One minute can change a lot

What can one minute change about your feedback?

After training, one sentence often stays with you. Did it give you clear direction? Honest praise? Or simply remind you of what went wrong?

‘One minute can change a lot’ connects three brief forms of feedback with your own progress. The focus is on the quality of what you say to yourself or another person, rather than on a long speech.

This article is for players, coaches and parents. It asks a simple, important question: how do you correct an action without reducing a person to their mistake? Sometimes the next step begins with a better sentence.

A clear goal. Specific praise. A calm correction. Not every helpful piece of feedback needs a long speech.

One minute for a goal

In “The One Minute Manager”, Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson describe how short, clear leadership interventions are intended to work. The newer version centres on jointly clarified goals, specific recognition and supportive redirection. [S06]

For football, this offers a simple idea: before a task, state as clearly as possible what you want to pay attention to. “Today I’ll do everything better” remains vague. “Before receiving the ball, I’ll check where my next space is” gives your attention direction.

The 20:80 idea used here means deliberately choosing a few effective priorities. It is not a mathematical promise that a given effort produces exactly 80 per cent success.

One minute for recognition

Why talk only about the misplaced pass? Perhaps you scanned well beforehand, spotted a brave option or immediately helped again after the mistake. Name precisely what went well.

This applies both to your own review and to coaches, parents and teammates. “Well done” is kind. “You spotted the free teammate before the pass” shows more precisely which behaviour could help again.

One minute for correction

An unsuccessful action provides information about that action, not a judgement of your worth. Describe what happened. Clarify the effect. Choose a changeable task for the next attempt.

For example: the first touch went too far, allowing the opponent to intervene. On the next attempt, I will direct that touch more deliberately into reachable space. That is different from saying, “I simply can’t do it.”

Brief does not mean superficial

The minute is an image for clarity, not the prescribed length of every conversation. Difficult situations may need more time. For a small correction, however, it can help to separate the goal, what went well and the next step.

Do more than identify what was wrong. Make clear what is possible next.

Sources

[S06] Ken Blanchard. The Three Secrets of the One Minute Manager. 2020. https://www.blanchard.com/blog/the-three-secrets-of-the-one-minute-manager%E2%80%94classic-skills-for-a-new-workplace-reality