The One Minute Manager

The One Minute Manager
By Kenneth H. Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

Blog by Veronica Baginski

“I recommend this book to all managers who feel their work week is out of control and need some support to simplify their schedule.”

I first encountered this book when I was in college and my management professor assigned it for an exam. My initial thought was, “This is a short book and an easy read, so it will be no problem.” Little did I know, I would reread this book several times as I graduated college and stepped into my role as a manager of a Fortune 50 Company.

Any young leader can attest that reading about leadership is a completely different concept than actually doing it. This book, however, breaks down simple scenarios to help a manager achieve work life balance and get his or her work done instead of doing their team’s work for them.

A classic mistake, doing your team’s work for them, is an easy habit to fall into because you want to be the good boss, be helpful, and “show” your team how to do the job well. No matter how many excuses you give yourself, doing your team’s work for them will not make you an effective manager and it will not help your team become better.

The One Minute Manager helps managers identify where they are making mistakes and explains how to correct bad habits. It breaks down what you are doing and how to implement strategies so you can be more effective at leading your team and doing your job. I recommend this book to all managers who feel their work week is out of control and need some support to simplify their schedule.