The One Minute Manager

Originally Posted by ummaziza

the goal is recorded on one single page - taking no more than 250 to express. They each keep a copy and periodically check the progress. There are one-page goal statements for every goal and there is an 80-20 rule.
So the goal setting is only done on that 20%, as that is the key area of responsibility, usally creating 3-6 goals in all.

There are no surprises - everyone knows what is expected from the beginning. Once the employer is certain that the goals of the job are understood, he also ensures the employee knows what good performance is - performance standards are made clear.

Hmm...im gonna try this in YM

Originally Posted by ummaziza

One Minute Goal: "Identify performance problems and come up with solutions which, when implemented, will turn the situation around"

Mr. Trenell explained how he saw that there was a problem that needed to be solved when he first started working for the company. He called the One Minute Manager and said "Sir, I have a problem." Immediately the One Minute Manager responded, "Good, that is what you've been hired to solve." He said no more.

The manager did agree to talk to Trenell (since he was new at the time) and he asked him to explain his problem in observable, measurable terms. He then forced Trenell to tell him what he would like to happen in the same behavioral terms. When Trenell couldn't do this, the manager responded "If you can't tell me what you'd like to be happening, you don't have problem yet. You are just complaining."



So the key to most any problem is finding the difference between the actual and the desired.

Nice. Making the workers mind work

JazakumAllahu khairun for your kind words all. Do you wanna get involved and make this an interactive summary?

Problem Identification Exercise

Directions: "Work Backwards" to find the problem that each of the following solutions might solve. Example:
Solution - Complete all Quranic reading, studying by and reviewing before the children arrive home from school.
Problem - Quranic study is consistently interrupted by the children who need to be fed, helped with homework and interacted with after their busy day away from home.


Now you try it, give the problem that these solutions would solve:

Solution 1: Give volunteers small, non-essential tasks that will not affect the operation of the business or crucial deadlines should they not deliver on their assignments.

What is the problem associated with Solution 1?



Solution 2: Have a "position evaluation" meeting with each offending staff member, during which a review of their (original) job descriptions will be performed, giving them an opportunity to ask questions, state work-related circumstances that affect their work and notify you of any personal issues that may be conflicting with work. Make them aware that they are being observed for elimination so that they may have a fair chance to re-market themselves to you and confirm their commitment to the mission of the company.

What is the problem to Solution 2?



Solution 3: Establish Sunday as the designated laundry day on which all clothes are washed, dried and put away. Lay out clothes for the week on Sundays having ironed them or retreived them from the cleaners before Monday morning.

What is the problem for Solution 3?

Solution Identification Exercise

Directions: Find the solution to each of the problems below. Please note that each problem has been stated using behavioral terms (i.e. measurable, observable), as suggested by the One Minute Manager.

Example:
Problem - When my friend and I have our daily conversations on the phone, we end up back-biting our spouses (e.g. saying things about them that we know they would not like if they heard it) in an effort to give marital advice to one another. This has happened three times now. We both know that it is wrong but fall into the trap every time.
Solution - Dont have daily phone conversations with the friend -or-
Dont ask each other for marital advice, in fact, go to a religious leader or other respected person instead -or-
Continue as you are, just stop to warn each other about back-biting once it is clear that it is about to happen.


Now, you try it. Identify possible solutions to the following problems:

Problem 1: For six months now, at the end of the month, we are always nearly out of groceries and I have no personal money to buy any. I feel ashamed to ask my husband for more money before my monthly house-allowance is due because he has to take from our savings to give me more money.

What is a possible solution?



Problem 2: My company has recently had six calls from perspective clients but they were all afraid to use our services because we do not have any past client references to provide. We are good at what we do, but we have not had any "real" clients to refer them to. The two companies we've done work for owe us money and do not want to pay us what they owe, we are afraid they may give us a bad reference.

What is a possible solution to this problem?




Problem 3: There are two other Muslims who work for my company. Each Ramadhan we make it a point to spend time together. I would love to spend more time and get to know Muslim A. But they are friends with Muslim B and Muslim B is a follower of a deviant sect that believes there was a Prophet after the Prophet Muhammad (sws). I could really benefit from having another coworker to pray and each lunch with, but I am not too comfortable with Muslim B. In the past, Muslim A became offended when I suggested that we go to lunch without Muslim B.

