Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey summary
Kenneth H. Blanchard, William Oncken, Hal Burrows
Don’t Take On the Problem if the Problem Isn’t Yours. That Monkey Doesn’t Belong to You!
19 mins
Brief summary
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey teaches managers how to effectively delegate tasks and responsibilities. It reveals strategies for preventing “time-wasting monkeys” from taking over our schedules, enhancing workplace productivity and autonomy.
Topics
Table of Contents
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
Summary of 6 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 6
Too much responsibility causes stress and inefficiency
This is the story of a newly appointed manager – let’s call him Sam. Sam was ambitious, energetic, and determined to make a difference, much like many leaders stepping into a new role. When things started out, he brought enthusiasm and energy to the department. His positive attitude spread, and soon productivity and morale improved. After a period of low performance under his team’s previous leadership, things finally seemed to be turning around. But the success didn’t last. Over time, the team’s performance began to slip. At first, it was a gradual decline, but before long, it became a significant drop. Despite putting in extra hours, including weekends, results kept getting worse. No matter how hard he worked, things didn’t improve.
The pressure was relentless, and the long hours took a toll on his well-being. Stress started to affect him physically, and he began to fear developing health problems like an ulcer. The impact wasn’t limited to work. At home, his wife noticed how often he was either absent or too tired to contribute. Their children were disappointed by his lack of time and attention. Yet, despite seeing the damage being done to both his personal and professional life, he didn’t know how to stop the cycle. He felt stuck, believing that if he didn’t keep pushing harder, things would only get worse.
Meanwhile, Sam’s boss, Alice, had started paying closer attention to the department’s performance. She wasn’t initially critical, but as the situation deteriorated, her concern grew. She began asking for more reports and monitoring results more closely. Recognizing that something had to change, he scheduled a meeting with her to discuss the problem.
During the meeting, Sam admitted that he felt like he was doing the work of two people and didn’t know how to turn things around. Her sharp response – asking who the second person was so she could fire them – made a clear point: he wasn’t delegating enough. When he protested that his staff wasn’t ready for more responsibility, she clarified that it was his job to get them ready. Her parting words drove the message home: “It’s tough to work for a nervous boss, especially if you’re the one making them nervous.”
Leaving the meeting, he knew he needed help. Alice’s words stayed with him, and he realized that if something didn’t change soon, things could get worse. Unsure of what to do next, he turned to someone he trusted – the One Minute Manager.
Want to see all full key ideas from The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey?
Key ideas in The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey about?
The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey (1989) is a business parable which explores how managers can improve productivity and reduce stress by mastering the art of delegation. It introduces the concept of “monkeys,” representing tasks or responsibilities that often shift unnecessarily from employees to managers. By keeping these monkeys with their rightful owners, it helps leaders focus on their priorities while empowering team members to take ownership of their work.
Who should read The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey?
- Managers seeking to improve delegation and time management
- Team leaders aiming to empower their team members
- Professionals interested in enhancing leadership efficiency skills
Categories with The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
Book summaries like The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth