Customer Reviews

The On-Time, On-Target Manager: How a "Last-Minute Manager" Conquered Procrastination

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I have always enjoyed Ken Blanchard's management books because they deliver simple and straightforward management principles in an easy-to-learn style. For example, The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey is a classic of proper delegation.

Unfortunately, the Last Minute Manager was not up to the usual standards of this series. The book was not compelling and did not really teach the reader a solution to the problem of procrastination.

* The basic problem was that the book did not have a simple system to teach. Though the system was called The Three P's these were really headings for a complex variety of questions, ideas and principles that made the execution process more complex than it needed to be. The fact that the third "P" started with C was a bit jarring. The book claimed this was a mnemonic device but I see it more as an symptom of the fact that the whole model needed more work.

* The main character is a doofus. I didn't find myself cheering for his success, I simply found myself annoyed with him. The descriptions of him as "Bob the last-minute Manger", "Bob the suddenly-surprised Manager", "Bob the newly-focused Manager" etc were also annoying.


* The book had too much theory and not enough tactics. It presented you with high levels questions and ideas about your priorities but it was light on examples of how to use them. For example it shows you a "triage" form but we never see Bob use it.

* There were no examples of how Bob the-highly-annoying Manager used his new found skills to improve his work or productivity. The book did not clearly tie the process in the book to the problem of lateness, poor-quality, and stress.

There is definitely room for a Blanchard book on the problem of time management. I'm afraid that I can't recommend this one. Instead I recommend "First Things First" by Steven Covey for those struggling with this issue. It is much more work to read, but I think it solves the problems that afflict Bob in this story in a more straightforward manner.

Finally there is a pet peeve. Why do all these management book use married men as examples of people who need to be fixed? I agree that the problem of choosing a sex for someone with a problem is vexing, and its most likely that married men will be the least likely to complain. That said, I think there is room for some originality in this realm. The work world has a much wider constituency than married men named "Bob". I hope we see it reflected in future books.

The central message to this book seems to be "if it's important, don't procrastinate". Well, life's not quite that simple.

While the book uses the usual Blanchard style of sounding like a novel telling someone's inspiring story, it doesn't address why people procrastinate. It basically says you should do the right things, for the right reasons, at the right time. This tells me... absolutely nothing. Darn it, I've been doing the right things at the wrong time, silly me. Time to change that!

When I finished the book, I was left with little more than a couple of simplistic lists, but no action plan as to how to either better manage my time, how to get a handle on my priorities, or any deeper unstanding of my problem. It was like a big rice cake that left me just as hungry as when I started.

Two things procrastinators constantly fight is the sense of being overwhelmed with so many things that simply have to get done that you can't make out what has to be done when; and the feeling once you actually get started on something that there's something else you should do. Today, thinking of this as I was reading another book (see below), I finally forced myself to write the minutes of a meeting I was just in. As I sat there, I suddenly flet the urge to listen to music (to help me think of course!), to check my inbasket, to tidy up my desk so I could (allegedly) concentrate, to go get a coffee, and so on... you constantly feel you should be doing something else.

If this sounds like you, then you need to read "Procrastination - why you do it, what do about it" by Jane Burka and Lenora Yuen. It makes you realize the causes of your condition and why simple "just don't procrastinate anymore" advice doesn't cut it.

Story telling is a very effective way of driving home powerful lessons. Regardless of age, the human mind retains the "moral of the story". Ken Blanchard gives us another story, another hero and another lesson. Easy to read and remember, this book will be helpful to most of us. It is important to realize how postponing of seemingly unimportant and routine tasks like filling up gas can lead to a snowballing effect on the really critical issues on hand.

Though the book starts with a note the you may not fall into the category of Bob, the "Last Minute Manager", we do tend to be Bobs to some extent some times and to a large extent many times. Lateness, poor quality of work and stress, form the vicious circle of procrastination that needs to be broken. Three hours is worth the time to read this book to understand the three P's that can pull us out of this trap and make a significant difference to our lives at home and at work.

Time management does not have to be complicated. Daytimers, PDAs, project management software and so on all help . . . especially if you follow the advice in this book.

Quite simply, this book teaches time management by dividing tasks into 3 simple categories:
* Tasks I have to do
* Tasks I can do if I have the time
* Tasks I don't have to do but want to

Yes, Maybe, and No. It's that simple. Tasks I have to do go into the yes category; tasks I can do if I have time go into the maybe category; and tasks I don't have to do but want to go into the no category.

Divide a piece of paper into 3 columns titled "Yes", "Maybe", "No". List your tasks under the appropriate categories. Prioritize the tasks in the "Yes" column. Make sure you do those first. Next, work on the "Maybe" column, and so on.

I provided the simple, condensed version of this method. This book provides more valuable information written in an enjoyable format.

Mr. Blanchard and Mr. Gottry have focused on one of the least talked about problems facing our workforce: procrastination! The On-Time, On-Target Manager gives us a unique look at the anatomy of this puzzling aspect of human behavior. By dissecting the common pitfalls of this sabotaging trait, the authors reveal its cost and offer sound strategies for dealing with it. The book has implications for the business professional, student, or anyone who wants to improve their productivity.

Procrastinator Bob has some serious problems and his boss is concerned. Bob is a Last-Minute manager with no foresight and plenty of excuses. Bob's boss feels work ethics are more important than work skill; it's easier to teach a job skill to a person with work ethics than job ethics to someone with work skills.

Bob has to see the CEO--the Chief Effectiveness Officer. This type of CEO teaches Bob how to be on time and effective in his job. With the "3-P strategy" and some personal experiences, Bob learns to be a better worker and a better person.

Blanchard and Gottry show managers and workers how to prioritize and be on time. Following these lessons will, without a doubt, improve one's job and life. I own a business and appreciate the wisdom these authors are sharing. At the same time, I thought how much this kind of advice would help our young people before they hit the work force. _The On-Time, On-Target Manager_ may be a business book about managing, but I recommend it to anyone teaching high school and college students, especially the business classes. Written in a simple fiction-like manner, this is a book anyone can understand.

Procastination is a common problem that humans adopt at a workplace, bringing their effective work ratio to the bottom sometimes. Ken Blanchard has innovative ways and means to sharpen the management skills. Having read 'One Minute Manager', this book is also another master piece of Ken and Steve joining in, has great helpful hints and practical strategies any professional can adopt and act to save getting plagued from 'Procastination' The book in form of a fable makes an interesting read even for a non management buff as it almost digs into doing right things, for right person, at right time theory. Bob becomes the CEO (Chief Effectiveness Officer) in the end after he has passed through negative effects of procastination. The book character Bob always left things to be done later and this late dealing tactics only got poor quality work and stress to him and others too. Commitment is ignored and the confusion surmounts as he could not meet the deadlines, on time.Bob adopts the strategies of his company's CEO who with the three ps makes it possible for Bob, the Last-Minute Manager to be a Constructive and a Productive On Time - On Target Manager who brushes up his Executive skills and scales higher in business. A good book for Management students and all CEO (Chief Executive Officers) and Leaders who want to reach targets on time and improve their management skills for better Productivity at work and be better organized humans in life. A great Pick! Read Anytime, anywhere!

This book is about ME!!!

This is a fun book that will help those like me understand, never on target nor on time, that we are not alone. It will inspire and teach one to get thier act together without feeling guilty. I look forward to a follow-up to this one from this team - and I LOVE ALL of Blanchard's work, as he is truly one of todays most encouraging and thoughtful souls.

Try this book if you have an airplane ride or a trip soon.

You will not be disappointed!

Have to go be on time now...bye!

MKC
Encinitas, CA

The proposition of 3Ps, Priority, Propriety (do the right thing at the right time with the right people....) and Committment (yes, it's a C, the author said it's for you to memorize it better, which I duly agree) is straightforward and simple. However, as a victim of procrastination who read tens of books on the subject and is still fighting daily against it, I can tell this book is a mediocre time management book instead of a cure for procrastination, that the psychological or even physiological aspects of procrastination had not been addressed at all. If things can be dealt with easily in the prescribed rational and mechanical manner, there would simply be no market for this book. Even worse, the parable is real bad and boring.

For those who want to read to fight against procrastination, I strongly recommend "Unleash the warrior within" by Richard Machowicz. If you wanna improve your time management skills, "10 Natural Laws of Succcessful Time and Life Management" by Hyrum W. Smith is a very good choice.

This book is great!! It reminded me of how procrastination affects all of us in business and family. I have already started to re-focus my procrastination and get things done!!! I sent a copy to my boss and we agreed to work together to make changes in our business to eliminate procrastination, just like we did with the One-Minute Manager to become better managers.

Thanks Ken and Steve, you have renewed my focus on elminating procrastination in my personal and professional life.

Kathy
V. P. Customer Service