Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson birthed a monster writing style when they published THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER, "The Runaway #1 National Bestseller!" -- and that style is surrounding a hideously boring topic with clichés, adverbs, adjectives, redundancies, dull characters, and exclamation points. The book is then called a nonfiction fable. Hunh?

When this book came out in 1981 it used a new, perhaps fresh, approach to teaching management skills, but since then it has been copied and copied and copied ... when it should be put in a cage. It's time to stop dumbing down and start smartening up books for managers. Enough already!

Note: You'll only need 1 minute to get what's useful out of this book.

I'm a human resources manager and use this book and CD to help first-time supervisors understand the power of managing people properly. Not an intimidating, theoretical book that they will never read, but a real world "how-to" manage people. It's a great first step as they make their foray into management. Plenty of time for the heavier stuff later in their careers.

The OMM presents a set of tools that a manager needs to use to do his or her job well. The book is short and sweet. It gets to the point without wasting time.

The One Minute Manager is an oldie and a goodie. It's been a fun book to watch over the years as new generations of managers entering the workforce are exposed to it. I recently bought a copy for a new manager that reports to me, and bought the Amazon recommended title Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results along with it.

It turns out Squawk! is a new book that's also for managers, and let's just say I read it while my subordinate was reading The One Minute Manager. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Both are great books and they're short enough that I suggest following Amazon's recommendation and getting them together at a discount.

Everything you need to know is right here in TOMM. The book is short and sweet. It gets to the point without wasting time and has the tools that can make any manager more effective.

This book is perfect for the new leader that needs the basics, as well as the seasoned manager just looking to freshen up their skills. It is a must have in any learning library!

This book is perfect for the new leader that needs the basics, as well as the seasoned manager just looking to freshen up their skills. It is a must have in any learning library!

I know for a fact that when this book idea first came into its eventual publisher's hands, all the editors laughed at it! "Who would read a silly book like this with almost no words in it?" they scoffed. Yet for whatever reason they decided to publish it and the rest became amazing publishing history! In my own book, "The Expert's Edge," I discuss how to develop leading-edge ideas as well as the importance of viewing failure as "desirable." Without practicing both, you will never produce an unexpected success. Ken Blanchard was obviously doing both back when he conceived this groundbreaking book and the world (and his publisher) has never been the same.

For years I have considered this the best, quick read management book available. The "catch them doing something right" sums up the book nicely and it is a policy that I truly believe in.

Back in 1981, I was a first line supervisor for a large steel company. As an organization, we were struggling against the competition coming from Japan dumping large volumes of low quality, low price steel on our shores. Our management team bought everyone a copy of the new book, The One Minute Manager. We found this small book to be a fun and crisp read. In short order, our local group solved our problems and thrived in the face of the competition.

In 2007, I was now a corporate director for a fortune 500 company and one of our operations were struggling with continual losses. Part of my corrective action was to dust off my old copy of The One Minute Manager and put it to use. I was somewhat surprised that it was still available through Amazon. I bought multiple copies for the managers and as in the past, they started solving their people issues which in turn solved all the other problems.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this 'old' book. Plain and simple, it works. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs

I read this book in my last year in university. I was a senior management student and after reading this book, I understood that during the past four years; I was not introduced to Ken Blanchard, and this masterpiece book.
I will keep it short. This book is actually not a book, it is an advisor when you need one, it is a friend who approves or shows you what to do in some common, but real life situations in business life. This book, I suggest, should be read by everybody (not necessarily only by managers or supervisors or employees but everyone who lives a social life) because it teaches you how to communicate with people. It is so easy to read, and one should read after and after so that the principles and ways are embedded and implemented by the readers. Thank you Ken Blanchard and his co-authors for writing this book.

I think everyone should read this book. This is a book you can read in about 45 minuets (so you dont get lost, or never get a chance to finish it) and very readable (in-fact the book is in a story format. There are many valuable lessons you can take with you, for people management, for managing yourself, it can even help with child discipline! This book is a classic must read!

This is a great book to read, It makes you think about your management style. It does not take long to read an should make you a better manager at the same time. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a manager.

