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1-Page Summary of The New One Minute Manager

Overall Summary

The New One Minute Manager is a book that teaches business management. It was originally published in 1982, but the authors updated it for modern times by incorporating new philosophies and techniques. The co-authors of this short story are considered to be influential figures in business and management. They wrote the story as a parable (a simple tale that imparts a moral lesson), which invites readers to follow an aspiring young man’s journey as he seeks out the secrets of excellent leadership—known as One Minute Management.

The story begins with a man, who is looking for exceptional managers. He meets two types of leaders: those that are results oriented and those that are people-oriented. The first type of leader uses tough tactics to get the desired results, while the second type prioritizes employee happiness over profits. Both approaches have flaws, so he continues his search until he finds someone who combines both styles into one successful approach.

The manager takes him under his wing and teaches him the secrets of effective leadership. The young man learns a lot from this experience, which he describes in detail. He also probes deeper into the Manager’s management style and philosophy until the Manager gives him a list of employees to speak with about their experiences working for him.

The book is then divided into three sections, one for each of the secrets. The first section talks about One Minute Goals, and it’s broken down by a series of employees who explain how they set goals with their manager. Each chapter has bullet points summarizing the conversation between them and him. This process continues throughout the book, interrupted only by occasional chapters in which he visits other departments or his boss to learn more about effective management techniques.

Initially, the young man was skeptical of One Minute Management. However, once he observed how it worked and talked to several employees who were successful at implementing its three secrets—the Manager’s candor, specific support for each employee and a genuine care for their success—he realized that it is an effective strategy. The Manager believes in empowering his employees by giving them what they need: appreciation and development into “winners.” With this approach, the Manager has built a system of productive workers who are satisfied with their jobs.

The story ends with the young man learning so much from his mentor that he becomes a great manager himself. He embodies the spirit of collaboration and management secrets he learned, helping his department succeed while also benefitting from it. The book then briefly describes how he applies what he learned to help him run a successful business.

Prologue: “A Message from the Authors”

The original One Minute Manager was published in 1982, but since then technology and globalization have changed the world. The authors of the book believe that leaders need to adapt their tactics for this new era by focusing on a side-by-side relationship with employees rather than a top-down approach. Everyone’s contributions are meaningful now, so everyone needs to be heard. In order to succeed in today’s workplace, readers should apply the Three Secrets of effective leadership as outlined in the original book.

Chapter 1: “The Search”

A young man travels the world to find out what makes a great business leader. He meets many people and categorizes them into two groups: tough managers who are very effective but arrogant, and nice managers who are not as successful but well-liked by their employees.