37 pages 1 hour read

The New One Minute Manager

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2015

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Chapters 5-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 5 Summary: “The Second Secret: One Minute Praisings”

The young man meets Paul in his office. Paul is as enthusiastic about the Manager’s leadership as Teresa was. He explains how the Manager works closely with him whenever he is learning a new project or responsibility but eventually “trusts” Paul to progress independently. Paul introduces “One Minute Praisings,” which is a style of feedback given from the Manager to point out an employee’s areas of strength (25). The Manager observes Paul closely and looks at data of his progress, praising Paul whenever he excels. He tries to catch Paul “doing something right” (28).

The young man is baffled by this, so Paul assures him that the One Minute Manager is concerned with letting others know when they are doing something correct to reinforce their work ethic. When the Manager acknowledges you—rather than constantly correcting your mistakes—it feels good. To give a One Minute Praising, the Manager does it shortly after a task is completed (instead of waiting until a monthly review); he specifies exactly what was done right; and he is consistent with his praising. After Paul masters a task, the Manager becomes less involved, but Paul’s “confidence” fuels him to work hard. He enjoys “earning” his reputation as a good worker and is happy with his job (31).

Chapter 6 Summary: “One Minute Praisings: Summary”

The young man notes the key points after his discussion with Paul. It explains how and why leaders should praise workers effectively. The young man is skeptical about the results of this method, so he asks Paul to speak more on the secrets of being a One Minute Manager. Paul says that he should talk with Jon Levy for more answers. The young man thanks him for his time and leaves, but while taking a walk, he realizes that he would rather speak with someone in the company who can show him the results and data of the company’s productivity. He reschedules his meeting with Jon until tomorrow and is put into contact with Liz Aquino instead.

Chapter 7 Summary: “The Appraisal”

The young man meets Liz in her cluttered office. She has data on every department in the company, so the young man asks her which division is the best managed. She says the New One Minute Manager has the best group. The young man is baffled but finds it funny. He tries to figure out a reason why, asking if the Manager has better equipment and resources than the others. Liz says that he has some of the oldest materials, but is effective because of how he trains his workers to become their own leaders. The young man asks if his department has a high turnover rate, hoping to find a flaw in the Manager’s style. Liz says that he does—and the young man feels like he is onto something—but it’s because they leave his department and become managers in other areas of the company. The young man admits that the Manager fascinates him. Liz says she wishes she could learn from him because she is so busy and has no time for anything besides her own work. The young man tells her that he’ll share the Manager’s secrets with her once he gathers all his research. She is relieved and thankful for it.

Chapter 8 Summary: “The Third Secret: One Minute Re-Directs”

Jon receives the young man in his office by repeating how incredible the Manager is. For the first time, the young man sincerely agrees. Jon explains how the Manager has been around for years but has adapted to the times. John has been working at the company for an extended period, so he is very familiar with the Three Secrets. He no longer requires the Manager's help creating goals, and he praises himself without the Manager pointing it out for him. Instead, the Manager helps him when he does something wrong by giving him a One Minute Re-Direct. He lets the young man know that it’s “the new version of the important Third Secret” (38). Jon elaborates: “Back when we were a top-down managed company, this Third Secret was called the One Minute Reprimand, which was remarkably effective for its time. But the New One Minute Manager adapted it when things changed” (38).

Jon outlines how a One Minute Re-Direct works. The Manager first lets you know when you’ve done something wrong, pausing to let you feel the weight of the error. Then, he reminds you that you’re better than your mistake and that he trusts you to fix it. He always specifies exactly what went wrong to let you know he is on top of his job. He ends by reaffirming the value of your work. This process leaves an employee feeling motivated instead of defensive or negative after a Re-Direct. The newer you are to the job, the milder the Re-Direct is, so as not to discourage a developing employee. The young man explains how the Manager Re-Directed him to make his own decision when they first met, and how this left him feeling like he would always want to make his own decisions.

