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It was as though most managers in the world were still managing the way they had always done and were primarily interested either in results or in people.
In these changing times, he thought, the most effective managers manage themselves and the people they work with so that both the people and the organization profit from their presence.
Customers demand quicker service and better products, so we need everyone to contribute their talent. The brainpower isn’t only in the executive office—it can be found throughout the organization. “Since speed is a currency of success now, leading with collaboration is far more effective than the old command-and-control system.”
“Yes, they are. The purpose of the meeting is for people to participate in making key decisions about what they’re going to do next.”
“To succeed sooner, managers must be both results-oriented and people-oriented. “How on earth can we get results if it’s not through people? So I care about people and results, because they go hand in hand.
“Setting One Minute Goals is the beginning of One Minute Management. You see, in most organizations when you ask people what they do and then ask their boss, all too often you get two different answers.
Our Manager works with us to make it clear what our responsibilities are and what we are being held accountable for.”
instead of setting our goals for us, he listens to our input and works side-by-side with us to develop them. After we agree on our most important goals, each is described on one page. “He feels that a goal and its performance standard—what needs to be done and by what due date—should take no more than a paragraph or two to express, so it can be read and reviewed in about a minute.
80% of your really important results will come from 20% of your goals. So we set One Minute Goals on only that 20%—that is, our key areas of responsibility—maybe three to five goals. Of course, in the event a special project comes up, we set special One Minute Goals.”
we are encouraged to take a moment every now and then to look at what we’re doing and see if it matches our goals. “If not, we adjust what we’re doing. It helps us succeed sooner.” The young man observed, “So you look to see if you’re doing what’s expected, rather than waiting for your manager to tell you.”
Our Manager makes sure we know what good performance looks like because he shows us. In other words, expectations are clear to both of us.
If you can’t tell me what you’d like to be happening,’ he said, ‘you don’t have a problem yet. You’re just complaining. A problem only exists if there is a difference between what is actually happening and what you desire to be happening.’
‘You solved it yourself. I just asked you the kinds of questions you can ask yourself in the future.’
He’d shown me how to solve problems so that I could do it on my own.”
My Manager shows me how to do it so I can understand it and do it myself.
ONE MINUTE GOALS WORK WELL WHEN YOU: 1. Plan the goals together and describe them briefly and clearly. Show people what good performance looks like. 2. Have people write out each of their goals, with due dates, on a single page. 3. Ask them to review their most important goals each day, which takes only a few minutes to do. 4. Encourage people to take a minute to look at what they’re doing, and see if their behavior matches their goals. 5. If it doesn’t, encourage them to re-think what they’re doing so they can realize their goals sooner.
After all, how can you be an effective manager unless you and your team are clear about goals and what good performance looks like?
“You mean you don’t get help from him?” “Not as much as I did when I was first learning. He trusts me more now. “However, he spends a good amount of time with me at the beginning of a new project or responsibility.”
“He said it would be a lot easier for me to do well if he gave me crystal-clear feedback on how I was doing. He said it would help me succeed—that I had talent and he wanted to keep me. He also wanted me to enjoy my work and to be a big help to the organization. “Then he said he would let me know in very specific terms when I was doing well and when I wasn’t. He cautioned me that it might not be very comfortable at first for either of us.”
Help People Reach Their Full Potential. Catch Them Doing Something Right.
“Here we put the accent on the positive by catching people doing something right, especially as they begin a new task.” The young man made a few notes, then glanced up and asked, “So, what happens when he catches you doing something right?” “That’s when he gives a One Minute Praising,” Paul said with delight.
First, I get a Praising soon after I’ve done something right.” Paul leaned forward and confided, “I don’t have to wait for a performance review, if you know what I mean.”
He praises me when I’m doing my job well and deserve it, even if things are not going well for him personally or here at work. I know he may be annoyed about things happening elsewhere. But he responds to where I am, not just to where he is at the time. I really appreciate that.”
“It’s mostly in the beginning, when you start working here and when you begin a new project or responsibility. After you get to know the ropes, you know he has confidence in you because later on you don’t see him that often.”
“Because confidence that is earned helps you deal with all the changes that are occurring. We’re expected to be confident enough to innovate in order to stay ahead.”
A ONE MINUTE PRAISING WORKS WELL WHEN YOU: THE FIRST HALF-MINUTE 1. Praise people as soon as possible. 2. Let people know what they did right—be specific. 3. Tell people how good you feel about what they did right, and how it helps. PAUSE 4. Pause for a moment to allow people time to feel good about what they’ve done. THE SECOND HALF-MINUTE 5. Encourage them to do more of the same. 6. Make it clear you have confidence in them and support their success.
“I love my work and I’m good at it. I’ve learned to give myself Praisings. In fact, I believe if you’re not for yourself, who is?” Then he added, “And I’m for others, too.”
