37 pages • 1 hour read
Spencer Johnson, Ken BlanchardThe New One Minute Manager
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Key Figures
Themes
Index of Terms
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaKey Figures
The Young Man
He is the key figure in our story, acting as a guide and mirror for the reader. The emphasis on his youth and inexperience—but also his inquisitive nature—are critical aspects of his characterization as a developing learner. As in many parables, the story requires an example like him—someone who hasn’t mastered the lessons being preached but will embody every teaching in the end. He is initially resistant and pushes back in small ways, but he is eager to learn and grow. His questions and search for answers eventually allow him to convert from a nonbeliever into a believer of One Minute Management, encouraging readers that we, too, can be successful with these Secrets.
The Manager
A loved and respected figure, the Manager represents the source of all information in this text. As is common in traditional parables that deal with imparting wisdom, he is the holy, all-knowing source of information who is worshipped by his followers. His compassion and desire to share his faith with others are core components of his teachings. Much like a messiah, he brings prosperity to those who listen. He has no discernable flaws, and his humility allows him to joke about his shortcomings, which further convinces us as readers that he is well-rounded and worthy of our attention.
The Employees
A team of employees—Teresa, Paul, and Jon—play minor roles in communicating each of the Manager’s principles to the young man, affirming their leader’s claims. They are loyal, enthusiastic, satisfied, and invested in the Manager’s leadership, demonstrating that his philosophy is effective. Each one helps deepen our understanding of the Three Secrets: One Minute Goals with Teresa, One Minute Praisings with Paul, and One Minute Re-Directs with Jon. Without them, the parable would fall flat as the Manager would have to explain everything to the young man. With the addition of these peripheral characters, the parable takes on a litany of voices who join the choir of preaching about the Manager’s lessons.
In effect, the Manager becomes more credible because his mantra has a following of believers. In contrast, Liz—an employee from another department—is aware of the Manager’s effectiveness but never gets to work with him directly; as a result, she is less successful in her job because she lacks the tools that the Manager famously provides to his team. She wants to learn from him but cannot, furthering his status as an expert in his field. At the end of the story, the young man shares his knowledge with Liz and she, too, benefits from the Secrets.
The New One Minute Manager
By the end of the parable, the young man converts from mere visitor to insider, to “aspiring” manager, and eventually to the New One Minute Manager. Though he is the same character from before, he has been altered by the information shared with him. He is more confident, more knowledgeable, and more capable, infusing others with the same passion and guidance that the original Manager passed onto him. By applying the Three Secrets and putting his own twist to them—making the flowchart, for example—he both uses and modifies the information to his needs. He is a version of the former Manager but can be himself, which leads him to a fulfilling and happy career.
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