The one minute manager
by Kenneth H. Blanchard, Spencer Johnson, Kenneth Blanchard · first published 1981
75% recommend17% neutral8% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, quick read that gives new managers a simple framework: one minute goals, praisings, and reprimands. Suits first-time managers and people who find it hard to give direction or feedback.
Common criticism: Some find its rules impersonal and the one minute reprimands condescending
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Details a simple, yet effective management system based on three fundamental strategies for earning raises, promotions, and power in business.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2020–2022Leadership Strategy and Tactics
Jocko Willink
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 33 recommend · 3 mention3 recommend · 33 recommend
![Cover of The Effective Manager [Paperback] Horstman,Mark](https://covers.hackerbooks.org/c/10207226.webp)
2016–2022The Effective Manager [Paperback] Horstman,Mark
Horstman,Mark, Matthew Dudley
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 44 recommend · 4 mention4 recommend · 44 recommend
2016–2020Leading
Alex Ferguson
Recommended by 3 · mentioned by 33 recommend · 3 mention3 recommend · 33 recommend
2009–2023Small unit leadership
Dandridge M. Malone
Recommended by 5 · mentioned by 65 recommend · 6 mention5 recommend · 65 recommend
Debugging Teams
Brian W. Fitzpatrick, Ben Collins-Sussman
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 84 recommend · 8 mention4 recommend · 84 recommend
2019–2025The Making of a Manager
Julie Zhuo
Recommended by 14 · mentioned by 1514 recommend · 15 mention14 recommend · 1514 recommend
2018–2026The coaching habit
Michael Bungay Stanier
Recommended by 11 · mentioned by 1211 recommend · 12 mention11 recommend · 1211 recommend
2012–2025The First 90 Days
Michael D. Watkins
Recommended by 20 · mentioned by 2120 recommend · 21 mention20 recommend · 2120 recommend
Let's see.. heres a few I'd recommend.... Good to Great by Jim Collins One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters
on “Ask HN: If you could recommend only three management books...” ↗Particularly for the non-programming roles, I recommend the One Minute Manager (http://www.amazon.com/The-Minute-Manager-Kenneth-Blanchard/d...). This was written long before agile became a "thing", but it was a way of managing effectively with very little effort. It's a bit dated…
on “Ask HN: Do you know any good books on management?” ↗One Minute Manager is such a short but worthy read! I think everyone should go through it (takes 30 minutes maybe?)
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗…company does not buy any unless specifically requested. I would recommend the following books: Never Split the Difference - we are always negotiating, I use things from this book on a daily basis. One Minute Manager - if you managing people this is a much simpler method. It is like the Kent Beck TDD of management rules in its simplicity. How to Win Friends and Influence People - classic, but very useful in soft…
on “Ask HN: What “soft skills” books does your company buy for developers and why?” ↗…(The tech side is a lot to go into in a thread, and would include some kind of conversation figuring out where you are technically. "I'm a SWE" doesn't begin to cover it.) Without any thought at all: - One Minute Manager - Debugging the development process - The Culture Code - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Difficult Conversations Take some negotiation and interviewing hands-on courses.
on “Ask HN: Books to read when you transform from SWE into SWE Management?” ↗High Tech Start Up - John L. Nesheim Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Moore One Minute Manager (but only if you've never had management experience)
on “Best Books For a Startup?” ↗The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck - great insight into the human condition One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson - concise and pithy while containing lots of useful pointers The Divine Center by Steven Covey - the spiritual grounding that informs his later more secular books…
on “Ask HN: What books have most influenced the way you see the world?” ↗--> One Minute Manager --> Hard things about hard things --> The Phenix Project --> Measure what matters
on “Ask HN: Favorite books on how to be a good manager?” ↗Can't recommend enough "The One Minute Manager" by Kenneth H. Blanchard. Clean read. Easy to understand principles. From what I remember and learnt: Limit meetings, define responsibilities, trust your people, focus on what has been done, going to…
on “Interviews with developers who became managers” ↗The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard. It's simple but effective and malleable once you've had some experience.
on “Ask HN: Best book / resources on leadership, especially for tech teams?” ↗Thanks all for suggestions on this thread. I have another recommendation. As a designer, the book that helped me a lot is — The one minute manager [1]. It talks about setting one minute goals, one minute praises, and one minute redirects. As a person, who often has issues telling people to do things, I like the flowchart approach it takes. [1]…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books for professional effectiveness?” ↗…be brutally honest with peer review, never bashful. Tell them what's not good enough, what you want, and why. It may be uncomfortable at first, but it will save everyone headaches later. 5. Read "The One Minute Manager". Then do it. 6. Be nice, have fun, and get shit done.
on “Ask HN: How to manage developers who aren't very good?” ↗…to do paid work, and enjoy fun projects with both chips, and or variants seen today. These are few and far between, but very enjoyable. Mostly perspective and nostalgia in these. It's my roots. The One Minute Manager parable has served me well mentoring and leading. On Writing by Stephen King. Being able to tell a story with clarity has far more utility than one would expect. Besides, I want to write a novel one…
on “Ask HN: What books do you keep on your desk?” ↗I really enjoyed The One Minute Manager book. Its a simple framework, and it is easy to remember.
on “Ask HN: What to do now I'm a manager?” ↗The most important job of an engineering manager is this one simple thing: TALK to your staff. The old book “The One Minute Manager” [1] (short and simple) I found to be good advice. “… three techniques and of an effective manager: one minute goals, one minute praisings, and one minute reprimands.” The key is to interact with staff…
on “Lessons for Engineers Exploring Engineering Management” ↗