“So, doesn’t your Manager praise you?” “Sometimes. But he doesn’t have to very often because I beat him to the punch. When I do something especially good, I might even ask him for a Praising.” “How would you ever have the nerve to do that?” asked the young man. “It’s like making a bet where I either win or break even. If he gives me the Praising, I win. But if he doesn’t, I break even. I didn’t have it before I asked.”
“Praising people doesn’t always work if it isn’t combined with Re-Directs to correct mistakes when they occur. “While I don’t always like someone pointing out my mistakes, a Re-Direct can help me get back on track and achieve my goals. And that helps both me and our organization succeed.
everybody needs to be a learner because things are changing so much. Even if I’m an expert, the next day my area might be eliminated. A One Minute Re-Direct helps me learn, because it can let me see what I need to do differently.”
“As soon as he becomes aware of the mistake. He confirms the facts with me and we review what’s gone wrong. He’s very specific. “Then he tells me how he feels about the mistake and its possible impact on our results, sometimes in no uncertain terms. “After he tells me how he feels, he’s quiet for a few seconds to let it sink in. That quiet pause turns out to be surprisingly important.”
“In the second part of the Re-Direct, he reminds me that I’m better than my mistake and that he has confidence and trust in me. He says he doesn’t expect a repeat of that mistake and looks forward to working with me.” “It sounds to me that the Re-Direct makes you think twice about what you’ve done.”
He specifies exactly what went wrong so I know that he’s on top of things and that he doesn’t want me or my team to be known for poor or mediocre work.
“Since he ends the Re-Direct by reaffirming that he values me and my team, it’s easier for me not to react negatively and become defensive.
Our goal is to build confidence in people to help us get better results.”
“In fact, he even encourages us to speak up if we notice he may be mistaken about something. It doesn’t happen often, but he says it helps him prevent an error he might make in the future. It’s one of the many reasons we like working with him.
Goals make clear what is most important to focus on, Praisings build confidence that helps you succeed, and Re-Directs address mistakes. And all three of these help people feel better about themselves and produce good results.
IF THE GOAL IS CLEAR, A ONE MINUTE RE-DIRECT WORKS WELL WHEN YOU: THE FIRST HALF-MINUTE 1. Re-Direct people as soon as possible. 2. Confirm the facts first, and review the mistake together—be specific. 3. Express how you feel about the mistake and its impact on results. PAUSE 4. Be quiet for a moment to allow people time to feel concerned about what they’ve done. THE SECOND HALF-MINUTE 5. Remember to let them know that they’re better than their mistake, and that you think well of them as a person. 6. Remind them that you have confidence and trust
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“Using the Three Secrets probably represents only 20% of the activities we engage in, yet they help us achieve 80% of the outcome we’re looking for. It’s the old 80/20 law.”
The Best Minute I Spend Is The One I Invest In People.
“But if it’s the people who get the results, then it makes good sense to invest more in people.”
Why do you think he and other people don’t have that same level of excitement at work?” The young man gave it some thought. “Because they don’t know where the pins are—what they’re aiming at. I get it. How long would they want to bowl if they couldn’t see the pins?”
“When you assume that people know what’s expected of them, you are creating an ineffective form of bowling. You put the pins up, but when the bowler goes to roll the ball, he notices there is a sheet across the pins. So when he rolls the ball and it slips under the sheet, he hears a crack but doesn’t know how many pins he knocked down. When you ask him how he did, he says ‘I don’t know. But it felt good.’
Feedback Is the Breakfast of Champions. It’s feedback that keeps us going.
“Why is it,” the Manager asked, “that most people don’t know how they’re doing until they go through their performance review, and learn all the things they didn’t do right? “Then when the person is told they are not up for a bonus or a promotion, how does that person feel? How long will it be before they start wishing they worked somewhere else?”
Everyone Is A Potential Winner. Some People Are Disguised As Losers. Don’t Let Their Appearances Fool You. *
“you really have three choices as a manager. First, you can hire winners. They are hard to find and they cost money. Or, second, if you can’t find a winner, you can hire someone with the potential to be a winner. Then you systematically help that person become a winner. “If you are not willing to do either of the first two—and I am continually amazed at the number of managers who won’t spend the money to hire a winner or take the time to develop someone to become a winner—then there is only the third choice left: prayer.”
“I understand you have them write down only their major goals and responsibilities and not every aspect of their job,” the young man said. “Yes. That’s because I don’t want a lot of goals filed away somewhere and looked at only once a year when it’s time for a performance review or setting next year’s goals. “As you might have seen, people on our team keep this valuable reminder nearby.”
Take a Minute To Look At Your Goals. Then Look At What You’re Doing And See If It Matches Your Goals.
“These examples illustrate that the most important—and natural—thing to do to help people become winners is to catch them doing something approximately right in the beginning. Then you move on toward the desired result.” “So the key in the beginning,” the young man said, “is to catch somebody doing something approximately right until they can eventually learn to do it right.”