What is the solution to this problem?


Please note: I made these problems up, they are not my own or anyone's I know.

One Minute Praisings

Trenell assured the young man that the One Minute Goal Setting works. "I have alot more time now, I'm becoming a One Minute Manager!" The young man asked Trenell to fill him in on the next two secrets, but he declined, referring him to the next employee, Mr.Levy. He somehow knew that an appointment had already been set for the young man to speak with Mr. Levy...


As the young man left, he was struck by the simplicity of what he had heard. It made sense that an effective manager has to make his people aware of exactly what they are being asked to do. One Minute Goal-Setting was a very efficient way to make this happen.

Mr. Levy was a young man, in his late 20's or early 30's. Like Mr. Trenell, Mr. Levy referred to the One Minute Manager as the "ole man, who is quite a guy". The level of respect that they had for him was very obvious. As they began to talk, the conversation was very similar to the one he had had with Mr. Trenell, except Mr. Levy was referring to the "One Minute Praisings" philosophy, which is given at the beginning of each new task.

Mr. Levy explained how things were when he first started, the One Minute Manager had informed him of what he wanted him to do and encouraged him by telling him that he wanted him to succeed, be a big help to the organization and enjoy his work. The One Minute Manager would therefore try to tell him "in no uncertain terms" when he was doing well and when he was doing poorly. The One Minute manager also warned that at first it might not be very comfortable for either of them because most managers dont manage that way and people are not used to it. But, he assured, such feedback would be a big help!

When Mr. Levy completed his first goal-setting exercise and began his work, he noticed that the One Minute Manager was never too far away. He maintained close contact and made Mr. Levy keep detailed records of his progress and send them to the manager. At first Mr. Levy thought that this measure was done out of mistrust for him, but he soon realized that the One Minute Manager was simply trying to catch him doing something right. Here is one of the One Minute Manager mottos:

Help People Reach Their Full Potential, Catch Them Doing Something Right

Reader's comments

- You are like the company you keep. Look at your friends and you will see yourself...

- Praise goes a long way, though people are not always used to getting it.

- When you do things well, and expect the same from others, you are in the minority. Most people are conditioned to accept less than satisfactory performance and enthusiasm.

Here's a true story: A sister-friend of mine went for a job interview for a position that she was essentially over-educated for. She has no work experience because she married right out of college and had several children - she had no need to seek employment until her husband took a lower paying job. Something interesting happened during her interview and I, as her friend, heard the situation from both her side and that of the hiring manager that she went to see.

The hiring manager told me that my friend made her feel uncomfortable during the interview. I asked why, and was told

"She took too many notes and asked too many questions. Since she was a friend of yours I was trying to give her helpful information about the "inside track" and warn her about things that I would be watching for as a manager. It got to the point that at times, I had to tell her "Please dont quote me on this." She was too eager and too focused. She didn't even notice that I was trying to help her out."

I was surprised to hear this because the hiring manager had complained in the past about her employees having a lack of enthusiasm for the position, exhibiting unprofessional conduct and being generally lackadaisical about the job. I said nothing in response, and the hiring manager and I did not discuss it any further.

Later, my sister-friend called me and informed me that she was offered the position despite the fact that she had no experience and knew nothing of the field. She said she was proud of herself because she thought she interviewed well. She said,

"Alhumdulilah, I am so happy that I gave it my all. Although I knew that I would probably get the job because I know you (She meant me, I told her about the job and I introduced her to the hiring manager), I still did everything that I know is right to do before an interview. I looked on the company's website, I did research into the company's issues and I asked alot of pertinent questions during the interview."

I listened, not letting on that her preparedness is the very thing that could have costed her the job. She went on...

"During the interview I tried to be very engaging and I took alot of notes. I am sure the hiring manager was impressed with that. MashaAllah. I can't wait to start the job, I am going to really tried hard to go far in the company."

Imagine how I felt when she said this. She was right, people do notice, but they are not always impressed. This was a perfect example of that.

Although the hiring manager was displeased by the attitude that many interviewees had shown, she had become conditioned to expect less than what she wanted. Such that she she couldn't step out of her conditioning and recognize when she saw the behavior that she wanted to see.

