In 2015 the book The One Minute Manager was updated to reflect the changing workplace. The key lessons still resonate today. If you apply these three secrets of the one-minute manager, you and your team will complete goals with more ease and you’ll also have more fun.

One-Minute Goals: If your team is working remote, collaboration and teamwork are more important than ever. While we can’t count on face to face in person meetings, using video calls can help. As a manager it’s important for you to ensure each person who reports to you is clear on their responsibilities. The manager and team need to agree on the most important goals. Then it’s up to you, the manager to set clear expectations to ensure the person knows what the job is. Lastly the parties should periodically check on progress. I recommend weekly or bi-monthly to ensure the behavior matches the goals.

One-Minute Praising: Regardless if the manager and employee work physically close to each other, it is important to catch people doing the right thing and praising them immediately. This second secret is one of the most powerful tools a leader or manager has at their fingertips. As soon as possible after you catch them doing something right, praise the person. Be specific, tell them how you feel about it. Pause, to give them time to feel good about what they did. Encourage them to do more of the same and make it clear you have confidence in them and support their success.

One-Minute Re-Directs: This third Secret has been updated from the original, One-Minute Reprimand. The world of work is in constant motion and change, it’s not appropriate to reprimand or punish a learner. If an employee makes a significant mistake or gets off track, you may need to provide them a One-Minute Re-Direct. Express how you feel about the mistake and its potential impact on the project or business. Remind them they are better than their mistake and that you think well of them as a person. You can remind them you have confidence in them and their abilities and support their success. Then understand, manager when the re-direct is over, it’s done. No need to continue to harp on the mistake.

As Leaders, Business Owners and Managers, you are navigating uncharted territory every day. The world of work and business is not the same as last year, nor will it ever be the same. By using these Three Secrets of the One-Minute Manager, you and your team will complete goals and stay on target to be successful and thrive in the new work world.

We help organizations with employee challenges every day. We’ve been doing this type of work for twenty-five plus years – we know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two. Give us a shout, we’d be delighted to work with you.