WHEN the young man arrived at the Manager’s office, he found him looking out the window. The Manager turned and invited him to sit down. “What can I do for you?”
“I’ve heard great things about you and would like to know more about the way you manage.”
“Well, we’re using our proven methods in several new ways to deal with all the changes that are happening, but we can get to that later. Let’s begin with the basics.
“We used to be a top-down managed company, which worked in its time. But today that structure is too slow. It doesn’t inspire people and it stifles innovation. Customers demand quicker service and better products, so we need everyone to contribute their talent. The brainpower isn’t only in the executive office—it can be found throughout the organization.
“Since speed is a currency of success now, leading with collaboration is far more effective than the old command-and-control system.”
“How do you lead with collaboration?”
“I meet with our team once a week on Wednesday mornings—that’s why I couldn’t meet with you then. At those meetings I listen as our group reviews and analyzes what they achieved the previous week, the problems they had, what remains to be accomplished, and their plans and strategies to get those things done.”
“Are the decisions made at those meetings binding on both you and your team?”
“Yes, they are. The purpose of the meeting is for people to participate in making key decisions about what they’re going to do next.”
“Then you’re a participative manager, aren’t you?” asked the young man.
“Not really. I believe in facilitating, but not in participating in making other people’s decisions.”
“Then what is the purpose of your meetings?”
“Didn’t I just tell you that?”
The young man felt uncomfortable and wished he hadn’t made that mistake.
The Manager paused and took a breath. “We’re here to get results. By drawing on the talents of everyone, we’re a lot more productive.”
“Oh, so you’re more results-oriented than people-oriented.”
The Manager got to his feet and began to walk about. “To succeed sooner, managers must be both results-oriented and people-oriented.
“How on earth can we get results if it’s not through people? So I care about people and results, because they go hand in hand.
“Take a look at this.” The Manager pointed to his computer. “I keep this as my screen saver to remind me of a practical truth.”
*
People Who Feel
Good About
Themselves
Produce
Good Results.
*
As the young man looked at the screen, the Manager said, “Think about yourself. When do you work best? Is it when you feel good about yourself? Or when you don’t?”
The young man nodded as he began to see the obvious. “I get more done when I’m feeling good about myself.”
“Of course you do, and so does everyone else.”
“So,” the visitor said, “helping people feel good about themselves is a key to productivity.”
“Yes. However, remember—productivity is more than just the quantity of work done. It is also the quality.” He walked over to the window and said, “Look at this.”
When the young man reached the window, the Manager pointed to a restaurant below. “Do you see how many customers that restaurant has?”
The young man saw people lined up outside the restaurant door. “Must be a good location for a restaurant,” he observed.
The Manager asked, “If that’s true, why aren’t people lined up in front of the other restaurant two doors away? Why do people want to eat at the first restaurant and not at the second?”
The young man replied, “Because the food and service are better?”
“Yes. It’s pretty simple. Without giving people a quality product and the service they want, you won’t stay in business for long.
“It’s easy to miss the obvious. The best way to achieve these successful results is with people! It’s the people in the best restaurants that are creating their success.”
This piqued the young man’s interest. As they sat back down, he said, “You’ve already stated that you’re not a participative manager. Just how would you describe yourself?”
“They call me a New One Minute Manager.”
The young man’s face showed surprise. “A what?”
The Manager laughed and said, “They call me that because we’re finding new ways to get great results in very little time.”
Although the young man had spoken with many managers, he had never heard one talk like this. It was hard to believe—someone who gets good results without taking a lot of time.
Seeing the doubt on the young man’s face, the Manager said, “You don’t believe it, do you?”
“I must admit it’s hard for me even to imagine.”
The Manager laughed and said, “Listen, if you really want to know what kind of manager I am, why don’t you talk with some of the people on our team?”
The Manager turned to his computer, printed out a list, and gave it to the young man. “Those are the names, positions, and phone numbers of the six people who report to me.”
“Which ones should I talk to?” the young man asked.
“That’s your decision. Pick any name. Talk to any one of them or all of them.”
“Well, I mean, who should I start with?”
“As I said earlier, I don’t make decisions for other people,” the Manager said firmly. “Make that decision yourself.” Then he was quiet for what seemed like a long moment.
The young man started to feel uncomfortable, and wished he hadn’t asked the Manager to make a decision for him that he could’ve made himself.
The Manager stood up and walked his visitor to the door. “You want to know about leading and managing people, and I admire that.
“If you have any questions after talking with some of the people on our team,” he added, “come back and see me.
“I would, in fact, like to give you the concept of One Minute Management as a gift. Someone gave it to me once and it’s made a big difference. When you come to understand it, you may want to become a manager yourself someday.”
“Thank you,” the young man said.
As he left the office, he passed Courtney, the Manager’s assistant.
She said, “I can see from your thoughtful expression that you’ve already experienced our Manager.”
The young man, still trying to figure things out, said, “I guess I have.”
“Is there any way I can help you?” she asked.
“Yes, there is. He gave me this list of people I might talk to.”
She looked at the list. “Three of these people are traveling this week. However, Teresa Lee, Paul Trenell, and Jon Levy are here today. I’ll phone ahead and help you get in to see them.”
“I’d appreciate it,” said the young man.