Customer Reviews
Shockingly bad... - By: L. E Passey, 29 Dec 2008 
I found the one minute manager book useful..but this is shockingly bad. Its full of anecdotes from some american coachin football & baseball...come on..what has this got to do with the business environment. Im really annoyed that i have lined someones pocket with this drivel....if only i had read the reviews. Of course, if you are an american, you will probably relate to some of the bull...
Little Book with a lot of Knowledge - By: Geoff Settle, 13 Dec 2004 
As soon as I saw the title I knew that I must buy it not only for myself but also for my son who is starting out on a career of as a coach.
Nick isn't the greatest readerin the world but as soon as he saw the layout he said that's more like a book for me with the clear statements on most facing pages.
It follows a tried & tested formula but this time he teams up with one of the greatest American Football Coaches Don Shula & they combine Coachingin sport with the lessons that are equally applicable to everyday life as well as the business world.
As we drove back from the U/18's Rugby League match today I pointed out the page on how Don had after an operation at 2:30pm on a ruptured Achilles still made it to training at 10:am the next day driving a golf cart! Just to get his coaching session in.
The quote on the facing page 'I don't know any other way to lead but by example'.
I turned to Nick after he had read it & laughed at the tail. 'Who does that remind you of?' I don't know came the reply?
'Well it's you I said. Didn't you turn out to coach the primary school kids the other week for Warrington Wires on crutches a week after you'd badly twisted your knee & could hardly stand up'.
There are loads more examples that reinforce the Blanchard principlesin a sporting context. Don't be put of if you don't like sport it isn't rammed down your throatin any way.
As he sums up coaching 'It's about your believingin someone. And then doing whatever it takes to help that person be his or her best'. This book will help you on the road to achieving this ambitionin many walks of life.
Not useful in real world with human beings - By: Liam Lawlor, 14 Sep 2004 This is a lot like the One Minute Manager books - same kind of stuff. It may be useful if you're coaching dogs or chimpanzees but not humans. Some of the material might work on US employees but I couldn't see it workingin the UK or Europe. Theres a lot of acronymns from American football & Baseball but nothing really new. I read half of it & that was 50% too much!
More child psychology applied to motivating morons ! - By: Jack Feeney-Author / Analyst, 03 Aug 2004 The first One Minute Manager book was good, for its time, but subsequent publications have simply distilled the same basic ideas - the application of established child psychology applied to idiotic, passive employees. This is the shortest of the one manager series & is really touching the bottom of the 'management cliche' barrell.
If you're into meaningless acronym, enjoy pelvic-thrusting American football examples & haven't a clue about Coaching, management practice or are low on the old common sense quotient - this book is for you!
If this book inspires you as a 'manager'- its time for a rapid career re-think - dreadful stuff!
In Praise of Pursuing Perfection! - By: Donald Mitchell, 01 Jul 2004 
Seldom has a book fallen so far short of the philosophy it espouses. Save your time & your money by reading another book on coaching.
"C.O.A.C.H." is the acronym that encompasses this book's brief content (probably less than 15,000 words):
C is for conviction ("Have a common vision & everyone will begin to movein the same direction." "Beliefs come true." " . . . a good coach provides the direction & concentration for performers' energies . . . ." "If you don't seek perfection, you can never reach excellence." "Lacking something to uplift their hearts when difficulties arise, their minds will not be equal to the task.")
O is for overlearning (" . . . get overprepared & help your people do the same." "Perfection happens only when the mechanics are automatic." "People generally respond well to leaders who have high expectations & genuine confidencein them.").
A is for audible-ready ("Prepare well with a plan -- then expect the unexpected & be ready to change that plan." "Audibles are . . . strategies your team knows about & has practiced thoroughly . . . .").
C is for consistency ("Respond predictably to performance." " . . . use redirect & praising more." "Mistakes cannot be tolerated.").
H is for honesty ("unquestionable integrity" "genuine & sincere" "Never ask your people to do more than you are willing to do." " . . . genuine faith [in God] is eminently practical.").
As a summary: "Who believedin you?" "How do you create that spark of self-recognitionin others?" "It's about your believingin someone." "And then doing whatever it takes to help that person to his or her very best.")
The book itself offers little more than aphorisms. There are a few football examples. There are even fewer business examples. Examples from other contexts are almost nonexistent. This book would have been better with exercises for readers, questions to answer, & more relevant examples.
Personally, I disagree with the point that perfection should be the vision. Perfection could be a useful goal for an empowering vision, such as the one that the Salvation Army has.
The main benefit I got from the book was thinking through the way that companies fail to prepare for predictable alterationsin circumstances,in the way that football teams do with audibles. Using scenarios to think through the future is relatively new to all but a few organizations. Clearly, this major lack will continue to harm organizationsin the increasingly volatile social & economic climate of today.
If you have read The One Minute Manager & have seen & heard a top coachin action, you can skip this book.
Provide an example that others can easily understand & follow!