I just reread this great little primer on management and found it just as helpful as I did fifteen years ago. While its concepts are simple, they are also quite effective IF managers (including teachers, parents, and front-line supervisors) would implement them correctly. The three secrets of one-minute goal setting, one-minute praisings,and one-minute reprimands are based on sound behavioral principles and are bound to work as long as certain guidelines are met. For instance, goals should be realistic and specific, praisings should be sincere and immediate, and reprimands should end with a bit of encouragement. I love the idea of managers walking around trying to catch people doing things right. What a refreshing idea!

Read the book and apply the principles in your home, office, or factory. While the three guidelines won't solve every human relations problem, they offer sound, practical advice that will lay the foundation for effectiveness.

Great book but really doesn't go far enough. I wish there was more. I guess its on to the next version.

do you want a summary of this book?

Stupid kid: "Hey Mr. Manager, how about you teach me some managing stuff to manage people"

Manager:"you want me to teach you some managing stuff to manage people with"?

Stupid kid: "yeah i want you to teach me some managing stuff, to manage people with"

Manager: "allright, ill teach you some managing stuff to manage people with"

Stupid kid: "you mean to tell me you'd teach me some managing stuff to manage people with"?

Manager: "i dont like repeating stuff, ill show you some managing stuff to manage people with"

*repeat thought out the whole book

if you are in idiot and you think books like rich dad poor dad are good books, then prepare for a heart warming story

if not, dont waste your time like i did, this bs could have been written in a greeting card

Blanchard and Johnson's The One Minute Manager presents a novel, yet simplistic perspective for corporate management. The authors tell a very boring and manufactured story in order to present a "new and exciting" form of management. The author's stress honesty, shared sense of responsibility and dialog between boss and employee. In order to keep this flow of communication open the manager must engage in three tools or secrets.
First, the employee must submit and record a one-minute, one-page set of goals. The manager asks how and when the goals will be achieved and helps to define success in the situation. The end result will be compared to the initial goal setting sheet in order to identifying the goal achieved or failed. This exercise puts the boss and employee on the same page about the true responsibilities of the employee.
The second secret is one-minute praising. When an employee does something right they are immediately praised for a minute. This furthers the employee's understanding of quality work because there is an immediate validation or rejection in their work. Employees strive to be praised and repeated good habits become second nature for the employees.
The third secret is the One Minute Reprimand. When an employee does something wrong they are to be reprimanded for a minute. The manager informs the employee that they are doing something wrong. The problem is specifically defined and explained. The manager explains the problems in the action but does not attack the employee specifically. The manager must then remember to praise the employee to remind them that they are valued and respected.
Though this form is of management is innovative it is not a groundbreaking concept. Open lines of communication and specific goals are not new theories of organization, but they are effective tools. This book does a good job of explaining a couple tools to improve communication but still is not worth reading.

I bought this book for my husband and he found it very useful. He's already implementing these ideas at work with some very positive feedback. He gives this 4 out of 5 rather than 5 out 5 for it's slightly patronising prose.

It's short, simple and reinforces its main points. The book is so efficient and well done, there is never a "need" to reread it, but people do. That says something.

This is the book that started it all. I was recently reorganizing my books and ran across a copy of the original version. I decided to reread it and was really a little dissappointed. I remember reading this back in the 80's and being quite impressed with it.

So why was I not impressed with it twenty years later? Well, a few reasons. Back in the 80's, we bought our books at a place called a book store. There, you could actually thumb through the book before buying it. So, you could easily see that there wasn't much content. The book is 112 pages, but could have easily fit on half that number. Ah, the magic of formatting. Today, we buy our books online and cannot see that we are dupped into believing there is more content than what is actually here.

Also, the basic concept here revolves around 3 simple principles, 1 minute goal setting, 1 minute praising and 1 minute reprimanding. There you have it. Don't get me wrong, this is great stuff to know and live by, but by today's standards, this is simply not enough content to warrant the price.

If you haven't read this book, by all means, get a copy. But don't pay $14.95 for it. It's easy enough to find a nice used copy for a couple of dollars.