As for the employee, it would have helped for her to take a moment to survey the situation and notice that the hiring manager was taking a casual approach to things. Being prepared also means being able to change modes if necessary.


Home Notes

- Dont always watch for bad behaviour from children...if you look for what is bad all the time, that is all you will see.

- Younger people respect you when you respect and value them.

Personal Note to Share: My grandmother is an example of this. She has Alzheimers. Her condition seems to worsen every day (literally). She's losing her short-term memory aggressively and seems to reach back into the past more than she is in the present. In some ways this is pleasant because some of her personality traits seem to be more prevalent now (perhaps because her mind is reaching back to a time when she was sharper). Its kind of paradoxical, I know.

One aspect that is clearer to me - she's a "One Minute Praiser". You can always count on her to notice something good about you...Even when she reprimands she never tears you down. It actually takes you a minute to figure out that she is displeased because her chastizement is cushioned with niceties. I can never remember a time when she didn't make me feel special. My respect for her is so strong because she's always let me know that she respects and appreciates me.

Here are examples of her one-minute praisings:
She doesn't just ask about the children, she says "How are those intelligent children of yours?". She won't just say how is your husband, she says "Your husband is such a sweet young man, how is he fairing?" When I tell her what I've been up to she says "That's so nice. You've always found clever things to do with yourself" These small praisings mean a lot.

Alhumdulilah, she hasnt lost this - even if she is forgetting details about my life (she asked me what grade I was in the other day and I've been out of high school over ten years)- she still finds a way to make me feel nice. I pray that I can continue this legacy for my children bi idthnillah.

this is absolutely excellent mashallahh

Bismillaah.

Assalaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu.

Masha Allah tabaarak Allah, wa Jazaaki Allahu khairan, ummaziza. I am really benefitting from this, Al Hamdulillaah ta'aala. Baarak Allahu feeki.

Mr. Levy continued -

In most organizations the managers spend their time catching people doing something wrong. Here, we put the accent on the positive. We catch people doing something right.

Mr. Levy explained that when an employee does something right, they get a One Minute Praising which includes:

:01 Minute Praisings

1. Tell people up front that you are going to let them know how they are doing.
2. Praise people immediately.
3. Tell people what they did right- be specific.
4. Tell peoplke how good you feel about what they did right, and how it helps the organization and the other people who work there.
5. Stop for a moment of silence to let them "feel" how you feel.
6. Encourage them to do more of the same.
7. Shake hands or touch people in a way that makes it clear that you support their success in the organization.

The One Minute Manager only makes "contact" with an employee if a situation requires him to. He looks you straigne in the eye and shares how he feels about what you did and it makes you feel really good. He is very consistent and his praisings happen regardless of how things are going for him elsewhere. If the organization on the whole is doing badly he doesnt take this fact out on you...he responds to where you are, not just according to where he is or where the company is.

The praisings dont take up alot of the manager's time because he doesnt praise the person for very long - just one minute lets them know they are noticed and he cares. The One Minute Manager only does these praisings when the person has just started to work or at the beginning of a new project or responsibility. After that, he isn't around much because after awhile you begin to catch yourself doing things right and you start to praise yourself. Also, you are always wondering when he might praise you again and that keeps you going.

Reader Comments
- This methodology should really help to solve a particular problem that I've noticed in business. Most companies and organizations have really good people that work hard consistently and really believe in the established goals. Unfortunately, when the organization hits rough patches or have long droughts of under-performance, these good employees are ignored and their efforts are seen as not good enough. Good people give up and become bad employees simply because their performance was viewed within the scope of the larger organization's.

I hate the "we are a team" concept! I think American companies especially have taken this notion too far. People work individually (even when they are in a team) and the company may not always reflect the individual efforts. I am always wary of job notices that require one to "work well individually as well as in a team". What does this mean? When I am assigned to work on a task with others am I supposed to have a different work ethic? What are your thoughts on this?

[asheikh]

MashaAllah, I'm really enjoying this so far. And I thnk its true, the "team" concept is good to an extent, but i think its true everyone has their own strengths. I think its also important for people to realize what strengths each member of their team has (whether that team is a Da'wah project, or a family) and treat each member to their capacities.

