piece because -like most senior leadership – we’re happy to see the end game bit often miss the praise part .
Every day you help remind me what I need to focus on. Thank you!
I have never read this book, but makes complete sense. If you cannot see if you’re ahead or behind the goal, in less than 1 minute, then your metric is not right. And when giving feedback, you loose attention from your coachee after one minute.
Great Dan! thanks.
takeaways… people are better than their mistakes & when it’s over, it’s over! love this blog.. ALWAYS great tips and reminders!! Thanks so much for sharing it!!
I needed to read this last week.
Genuine eye contact and thoughtful pauses before responses
I am exited to try to put this into practice with my college theatre students this fall.
First let me say thanks for your insightful blogs, you cause me to think.
The “one minute practice” that I find most beneficial for me today, I tried a few moments ago and it worked beautifully! A co-worker and I are working on a project that seems to have stalled. I called and described briefly what I could for do him and how he would benefit. He responded immediately with a much better solution involving his talents. The power of words and wisdom!
I work in an early childhood setting and sometimes I get just that moment to support and help teachers grow. Keeping these strategies in mind help me to make the most of that time.
One minute listening:
1. Suspend judgement
2. Quiet focus
3. Assist the speaker in focusing
4. Dig beyond symptoms
5. Thanks for sharing
6. Think before responding
Read this post before holding an important creative meeting. Used the one-minute drill with the team and several creative samples that were numbered and hung on the wall. This strategy is a very effective tool that allows each person to have a voice (even the quiet ones in the room) without focusing too long on the details. Initial reactions, first impressions, because that’s what our clients will experience when they see our product for the first time.
The second-most important thing I did in the meeting was to state: this is not the venue to think “x would be great, but I don’t know if they’ll go for it.” Positivity and fresh ideas are welcome. Pessimism must be banned from the room.
It is always true–less is more!
Its always a new learning experience going through your posts.
Timely feedback that’s on point is critical. Letting them know that you won’t be holding mistakes against them is vital.
One minute re-directs: are the most useful, but let’s not forget to also consistently
use the other two for a balanced approach to leading others (and ourselves!)
Billy
Dan, I have made an entry already – back on June 5th at 12:03, mentioning that I got the first book in 1980 – well, hence a small correction just to be precise – it was handed out as a gift from the Cty GM to all younger managers way back in 1982. I also mentioned that “I am a strong fan of ‘starfish organisations’ – with just a tiny spider included”.
And then I have to admit I could not wait to see if I possibly, eventually would win one of your lottery prizes, and so I ordered my own copy from Amazon – that arrived only yesterday afternoon.
It then took me less than :01 to realise, that hey, ‘these three secrets of this new one minute manager’ fits hand in glove with my already mentioned favourite organisation form – and that he indeed can be found as one of these ‘tiny spiders’ – creating the setup by caring about both People & Results – in contemporary flat Starfish organisations 🙂
Clear goals for great results. Great thought!
This has really resonated with me…. particularly Tell them they are better that than mistakes and you value them and also When it’s over, it’s over These are really running around in my head right now!!
I am needing to make a huge difference in short amount of time! Thank you for your insight!