The One Minute Manager

There is almost nothing to redeem this book. It encourages managers to think of their worst instincts as virtues. The style of writing is simplistic and dull. The dialogue is filled with inane platitudes. There are no insights in the book that shouldn't already have occurred to a third-grader. And the paperback edition, at least, is far too insubstantial to prop open a window.

When I first read the book, I supposed that it must have been meant as a parody of shallow pop management books. My supposition was reinforced when I discovered that Dr. Spencer Johnson, one of the authors, has also published "The One Minute Father," a title which I defy you not to misinterpret. If you're forced to read "The One Minute Manager," taking it as a parody will ease the burden. But don't let any aspiring managers in your organization get their hands on it.


Great book for anyone of any age group, any occupation...   April 5, 2000
 22 out of 27 found this review helpful

Book written by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, it has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide and that just says how successful this book is. It covers the three essential elements of being a high-speed and efficient manager. I also like the "business story" format. In today's world, many new supervisors are thrust into a "baptism by fire" management environment. I found this book to be an easy to read guide that arms newcomers to management with the basic tools for building worker relationships and getting the best out of their staff. Consequently, their efforts are guided into decisions that generate increasingly positive outcomes in uncomfortable situations. Self-confidence builds and leadership and management styles improve.


ONE MINUTE WON'T QUITE DO IT!   April 3, 2001
 21 out of 37 found this review helpful

To the book's credit, there are a few valuable points contained here but that is where the value ends. Having been a business management teacher and counsellor for the best part of my life, and having written a training manual on the subject which is still in use today, I feel comfortable in saying that what is contained in these few pages is not going to make you management material! You may pick up a few tips on how to IMPROVE your skills as a manager, but if you are planning to manage a business, this book certainly won't cut it!

One of the key reasons why businesses fail is not solely because of the lack of start up and working capital, it is because owners/managers do not possess sufficient basic business management skills. Those skills do not come from simply reading a book; they come from proper management training and a lifetime of hands-on experience. A future lawyer cannot sit down, read a book, and without any formal education be qualified for a memeber of the bar; nor can a would-be physician with no formal education, read a book and undertake his first operation! Why then, would anyone be so niave or gullible to think that reading an 111 page book would prepare you to be a manager...of anything?

Management, especially business management, takes know-how and experience. Believe me, my files are filled with "would-be wanna-be's" and "one minute managers" who thought formal management training was a waste of time and that experience would come in time. Unfortunately, time ran out. The reality of it is, they learned how to make every mistake in the book on their own money, or equally worse, on someone else's money! Now, not only do they not have a business, they are facing a future of financial ruin. There are some excellent books in existence that will help you to improve your management style, providing you have the basics to begin with, so save the money you would have spent on this one and invest in a quality,in-depth book.


The One Minute Manager- a great breath of fresh air!   January 12, 2000
 20 out of 25 found this review helpful

At a glance, "The One Minute Manager" looks to be aimed tward second graders. From the 16 point font used as text in the book to the use of very simple language such as "Once there was a bright young man who was looking for an effective manager..." you might think this book wasen't worth your time, but it is. The ideas told in the book are great ways to manage everything from your job to your family.

The simple text used in the book is just one way for the author to say, if this makes it easier for you to understand the content, I'll take the extra step. The reason the book sold over 7 million copys worldwide is because of the authors ability to teach the fairly difficult to understand concept o management in simple easy to understand terms.

I recommend "The One Minute Manager" to anyone who really wants to "get more done in a less amount of time", "reduce stress", "simplify your life", and "help you find peace of mind."


Avoid at all Costs   September 27, 2005
 19 out of 25 found this review helpful

I have a suspicion that many people have read this book for the same reason I have: they were forced to by their boss. All I can say is that if this truly represents the mindset of those who are managing today's business, heaven help us. This book is a time bomb. It encourages managers to be distant and not spend adequate time communicating with their employees. Is one minute really the proper amount of time to spend setting out goals and expectations for any reasonably complex project? Is one minute enough time to even give a basic description of a simple process? On top of this, the book encourages managers to be manipulative with the emotions of their employees, giving unthinkably ridiculous reprimands and praisings that will no doubt to serve as excellent opportunities for employees to mock the manager behind his back. That was my experience with the book, at any rate. In a modern, integrated workplace, the kind of thinking this book promulgates is likely to lead to widespread resentment and decreased productivity.

Additionally, if the reader has any contact with even the most rote literature, the style of this book will come across remarkably facile and thunderingly dull. I truly cannot believe that this is directed toward anyone with a high school diploma. Another reviewer mentions that the book might be read as satire, an idea that I wish I had thought of when I slogged through it. If you see this one sitting on your manager's desk, be sure to toss it in the trash when he isn't looking. The workplace you save might just be your own.