THE ONE-MINUTE COACH

A long time ago in a Universe which now seems far, far away, Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson wrote a little book, The One Minute Manager (1981). As a matter of fact, the book was actually one of the very first (and one of the best) coaching books. Yes, I know it was for managers, and managerial skills, yet when you get into the book—it is all about coaching skills. It is about one minute goals, one minute praisings (feedback), and one minute reprimands (explanations). Amazing, don’t you think?

Start by listening. A young man asks, “How do you manage people?” The answer— “I listen while my people review and analyze what they accomplished last week, the problems they had, and what still needs to be accomplished. Then we develop plans and strategies for the next week.” (p. 17). Now if I didn’t know better, that sounds like a coaching session to me. What do you think? Whether it is managing or coaching—listening is the beginning place.