The next morning the young man went to the company's headquarters to visit Ms. Gomez. As an official in the main office, he knew that Ms. Gomez would be able to verify the One Minute Manager's effectiveness in clear, unbiased terms. He met a competent-looking woman in her early 40's. He asked her

"Could you please tell me what is the most efficient and effective of all of your operations countrywide? I want to compare it with the so-called One Minute Managers"

A moment later, he laughed as he heard her say "Well, you wont have to look very far because it is the One Minute Manager's, he's quite a guy isnt he? His operation is the most efficient and effective of all of our plants!"

"Does he have the best equipment?"

"No, in fact he's got some of the oldest:

"Well there's got to be something wrong there - does he have alot of turnover?"

"Yes, in fact he does have a lot of turnover"

"Aha! What happens to those fols when they leave the One Minute Manager?"

"We give them their own operation. After two years with him, who needs a manager? He is our best trainer of people. Whenever we have an opening and need a good manager, we call him. He always has somebody who is ready."

The young man was truly amazed. Ms. Gomez comment about how she was glad that she could help him today because her schedule for the rest of the week is jammed packed. She wanted to know the One Minute Managers secrets and said that she had been meaning to go see him, but she had'nt found the time.

The young man volunteered to give her the information that he learned and she responded, "that would be a precious gift."



Reader's Comments

- People spend alot of precious energy trying to disprove things, or find fault in something. Life would be much simpler if they simply took and used information as they found it. Why is it so important to prove people wrong...or find something negative about a person?

- Have you seen someone that needs a course in the "One Minute Manager" philosophy lately? I have. I know I must have sounded pretty arrogant, but I just had to tell one lady I dealt with recently about the concept.

After we'd played phone tag with her support staff saying "Sorry she's not available she's in a meeting" and she kept saying "Sorry I couldnt get back with you, I have so much going on" and nearly every question I asked her reply being "I cant put my hands on that information right now, I'll need to get back with you" I knew she would benefit from the One Minute Manager concept.

I said "I am going to give you a gift- there are some wonderful books that I think you could benefit from." I told her about the books (One Minute Manager series and How to Run Meetings in 1/2 the Time), but I really couldnt get into much because...guess what....she was late for a meeting!

Like Ms. Gomez, sometimes people can't benefit from new information that might help them because they just can't take time out from their current befuddlement.

Lesson: Pause and stick your head out every now and then to be sure you're not missing any good stuff that may be passing by.

One Minute Reprimand

The next morning he arrived at Ms. Brown's office at the stroke of nine. A very smartly dressed woman in her late 50's greeted him. He got the usual "He's quite a guy isn't he" and by now the young man could sincerely say..."Yes, he is!"

Of course he asked the same questions...and received the same answers. The One Minute Manager concept was true and she hardly ever saw him outside of their regular weekly meeting. But, she added, she does see him when she does something wrong. The young man thought he had discovered a fault - so he pounced. "I thought the key motto around here was catching people doing things right", he said. "It is, but I've been working here a long time so he doesnt have to spend much time with me on goal setting, in fact I usually write mine out and send them over to him - each being on one sheet of paper, less than 250 words and taking him only a minute to read."

She explained to the young man that she does most of her own "One Minute Praisings" she loves her work and believes that if you aren't for yourself, who is? Her motto was "If you dont blow your own horn, someone else will use it as spittoon." So the manager rarely had to praise her...she usually beat him to the punch. If she made a significant mistake however he would give her a One Minute Reprimand.

Like One Minute Praisings, it is a very simple concept. If someone has been doing their job for sometime and they know how things are supposed to work and they make a mistake, the One Minute Manager is quick to respond. As soon as he has learned of the mistake he confirms the facts, makes contact, looks the person straight in the eye and tells them precisely what they did wrong. Then he shares with them what he feels about it - whether he is angry, annoyed, frustrated or whatever he's feeling. It only takes about 30 seconds- but it feels like forever.

The young man reflected on his intial visit with the One Minute Manager, he too had received a One Minute Reprimand. The manager had effectively told him that he was annoyed by the young man's indecision - then, he let it sink in with a few seconds of silence. That is the key to the process. It makes one think twice.

