The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey

"The one-minute manager meets the monkey!" –
by Ken Blanchard, William Oncken Jr., and Hal Burrows.

The focus of the short book, which you can read in about three hours, is a manager, but it can also be applied to other life situations.

The book manages without scientific explanations and humorously shows the problem of executives who cannot hand over responsibility.

The anecdote starts with a new manager whose department is underperforming and who is working more and more while still is failing in his execution and keeps declining in his performance. He returns from a lunch with the so-called one-minute manager with an epiphany.

Zooming in on the problem, it becomes clear that the new manager is so busy that he is working overtime, as someone constantly wants something from him or needs something to get on with their work.

So the manager prefers to close the door to his office to avoid staff attacking him directly. And still, the workload is not getting less between all these meetings and assignments.

Struck by the wisdom of the one-minute manager, who explained that the new manager's responses are reactive rather than proactive and is only treating the symptoms, not fixing them. The one-minute manager further explains that executives who constantly fix the problems for their subordinates cause much more damage in companies because they hinder the growth of others.
He also shares with him that his problem are the monkeys.

The one-minute manager cites the typical monkey hike in the office corridor as an example of what he means.
An employee reported a problem while passing by the work floor. The manager says to himself: "yes, solving the problem is my job," and they listen to what the staff member has to say, making the manager late for the next meeting. However, the manager heard just enough to understand that the problem must be addressed.
The logical answer would be: "I don't have time right now, but I'll think about it and be a touch,"

and presto, the boss takes over the responsibility of the employee and even promises a report with the results.

So the monkeys have migrated from the employee's shoulder to the boss.
At this point in the book, everyone can ask themselves what kind of responsibility they take on that truly belongs to others.

Suppose it is your children, partner, or even parents. We make others dependent the more we regulate for them.
Taking people's initiative means nothing more than taking care of them and doing things for them that they can do themselves.
Unfortunately, the result is that they are then unable to do the actual important tasks.
Additionally, a lack of trust arises, employees start to feel belittled and lose motivation.

Understanding the negative results, the new manager decides to hand the monkeys back to his employees through one-on-one meetings. Undertanding the newly gained knowladge and putting it to practicem the new manager quickly realizes that he has time to think.
Soon he sees that his staff does not need him anymore. So the new manager has to cope with that first and then create new tasks,
such as planning, coordination, introducing innovations, or personnel development. His goal is now to have more time than the employees have in conversations.

If they lack time more often than he does, he rates it as a sign for their growth and development. Since the new manager now has more time, he also focuses on the four rules that lead to good monkey management.

Rule number one: Describe the monkey: the dialog must not end until appropriate “next moves” have been identified and specified. In other words, a monkey is the next thing that has to be done. So, ultimately, this monkey should be a topic during every joint conversation.

Rule number two: Assign the monkey: all monkeys shall be owned and handled at the lowest organizational level consistent with their welfare.
Or in other words, every monkey belongs to someone, so find an owner.

Rule number three: Ensure the monkey: every monkey leaving your presence on the back of one of your people must be covered by one of two insurance policies:
• Recommend, then act
• Act, then advise
For example, either the employee suggests something and then acts as agreed. Or the employee acts and then informs afterward. Of course, the latter would be the preferred way.

Rule number four: Check on the Monkey: Proper follow-up means healthier monkeys.
Every monkey should have a checkup appointment. The monkey needs an appointment, not for control but for celebrating success and coaching.

Delegating is the answer to the new manager's problem. Where in the past he managed the monkeys, he now lets his staff manage these four rules.
Conclusion: if you want to devote yourself to the really important tasks: don't be everybody's monkey sitter.

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