An Allegory on Management

The One Minute Manager is an allegorical writing. It is a book on management set in fiction. The book’s introduction calls it “a compilation of what many wise people have taught us and what we have learned ourselves.”

The Search For An Effective Manager

The One Minute Manager follows the search of a bright young man, its main character, for an effective manager. The young man had interviewed managers of reputable businesses, government administrators, military officers, and others, on how they managed. He encountered different kinds of managers – autocrats, hard-nosed managers, tough managers, realistic managers, Profit-minded managers, and several other types.

While the various managers and their management approach had its merits, each also clearly had some strong demerits. It looked as if there were only two options – either be a people oriented manager, or a result oriented manager.

The young man realised that an effective manager would be both people and result oriented. “Effective Managers manage themselves and the people they work with so that both the organisation and the people profit from their presence.”

Journey of Discovery

The young man started hearing rumours of such a ‘special’ manager. When he found this special manager, he wanted to know everything about how he was able to manage so effectively. The manager, who is referred to as the One Minute Manager, sent the young man on a journey of discovering the three secrets of the One Minute Manager.