The One Minute Manager

On this 288 page motivational book Frank Pacetta fires up excellent ideas on leadership principles as well as in customer service and teamwork. Kenneth Blanchard, author of “The One Minute Manager” says: “A must-read for everyone who realizes that people are the most important resource in every organization. ” This book will show you the potential of the human spirit if highly motivated and well directed.

Some views the book as a sales and marketing guide because it is more inclined to and because sales and marketing is the author’s first application of the principles that he espouses but his ideas in general are applicable to organization of all types. It is a simple read because Pacetta used a lot of anecdotes. Most readers find the book a refreshing experience just like talking to a friend telling their true stories face to face. His points can be briefly summarized into: work hard, start early, work as a team, recognize employees who perform, and before you leave for the day, make one final effort.

Pacetta’s leadership principle includes techniques on: * How to develop trust and create loyalty * How to generate enthusiasm and excitement * How to establish feedback and accountability * How to rebuild an organization, and then lead and energize it * How to put the organization on top and keep it there year after year Early on the book, the author cites why most organizations fail. He said, “There are three reasons: deficiency in skills, lack of desire or poor leadership. Many times, probably most of the time, it is poor leadership. (Pacetta 1995)
The book is applicable in either a military or a non- military situation because it is practical. In order to achieve growth and success in all organizations be it military or non-military there must be continual improvement of processes, methods, tactics and leadership. All techniques are applicable to general situations. In every group it is always essential to build trust and create loyalty. Trust is the basic building block in any relationship. Most managers just give lip service to trust failing to see that trust is not a passive activity.
It is a very broad word and involves a lot of emotion. Once trust is built loyalty will slowly create itself. Happy people have more energy to achieve goals than those who are less happy. It is then imperative to keep enthusiasm and excitement burning in any group. Enthusiasm walks and talks. It will carry someone to distances not reached by inexperience or inability. It is one of the key ingredients to success because it is highly contagious. Feedback is an important element in effective communication. It is much so in an organization.
Lack of sufficient and relevant feedback often results to dissatisfaction and frustrations. People wants to know where they are and where to go next in terms of expectations and goals – the management, their own, and the whole organization. Feedback goes back to the very basic human needs – to improve, to compete, to be accurate. People want to be competent all the time. Feedback can be reinforcing if given properly and it is almost always appreciated making it an effective motivational tool. Even the Bible teaches us to be accountable.
With having people understand accountability, people know that they will get what they deserve. Behavior is controlled by its own consequences. It takes care of itself. Discipline is developed. If you want people to behave in a certain way and do perform as desired, simple – praise and reward people, if they don’t perform as desired, they need to be either redirected or reprimanded. The importance of accountability can’t be overstated and this goes in all types of organization. Pacetta espouse greatly on accountability.
The division that he was assigned with before he got in was at bottom, under motivated or simply struggling. But when Pacetta joined the team he created a coherent vision for all staff and managers alike and made sure that everyone understands holding each and everyone accountable to performance expectations. He is particular in setting expectations and achieving them, he believes in solid coaching and managerial involvement. He is an advocate of leadership being the most important ingredient in organizational success.
In order to maximize performance, Pacetta offers an impressive list of things to check on applicable to both managers and staff. He calls it the “Will to Win Checkup. ” This checklist can also be applied in a military or non-military set up. ? Do your people arrive late to work? ? Do they leave early? ? Is the activity level erratic or low in volume? ? Do they talk mostly about problems, disappointments or difficulties? ? Can they tell you what the competition is doing? ? Do they make the same mistakes repeatedly?
? Are you hearing praise from the customer, complaints or nothing at all? Another managerial tool the author shares is what he calls Major Suspect List Review or MSLR. It is a process where managers sit down with all of their staff and meticulously go through their account base, including potential customers. They throw in probing questions and determine how much the account will produce in the sales year and where strategic opportunities exist. This process is expected to asses the value of the account and determine the needs and even contingency in order to meet anticipated targets.
Pacetta further suggest that focus should be made on those accounts that require extra efforts to develop more business and less on those which are meeting targets. This will help one determine which needs priority. This MLSR can be modified to suit military and non-military groups. This is an effective way of getting down into the details of resources available, how they can be maximized, and what steps are needed to be taken. This is a very good aid in action planning and priority setting. Reference Pacetta, Frank, (1995) Don’t Fire Them, Fire Them Up Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition