How management can effectively rid themselves of ‘monkeys’ – other people’s responsibilities that cling to them and prevent them managing efficiently.
This book explains in simple-minded if abstract terms how to achieve a balance between supervision and delegation for reduced tension and improved productivity in the workplace.
‘There is a high correlation between self-reliance and morale,’ stress the authors. With humour and logic they describe the delicate business of assigning monkeys to the right masters and keeping them healthy, i.e., fed and cared for: ‘… if monkeys are managed properly, you don't have to manage people so much.’
This book, one of the most liberating in the extraordinary One Minute Manager Library, teaches an unforgettable lesson: how to save time to do what you want and need to do. Step by step the authors show how managers can free themselves from doing everyone else's job and ensure that every problem is handled by the proper person. By using the Four Rules of Monkey Management, managers will learn to become effective supervisors of time, energy and talent – especially their own.
Very small and to the point book. I would recommend any who manages people and who says no time all the time. --By Yuvaraj on 25 April 2015
The one minute manager's symbol, a one-minute readout from the face of a modern digital watch, is intended to remind each of us to take a minute out of our day to look into the faces of the people we manage. The monkey manger's symbol a stressed manager overwhelmed by a desk full of problems, is intended to remind us to constantly discipline ourselves to invest our time on the most vital aspects of management rather than dilute our effectiveness by "doing more efficiently those things that shouldn't be done in the first place." What follows, is a story of a manger who worked long hours and never seemed to get caught up with all the work he had to do. He learned about monkey management and how not to take initiative away from his people so they can care for and feed their own monkeys. In the process, he learned to be more effective in dealing with his own manager and the demands of his organization. The performance of his department drastically improved, as did the prospects for his career. The authors hope is that you will use what you learn in this book to make a difference in your life and the lives of the people you interact with at work and at home. --By Sami Fgaier -