I must admit it took me a minute to remember this book, as I have read it several years ago. That gives me an advantage on judging the impact of this book. At the time I had given it 2.5 stars but now it will definitly be 2 stars.

This review is hard to write as I don't like critisizing books. People put their heart and soul in it and it may work for a lot of people. However, I'm not one of them. At the time of reading I had no management experience at all, so it should have felt like a quick and easy way to learn something. I found other books a much better help, though.

If you want a quick read and spend 4 dollars an hour on this book go ahead. I'd just rather spend more time and money on another one.

I really liked this book, but for the same reasons I liked it, some may hate it.

First of all, it's an easy read, and it gets its points across by telling a story. Other books, such as The Sixty-Second Motivator, have also used this format succesfully, but this style may not appeal to everyone. To me, it makes the book a lot less boring to read.

Secondly, the book is short. The vast majority of readers will easily be able to read this book in a day. It has bigger font, which I personally liked and thought it made it a joy to read. However here again, some may be turned off by that and consider it to be too "child-like."

Thirdly, the book takes solid mangagerial info and gives it to the reader handily in the form of three "secrets." I found the advice to be very practical and while some may consider it far too simple, it can help you a lot IF you actually apply the info- which I suspect most managers do not.

In conclusion, I recommend this short business classic to anyone looking for better ways to improve their managerial skills. I doubt most will be disappointed. Also liked Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by the same author.

A young man searches for an effective manager because he wants to work for one and become one. When he discovers a nearby manager, the young man visits him. When the young man asks the manager what type of manager he is, the manager alleges that he is a One Minute Manager. The young man wants to learn more, so the manager arranges for him to talk to three of his people.

The first person that the young man talks to is Mr. Trenell. Mr. Trenell explains to the young man the first secret of One Minute Management: One Minute Goal Setting. One Minute Goal Setting requires one to set goals that would take a minute to read, and then see if the individual's behavior matches his/her goals.

The second person that the young man talks to was Mr. Levy. Mr. Levy explains to the young man the second secret of One Minute Management: One Minute Praisings. One Minute Praisings requires one to tell people in person specifically what they are doing right, encourage them to do more of the same, and leave a positive feeling about their progress.

The third person that the young man talks to is Ms. Brown. Ms. Brown explains to the young man the third secret of One Minute Management: One Minute Reprimand. One Minute Reprimand requires one to tell people specifically what they are doing wrong, but attacking the behavior of the individual, not the individual himself/herself. Afterward, remind the individual that they are a good person.

As you can see, the book merely tells you that an effective manager will set goals, and give praising and reprimands--and nothing more. If you like to read novels, this doesn't cut it neither. It qualifies more as a short story. You can read it in about half hour, so don't waste your money on this book. You can just walk over to your local bookstore and sit down for 30 minutes, and leave having read a semi-interesting short story.

If you like novels, read the book and skip the rest of my review.
what is left of the book name after you remove the word 'manager', is, in fact, enough time for the author to write what the book needs to say. Which is, nevertheless, worth buying the book if you need to improve your managing skills by being objective oriented efficiently.

If you are into reading novels, you will enjoy this story and have some good laughs.
If you are looking for a way to manage people, especially if you are a young manager, you won't necessarily find what you are looking for.
I did like though when the 'one minute manager' tells him employee that it is just called 'complaining' when the employee exposes a certain problem, without, at the same time, proposing the solution.

A great and insightful resource for everyone - we all 'manage' others in our lives, especially moms and dads! Great management advice, grab a copy and pass it around work.

I picked this book up for $1.00 at the local library bookstore. It was a great, quick read. I'd like to give it to every manager at the courthouse that I work in, but I don't think that would go over well. It's obviously very basic, and doesn't provide too much instructional information, but it is still entertaining.

The ONLY book, from the guys who decided to keep milking this one good book, that really is worth a damn. Good, simple management perspective. Over-simplified? Maybe. But, practical, and useful. Especially for new management. At least worth the time. And, hey- you can easily read it in one sitting.

