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Teachable Moment

Ken Blanchard

Detour Photo Studio

In 1982, after teaching at the UMass College of Education, Ken Blanchard co-wrote one of the best-selling management books of all time, The One Minute Manager.

The 111-page book, written with Spencer Johnson, is a triumph of the short and simple. It seems impertinent to ask Blanchard to distill his management advice even more, but since he’s been spending more time on campus recently (his grandson Kurtis is a senior at UMass Amherst) and because he’s a genial, approachable man, we prevailed upon him to provide us with a teachable moment.

Thanks, Ken. We see why your book is a classic!

Here's what he said:

 

“Praise people. If I could teach managers only one thing, it would be to accentuate the positive, catch people doing something right, and give them a one minute praising. It brings out the best in people.” 

 

Chief Spiritual Officer