The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey

This management guide addresses the problem of upward delegation, where subordinates shift their responsibilities onto their supervisors. The narrative follows a manager who becomes overwhelmed by his staff's problems, which authors Kenneth Blanchard, William Oncken Jr., and Hal Burrows define as monkeys. The book outlines a practical framework for delegating initiative by identifying who owns a task and ensuring the monkey stays on the employee’s back. Key rules focus on describing the next move, assigning ownership, insurance policies to mitigate risk, and setting specific check-in times to monitor progress without reclaiming the work.

Managers and supervisors who find themselves working late while their staff goes home early read this book to reclaim their time. It targets professionals struggling with bottlenecking and micro-management. Readers learn to distinguish between their own duties and those of their subordinates, allowing them to focus on high-level planning. By applying these techniques, a leader gains more discretionary time and develops a more independent, capable team that solves its own problems rather than waiting for executive intervention.