The One Minute Reprimand lets the employee know that the manager is on top of things and that sloppiness is not tolerated. This is crucial to the One Minute Manager concept because it is important to know that although you rarely see him, he knows what is going on. Another important aspect is that he doesnt attack the employee as a person, only the behavior. It is easier then for the employee not to become defensive. The process is consistent and fair.

The young man couldnt believe the entire process would only take one minute. Ms. Brown confirmed the one minute duration and also said "When it's over, it's over" It doesnt last long but you dont forget it and rarely make the same mistake twice.

The young man began to wonder if the One Minute Manager ever made a mistake himself. Ms. Brown said that he does, but he has a good sense of humor so he laughs at himself. The manager also teaches his employees the value of laughing at themselves. It helps them get on with their work.

The young man asked another question but Ms. Brown politely walked him to the door and said "I'll let you ask the One Minute Manager." As he walked into the hall he realized how little time he had spent with her, yet how much information he had gained.

:01 Reprimand works well when you:

1. Tell people beforehand that you are going to let them know how they are doing in no uncertain terms.

2. Reprimand people immediately.

3. Tell people what they did wrong- be specific.

4. Tell people how you feel about what they did wrong - using concrete terms.

5. Stop for a few seconds of uncomfortable silence to let them feel how you feel.

6. Shake hands, or touch them in a way that lets them know that you are honestly on their side.

7. Remind them how much you value them.

8. Reaffirm that you think well of them but not of their performance in this situation.

9. Realize that when the reprimand is over, its over.


Reader's Comments

- Notice how he always makes note of the person's appearance, I am sure this factors a great deal into how much he values their opinion and input.

Sometimes I think we miss the importance of looking nice. This doesn't contradict modesty. At least we can look polished, well-ironed and clean.

A dear friend of mine doesnt know that she endeared herself to me for life by chastizing me about this once. She came to visit me and we were discussing a jilbab we both saw that I was considering to buy. I commented that I loved the one I had already because I could "just throw it on over my home clothes, it was dark so it didnt show stains and it didnt need ironing, so I loved the convenience of it". She smiled and politely remarked "Sister, you look like you dressed for convenience too."

I was taken aback because I never thought of how people perceived me in my dress, I just thought because it was loose enough and covered well that it was all I had to worry about. Well, needless to say this got me to thinking. I took out the abaya and realized a couple of things about it...It had dust-packed rips and tears along the bottom, that I had noticed but thought no one else would, it had stains that I also knew about but ignored because the baby would only get me dirty again anyway, and it was terribly wrinkled because I never bothered to iron it. My mind raced and I thought of all the times that people stared at me when I went out...perhaps they were looking at how unkept I looked, maybe it wasnt the niqab that made them stare! Naievely I always thought I looked graceful and sophisticated in my garb, but when I put my "convenient" dress on in the mirror I saw that I looked like something else entirely - something that wasnt becoming of a Muslim at all.

I also thought about my dawah efforts and how before I accepted Islam, I wouldn't give someone who didnt care about their appearance the time of day - let alone listen to how I should accept their lifestyle. But when I accepted modesty as a lifestyle I subconsciously killed the part of myself that cared about how people perceived me.

Speaking of dawah - Can you imagine walking up to some young college chick whose only care in life is her looks and telling her that you want to invite her to let herself go? While you would never actually say "let yourself go" . If you wore torn, dirty, wrinkled clothes no matter what came out of your mouth she would hear "Muslim women are tacky. Be Muslim. Be Tacky". People see before they hear.

Then I began to make excuses for myself and I said, every woman must go through a period when their focus is not on how nice they look because of the kids. My theory was shattered when later I went to the store, and looked around to find other Mommies in the store who were not flashy or immodest - but CLEAN! Finally, I remembered the Prophet's (sws) example and that of his wives and how it is clear that they were very aware of their appearances - despite what their life-circumstances were. Like them, may Allah be pleased with them, all I had to do was mend my garment, wash it often and care about how I presented myself. Theirs was the best example.
I came to terms with the fact that while my intent to be modest was a good thing, it did not justify or excuse my sloppiness!

BTW, my friend's advice probably worked so well because it was a very effective One Minute Reprimand. She didnt belabor the point, didn't dwell on the issue and she never mentioned it again. May Allah reward her and all those who give sincere naseehah to their fellow Muslims. Ameen.