After 30 plus years of training some of the worlds top companies personnel at all levels to turning around small to medium companies in extreme trouble, there has been one major constant that I could trun to without fail; The One Minute Manager!

For years I have scoured the shelves of new bookstores, online shops and every used book emporium available, just to find copies of this magnificent book for system hungry managers from CEO's to Parents. The quality of your life is driectly the result of how well you manage it. This phenominal book teaches you exactly how to do just that!

Buy it, Read it, Share it, Re-read it often, Teach its principles, Re-read it and never, not ever, should you ever stop. Every time you open its pages you'll learn something new!

Buy title and use it in your everyday life! (Now, I buy the CD's whenever possible so that those that I help may listen to its teachings everyday, over and over!)

Dave Gorham
www.theleadtrust.com
The LEADTRUST
(A Discount Printing & Direct Mail Agency.)

The One Minute Manager is a terrific book, my husband has been implementing this at work and has seen a very nice turn around in his employees attitudes.

Yes, the 1 minute manager method is nice, and it can really work in certain conditions. But the books is too pretentious and the authors wrap the idea in way too many pages, just to fill a book.
This kind of book should have half as many pages and sell for half as much.

On one hand I really like the way this book gets right to the point without consuming lots of time. Too many books with a similar mission would spend 400 pages, but this one can be read in an hour.

The brevity is a double-edged blade though, because the book falls short of fully explaining its concepts. It really touches on only three main approaches to management, but it does not provide anything in the way of examples or contingencies in case real life does not match the story.

I am glad I read it but it is hard to say the book is worth the money. You really do not get much content for the price. Upon finishing the book, you'll soon realize the need to buy more books from these authors to flesh out how to implement their suggestions.

This is a great little introduction to personnel management. Though slightly misnamed, the book introduces three skills of management which can be done in a concise way (but probably not quite 60 seconds). Managers should cast clear vision and expectations, commend good work, and correct mistakes. That's it.

The reason the book is so good is that so many managers can't or won't do those three simple things. The ability to confront employees in a non-combative way is too abrasive for sensitive people-people, and too limited for true autocrats. Praise is simple and obvious enough, but many managers think they've done it when they haven't. And precise goal-setting is sometimes beyond business leaders who do not have sharp mental editing skills. When you're finished with the book, you haven't heard anything you didn't already know, you've only been reminded of how important it is to do these things. Like diet and exercise, most of us know what's best for us regardless of whether or not we do it. Additionally, and this is a subtle point, the manager has to express how he or she feels about an employee's performance, and accurate expression of feeling is sometimes beyond the emotional range of some really driven leaders.

It's a top notch, brief read. Everyone in leadership ought to read it, even if they walk away with nothing new. The only thing I'd correct is some mediocre narrative, as the whole book is written as a fictional set of interviews by a young manager-to-be of his idiolized One Minute Manager, running a company. But no one's reading this book because they meant to pick up a good novel, so writing style is a minor issue. That aside, it's worth the content.

What can I say about this book? - If you haven't heared anything about it, you must read it, but don't expect too much. It's a well-known stuff, covered by a lot of modern management books and authors, but I wanted in my collection, so ....

This book is too simple to be really effective. So what if you are a tough or nice manager? This book is basically trying to find a balance, and that's nothing new. And it tell you to evaluate your performance with your goals, thanks for the insight, wow, I've learned so much. Save your money and time. If you must, check it out at the library.

For an adult to have not read this book, to me, is like a person who never read "Green Eggs & Ham" or "Jack and Jill". This is a MUST read for anyone who is involved in the corporate community at any level. The three concepts introduced in "The One Minute Manager" are so simple to understand, yet so profound at what they accomplish. Actually, "The One Minute Manager" IS as easy to read as "Green Eggs & Ham". I love the "story book" format that is used to tell the tale of this enigmatic character who calls himself a one-minute-manager. The other character, a young man on a quest to learn what makes a good manager, who subsequently encounters the one-minute-manager, reminds me of Columbo who asks questions and investigates tirelessly until he finds answers. This book is an easy read and a fun read. Yet the concepts that it reveals are priceless.

