دومین راز: تشویق های یک دقیقه ای

The Second Secret: One Minute Praisings

AS the young man left Teresa’s office, he was struck by the simplicity of what he’d heard. He thought, It makes sense. After all, how can you be an effective manager unless you and your team are clear about goals and what good performance looks like?

When he got to Paul Trenell’s office, he was surprised to meet someone so young. Paul was in his late twenties or early thirties.

“So you’ve been to see our Manager. He’s quite a guy, isn’t he?” The young man was already getting used to the Manager being called “quite a guy.” “I guess he is.”

“Did he tell you about how he manages?”

“He did. Is it true?” asked the young man, wondering if he’d get a different answer from Teresa’s.

“It sure is. My boss at the last place I worked was a micromanager, but our New One Minute Manager doesn’t believe in that style.” “You mean you don’t get help from him?”

“Not as much as I did when I was first learning. He trusts me more now.

“However, he spends a good amount of time with me at the beginning of a new project or responsibility.” “Yes, I just learned about setting One Minute Goals,” interjected the young man.

“Actually, I wasn’t thinking about One Minute Goals. I was referring to One Minute Praisings.” “One Minute Praisings? Is that the Second Secret?” “Yes. In fact, when I first started to work here, my Manager made it very clear to me what he was going to do.” “What was that?”

“He said it would be a lot easier for me to do well if he gave me crystal-clear feedback on how I was doing. He said it would help me succeed—that I had talent and he wanted to keep me. He also wanted me to enjoy my work and to be a big help to the organization.

“Then he said he would let me know in very specific terms when I was doing well and when I wasn’t. He cautioned me that it might not be very comfortable at first for either of us.” “Why?”

“Because, as he pointed out to me then, most managers don’t manage that way. He assured me that if succeeding in my job was important to me, I would soon realize that feedback is an invaluable tool.” “Can you give me an example of what you’re talking about?” “Sure,” Paul replied. “When I started working here, I noticed that after my Manager and I set our One Minute Goals, he stayed in close contact.” “How did he do that?”

“Two ways. First, he observed my activities. Even if he was far away, he would look at various data that showed how I was doing. Second, he required me to send him reports of my progress.” “How did you feel about that?”

“At first, it was unsettling. Then I recalled that he’d said he would be watching me in the beginning in order to catch me doing something right.” “Catch you doing something right?” said the young man.

“Yes. We have a saying around here that every manager lives by.”

help people reach their full potential. catch them doing something right.

the young man had never heard of a manager doing that, even though he had met many managers.

paul continued: in most organizations the manager spend most of their time catching people doing what.

A ONE MINUTE PRAISING WORKS WELL WHEN YOU:

THE FIRST HALF-MINUTE

1. Praise people as soon as possible.

2. Let people know what they did right—be specific.

3. Tell people how good you feel about what they did right, and how it helps.

PAUSE

1. Pause for a moment to allow people time to feel good about what they’ve done.

THE SECOND HALF-MINUTE

1. Encourage them to do more of the same.

2. Make it clear you have confidence in them and support their success.

“So, if One Minute Goals and Praisings are the First and Second Secrets, may I ask what the Third Secret is?” Paul rose from his chair. “Maybe you’d like to ask Jon Levy that. I understand you’re planning to talk with him next.” “Yes, I am. I want to thank you so much for your time.” “That’s OK. Time is one thing I have more of. You see, I’m becoming a New One Minute Manager myself.” The visitor nodded. This was not the first time he’d heard that in this organization.

He left the building and took a walk among the trees nearby to think about what he was discovering.

He was struck again by the common sense and simplicity of what he had heard. How can you argue with the effectiveness of catching people doing something right? the young man thought. Isn’t that what everyone would like to experience?

But do One Minute Praisings really work? he wondered. Does this One Minute Management stuff really get bottom-line results?

As he walked along, his curiosity about results increased. So he returned to the Manager’s assistant and asked if it would be possible to reschedule his appointment with Jon Levy for sometime the next morning. He explained that before he talked to Jon, he wanted to speak with someone who would have information on all the different divisions in the company.

“Jon says tomorrow morning is fine,” Courtney said as she hung up the phone.

Then she called downtown and made the new appointment the young man had requested. He was to see Liz Aquino. Courtney said, “I’m confident she will be able to give you the data you’re looking for.” He thanked her and, feeling hungry, went across the street to have something to eat and to prepare for his next meeting.