Mgt 3120 - Book Review: One Minute Manager

MGT 3120 – NET 1

Book Review 2

Kenneth H. Blanchard, Spencer Johnson

The One Minute Manager

Hardcover copy: HarperCollins Publishers

111pp. $22.99

9780688014292

Prior to my Fundamentals of Management class, I heard about this book but never actually took it upon myself to buy it. Since I wanted this book in my library, I purchased a hardcopy on Amazon for about $6. I was surprised at the size of the book (a little over 100 pages); in comparison to the 7 Habits read that was 4 times the size (it was still an enjoyable read). The size of this book worked well with my reading anxiety (I always want to get to the end), and because I heard about this book before I was actually excited to read this book. I ended up reading this book three times: twice at the beginning of the semester and once before writing this review. Why did I read this book multiple times? Well I could not believe that I gained all this information in such a short read. But as the book’s title and content suggest, being a one minute manager gives you a lot of time. The author, Kenneth Blanchard, is a management expert who has written and co-authored many books in the field. His co-author, Spencer Johnson, is a management consultant and a best-selling author. Both contributors to this book have a management background and have proven their depth of knowledge in management. This book may have been intended for managers in organizations, but the tools in this book may be applied in many areas of life, making it a book also for people who want to manage their life effectively. The One Minute Manger is divided into a couple of concise parts, each part flowing into the other, from introduction to implementation, telling an interesting story of the one minute manager.

The Search

The story starts with The Search; a young man trying to find an effective manager. He wanted to work for one and later on become one. He spoke with many managers and gained knowledge on how a lot of managers operate. He met the autocratic managers and the democratic managers, all partially effective in his mind. When he did find a few effective managers, they withheld their secrets. When this young man thought he would never experience and learn from an effective manager, he started hearing stories. Stories about a special manager nearby, who people liked working for, and they produce great results working for him. Curious to meet this special manager, he set up an appointment with his office secretary, who let the young man know that he was free at any time except Wednesday morning. The young man was puzzled yet fascinated as to how this manager had so much time on his hand. The story continues into The One Minute Manager.