Running a successful dental practice requires many things: premises that need paying for and maintaining, fitting out equipment, ordering stock, marketing, finding patients and providing them with excellent dental care, taking on staff, and training them.
The list is endless, and it all requires your attention. Managing your team effectively when you’re already time-poor can be challenging.
This is the issue explored in “The One Minute Manager” by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, which introduces three core concepts: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praising, and One Minute Re-Directs. In this blog, we’ll summarise these ideas and discuss how implementing one minute strategies can enhance your leadership, even when time is limited.
What is a One Minute Manager?
In their book, Blanchard and Johnson explore three secrets of effective management, which they say can be achieved within 60 seconds.
These secrets are:
One Minute Goals
It is important that you, as a manager, work side-by-side with your employees to set goals that are clear, concise, specific, and measurable.
Clear objectives, agreed upon between you and the team member, help avoid confusion. However, as a manager, it is your role to set clear expectations and ensure the team members have everything they need to succeed. Do they know what a good job looks like? Do they have the skills needed to perform that job?
The book suggests that creating and analysing these goals need take no longer than 60 seconds per team member. Regularly reviewing goals helps keep people focused and allows goals to be amended so they remain relevant and consider any change in circumstance.
One Minute Praisings
When reviewing One Minute Goals, one of two outcomes will be Praise or Re-Directs.
Specific praise, a clear sentence recognising or rewarding those who have performed well, should be given to the team member as soon as possible. It shouldn’t take long: once again, the book suggests that praise should be delivered in just one minute.
When delivering praise, it’s critical to communicate clearly how you feel about their performance, allowing them time to reflect. End the session by encouraging your team member to continue in the same fashion, make it clear that you are confident in their abilities, and identify any actions they need to support them in their success.
One Minute Re-Directs
Sometimes, however, you might need to redirect a team member back towards their goals. This is not a ‘punishment’ or a ‘warning’ — instead, it’s a recognition that they are a valued team member and a gentle refocus towards your organisation’s priorities.
And what is the time frame for doing it? You guessed it—one minute.
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Final Thoughts
While the concept of ‘one minute’ may seem rigid, the principles of the One Minute Manager are designed to be flexible and adaptable to time-strapped dentists in the workplace. It’s not about a literal 60 seconds but about the efficiency and effectiveness of your management, which doesn’t need lengthy meetings but rather consistent blocks of short periods that encourage and guide your team members towards their goals.
However, a limitation of this approach is that it requires your organisational goals to be clear, and for each team member to be aware of their role, responsibilities, and personal objectives. The establishment of this criteria usually takes much more than one minute!
The One Minute Manager doesn’t suggest in earnest that managers are made in one minute, rather that small blocks of consistent check-ins and recognition can reward team members and create a work environment that is motivated and engaged.
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