The young man asks if the Manager ever makes mistakes. Jon laughs and says of course, but that the Manager is always the first to acknowledge his own mistakes and takes accountability if his mistakes impact his employees. He even encourages everyone to speak up if they see him making a mistake. The Manager is “gruff” when he needs to be, but also has a good sense of humor (41), which makes everyone else feel comfortable in making mistakes. Just like the Manager, Jon and the rest of the employees are humble and honest with themselves about their performance. The young man realizes how important setting goals, praising workers, and Re-Directing is to produce great results. He wants to learn more, but Jon tells him he should speak to the Manager. He thanks him for his time, but Jon makes a joke about how much time he has now that he is becoming a New One Minute Manager. They laugh, and the young man feels “like an insider rather than a visitor, and it felt good” (42).

Chapter 9 Summary: “One Minute Re-Directs: Summary”

After leaving Jon’s office, the young man takes his notes. It’s important to re-direct people shortly after they’ve made their mistake, be specific, and express the impact of the mistake. Then, after pausing to let it sink in, re-affirming their importance and contributions to boost their confidence. The young man “may not have believed in the effectiveness of the One Minute Re-Direct if he hadn’t personally experienced its effect” (43), but he is convinced that it works. He wonders how the Manager has stayed so productive and successful throughout the years, as he heads to his office to meet with him next.

Chapters 5-9 Analysis

The portrayal of the Manager being an amazing leader continues to develop in this portion of the text. He is highly valued by all of his workers, and they seem highly invested in him and his leadership. Paul’s affinity highlights a loyalty that exists between the Manager and the rest of his employees, which is perhaps an underlying principle of leadership that isn’t outright stated, but important nonetheless. For employees to do their best work, they must be confident and capable in their jobs and trust the person in charge; the Manager’s “Three Secrets” help to establish a strong rapport with his workers.

In contrast, the young man—who in some ways acts as a minor antagonist in this text—initially disbelieves the Manager’s success and looks for ways to disprove his effectiveness by asking certain questions regarding the Manager’s potential blind spots. When the young man meets with Liz Aquino, for example, he tries to probe her for ways in which the Manager is flawed. However, his probing only leads him to unexpectedly discover more of the Manager’s successful results—including that he produces the most effective leaders in the company who go on to lead their own departments to success. The young man realizes that the Manager is as effective as everyone says he is. At this point in the story, the young man gives in and starts to “feel good” about being an insider with access to the leader’s secrets (42).

However, the young man’s earlier resistance of buying into the Manager’s system is an important aspect of the story because it helps bolster the biblical elements of the tale: A nonbeliever enters into a community of believers and questions their faith to a powerful source, but in his questioning, he further realizes how the omnipotent figure is more capable and giving than he previously imagined. This relationship between the young man and the Manager creates a dynamic that transfers to the reader: We, like the young man, may seem skeptical of the Manager’s holy practices, but as we read on and learn more about his tactics through the eyes of his followers, we begin to see that he is a leader worth learning from; and we become more likely to buy into the book’s principles.

This is an integral aspect of a parable—a story in which readers are supposed to gain some moral lesson. As a receiver of knowledge, it’s natural to doubt or question the source of knowledge, but as the young man demonstrates in his experience, the more we learn about the Manager, the more we realize that he is a credible source to gain information from. In addition, his secrets (represented as lessons embedded into the book) have been adapted to modern times, further giving us belief in his care and attention to our needs: “Today we need to get more done sooner with fewer resources. And people want to find more satisfaction and value in their work. Now, everybody needs to be a learner because things are changing so much […] A One Minute Re-Direct helps me learn, because it can let me see what I need to do differently” (38). By outlining the pressures and challenges of our current times, but also stepping in to provide Re-Directs when we find ourselves off track, the Manager evinces a level of awareness and compassion that makes him that much more likable as a leader.

Those who subscribe to his secrets find success, and those who don’t struggle and suffer with their work. Liz is a perfect contrast for this point: As a worker in the company who can’t interact with the Manager directly, she is less equipped to succeed in her role. After meeting with her in her office, and seeing how busy she is in comparison to the Manager’s department, the young man offers to share the Manager’s secrets with her once he finishes gathering information. Liz is excited by this suggestion, responding with: “She looked at her cluttered office and sighed. ‘I could use whatever help I can get’” (34). These moments allow the young man to tangibly see that the Manager’s tactics work because Liz represents a person who can’t learn from him and is therefore suffering. This narrative suggests that if we, as readers, don’t take advantage of learning from the Manager’s One Minute Secrets, we may also fall victim to a dysfunctional and disorganized work experience.

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