What is Management?
The One Minute Manager is a very short book by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. The brief volume tells a story, recounting three techniques of an effective manager: one-minute goals, one-minute praising and one-minute redirects. Each of these takes only a minute but is of lasting benefit. Here’s a diagram which summarizes the key principles taught in the book:
As Peter Drucker put it, “the very best leaders are first and foremost effective managers.” Those who seek to lead but fail to manage will become either irrelevant or dangerous, not only to their organizations, but to society. To gather a deeper understanding of Management, I suggest reading his book titled “Management”.
The internet provides everyone with equal access to information and eliminates distance in the world economy. The rate of change is accelerating, and one can react to it, adapt to it, or become proactive and lead it - thus influencing future environmental trends. A highly inspired organization consists of people who are proactive in leading change by discerning the future that has already happened.
By taking advantage of emerging trends, executives should embrace the ongoing process of creative destruction that is characteristic of free and global markets. By doing so, these executives become change leaders. An organization that seeks to maintain status quo is already in decline.
Change leaders formulate entrepreneurial strategies and look for opportunities to apply these strategies. They also create an internal culture and set of management systems that encourage and reward innovation and entrepreneurship.
The most effective way to seize opportunities to manage the future that has already happened is to be proactive, take advantage of emerging trends, embrace change, and become a change leader. Management practices must change to fit these new realities of the global, knowledge-based information society.
