The New One Minute Manager

By: Ken Blanchard, Spencer Johnson

Narrated by: Dan Woren

Length: 1 hr and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

A revised edition of the timeless business classic - updated to help today's listeners succeed more quickly in a rapidly changing world.

For decades The One Minute Manager has helped millions achieve more successful professional and personal lives. While the principles it lays out are timeless, our world has changed drastically since the book's publication. The exponential rise of technology, global flattening of markets, instant communication, and pressures on corporate workforces to do more with less - including resources, funding, and staff - have all revolutionized the world in which we live and work.

Now Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson have updated The One Minute Manger to introduce the book's powerful, important lessons to a new generation. In their concise, easy-to-understand story, they teach listeners three very practical secrets about leading others and explain why these techniques continue to work so well.

As compelling today as it was 30 years ago, this classic parable of a young man looking for an effective manager is more relevant and useful than ever.

©2015 Blanchard Family Partnership and Candle Communications, Inc. (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

Not bad, but not enough value

Apparently this was based on an older work of a very similar name, but they decided to get with the times and refer to people implementing these principles as "new" one minute managers. The main change, as near as I can tell without referring to the original, is to speak of giving people "one minute redirects" instead of "one minute reprimands". Nice. This very short work is written in fable format, but the veneer of story and plot is fairly thin. So thin, in fact, that the protagonist doesn't even have a name. He just asks around and discovers everyone that works for the "new one minute manager" loves working for him so much and has SO much free time. Yeah, that's realistic. This wise, much loved manager managers to make the protagonist uncomfortable with a nearly hostile attitude multiple times in their first brief meeting... Ah, but people don't read business fable books for the story, do they? What about the contents? Well, it seems to boil down to this: 1. Write each of your major goals on a separate piece of paper. This is made abundantly clear. They MUST be written down on paper. Each goal on a separate sheet, because somehow that helps you to keep track of them? Apparently they aren't ready to move with the times enough to move beyond paper. 2. Praise employees often for doing good work. 3. When employees need to be corrected, indicate what they need to do differently, and offer encouragement for their growth. Keep track of goals, praise people, correct in a motivational manner. Not bad, as far as that goes. Managers should do these things. It's pretty basic as far as it goes. Perhaps there would be more value going in depth into these principles. I feel explaining how and when to give praise, and most of all the right ways to give criticism, could be really valuable. But alas, we largely fly by those topics here. It's so short you might as well give this a listen, assuming you don't have to spend an entire Audible credit on it. But don't expect a lot of value from it.

Good not great... worth the listen? Maybe.

It’s a really simple concept, with really simple real world application. Instead of listening to this book save your time and set goals, look to affirm people when they do good work, and course correct people as soon as you are aware of the issue. Keep all that to one minute congratulations. I just saved you some time. I’ll call it the one minute book review.

Very useful perspective.

Sometimes managers get caught up in "do it now" mentality. This is more about a coaching style. And it is very effective.

Actionable tasks!

Great way to tell the story of how to manage goals and expectations. Listen to it often.

Good ideas buried in a mountain of cringey narrati

The central ideas are fine and could be expressed in about 15 minutes. Instead you have to suffer through this painfully bad narrative storytelling with characters who talk like marketing landing pages rather than human beings. Also, while the techniques seem reasonable, there are exactly zero facts, data, case studies. The entire thing is fictional without any apparent grounding or verification in observation.

I listen 2 to 3 times per year

it's easy to get caught up at work especially as the boss ... others often comply instinctively ... this reminds me to pay more attention

Fake Interviews Are Aggravating

Decent suggestions, but the format is not setup for actual "one-minute-managers." The concepts are covered in a pointless, indigestible odyssey of John Doe interviewing successful Jane and other John Doe managers assuring the interviewer how great the techniques are. Many wasted words and artifice to bring the concepts to life. Gets old very fast.

why was this necessary

This could have been put into one sentence or paragraph. It is a repetitive bore. As a manager, give compliments, Focus on the positive, balance praise with criticism. The end.

to the point

easy to get through. easy to take notes. easy to understand. only takes a minute

Quick Informative Read

Nice book, points out some valuable qualities need to help people and grow hardworking individuals