Sometimes we need somebody who reminds us of what we already know. I guess it's the same with this book. This book points out the 3 key elements on managing people / staff. (It takes more then managing staff to be a good manager). Basic line the three techniques of one-minute management - clear goal setting, one-minute praisings and one-minute reprimands.

The book is written in a way that's easy to read, don't expect rocket science.

I love this book. I use this book when I train my assistant managers. It has some great management tools.

I read this book when I first started working, and now ask all of my managers to read it when they first get promoted. Nothing complex in the message but it is all very true and helpful for new managers and old alike.

Cute allegory, but too long for the advice the author is trying to present. I purchased the CD so I can utilize my travel time, but purchasing the book may have been a better option so I could skim through the text, find the useful advice, and skip the unnecessary filler. While trying to learn how to become a more effective manager I don't need cute allegory. Overall, I would recommend it to new and upcoming managers and supervisors.

A very good and thought provoking book. We overlook the obvious every day. Blanchard and Johnson have explained the fundamental secrets ("One minute Goal setting", "One minute Praising" and " One minute Reprimanding")in a very engaging way. I recommend everybody, especially managers to read this book .This is not a mere management book, the secrets explained in this book could be applied to our personal lives.
-- Chandra Vadamodula

OMM is an oversimplified version of how to lead people. It applies not only to work, but to parenting, relationships in a church, or anywhere else. While it is simple, it is profound. I read this book about once a year as a refresher. It is a must-read. Sometimes the writing is a bit corny, but look past that to get the message, which is simply the best way to lead people. I also recommend the "One Minute Manager and the Monkey."

OMM is an oversimplified version of how to lead people. It applies not only to work, but to parenting, relationships in a church, or anywhere else. While it is simple, it is profound. I read this book about once a year as a refresher. It is a must-read. Sometimes the writing is a bit corny, but look past that to get the message, which is simply the best way to lead people. I also recommend the "One Minute Manager and the Monkey."

1 minute goal, 1 minute praising, and 1 minute reprimand can help you not only on your career but also in your personal life. This is a short book and very easy to read. The main idea is knowing what your outcome, catching people doing things right, catching people doing things wrong. Simple but convincing. At the end of the book, it does explain why these things work and why people function these way. Pleasure reading in 2 hours. Very helpful and practical!

For the CD audio book version, it also includes an interview with Dr. Spencer Johnson about where did the 1 minute manager's idea come from and how did Dr. Johnson apply the idea on his daily life.

(Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 07-Jan-2007)

1 minute goal, 1 minute praising, and 1 minute reprimand can help you not only on your career but also in your personal life. This is a short book and very easy to read. The main idea is knowing what your outcome, catching people doing things right, catching people doing things wrong. Simple but convincing. At the end of the book, it does explain why these things work and why people function these way. Pleasure reading in 2 hours. Very helpful and practical!

(Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 07-Jan-2007)

Blanchard provides great advice in a very easy to read book. Great gift for anyone who may be perceived as a "micro-manager!"

A little oversimplified and repetitive, but still a classic management book. Every leader should read this. Its concepts are so simple, and yet, there are so many managers in the world who remain ignorant of them! I wish every boss and senior colleague I have ever had, have, and will have would read this book.

This classic is based on the premise that it doesn't take much to "get very big results from people." In fact, it takes about a minute... a well-timed minute. Start by setting goals with employees. Each goal should take no longer than a minute to read. The manager then looks for progress made toward the goals and "catches people doing things right" rewarding them with 1 minute of praise. Conversely, when things are not done well, the manager takes about a minute to reprimand the employee.

Basically, it's about timely and honestly communicating with employees, a practice which is severely lacking virtually everywhere. If managers actually followed the simple advice of this book, there's no telling what they could accomplish. It's a quick, easy, and very beneficial read.

-- Nick McCormick, Author, Lead Well and Prosper

This book is a synopsis of easyt ways to evaluate and resolve conflicts in a business environment. To the point.

Yeah I was forced to read this by my boss...but it was quick and worthwhile. I am an experienced manager but I still picked up some valuable tips. This is worth while reading- short, to the point, and informative