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The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable For Managers
A bestselling author and business guru tells how to improve your job satisfaction and performance.In his sixth fable, bestselling author Patrick Lencioni takes on a topic that almost everyone can relate to: the causes of a miserable job. Millions of workers, even those who have carefully chosen careers based on true passions and interests, dread going to work, suffering each day as they trudge to jobs that make them cynical, weary, and frustrated. It is a simple fact of business life that any job, from investment banker to dishwasher, can become miserable. Through the story of a CEO turned pizzeria manager, Lencioni reveals the three elements that make work miserable -- irrelevance, immeasurability, and anonymity -- and gives managers and their employees the keys to make any job more fulfilling.
As with all of Lencioni's books, this one is filled with actionable advice you can put into effect immediately. In addition to the fable, the book includes a detailed model examining the three signs of job misery and how they can be remedied. It covers the benefits of managing for job fulfillment within organizations -- increased productivity, greater retention, and competitive advantage -- and offers examples of how managers can use the applications in the book to deal with specific jobs and situations.
Patrick Lencioni (San Francisco, CA) is President of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in executive team development and organizational health. As a consultant and keynote speaker, he has worked with thousands of senior executives and executive teams in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to high-tech startups to universities and nonprofits. His clients include AT&T, Bechtel, Boeing, Cisco, Sam's Club, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Allstate, Visa, FedEx, New York Life, Sprint, Novell, Sybase, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Lencioni is the author of six bestselling books, including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. He previously worked for Oracle, Sybase, and the management consulting firm Bain & Company.
As with all of Lencioni's books, this one is filled with actionable advice you can put into effect immediately. In addition to the fable, the book includes a detailed model examining the three signs of job misery and how they can be remedied. It covers the benefits of managing for job fulfillment within organizations -- increased productivity, greater retention, and competitive advantage -- and offers examples of how managers can use the applications in the book to deal with specific jobs and situations.
Patrick Lencioni (San Francisco, CA) is President of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in executive team development and organizational health. As a consultant and keynote speaker, he has worked with thousands of senior executives and executive teams in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to high-tech startups to universities and nonprofits. His clients include AT&T, Bechtel, Boeing, Cisco, Sam's Club, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Allstate, Visa, FedEx, New York Life, Sprint, Novell, Sybase, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Lencioni is the author of six bestselling books, including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. He previously worked for Oracle, Sybase, and the management consulting firm Bain & Company.
259 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
415 people are currently reading
7096 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Lencioni
109 books2,522 followersPatrick Lencioni is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, consultant and founder and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to helping organizations become healthy. Lencioni’s ideas around leadership, teamwork and employee engagement have impacted organizations around the globe. His books have sold nearly three million copies worldwide.
When Lencioni is not writing, he consults to CEOs and their executive teams, helping them to become more cohesive within the context of their business strategy. The widespread appeal of Lencioni’s leadership models have yielded a diverse base of clients, including a mix of Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, the military, non-profits, universities and churches. In addition, Lencioni speaks to thousands of leaders each year at world class organizations and national conferences. He was recently cited in the Wall Street Journal as one of the most sought-after business speakers in the nation.
Prior to founding his firm, he worked as a corporate executive for Sybase, Oracle and Bain & Company. He also served on the National Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.
When Lencioni is not writing, he consults to CEOs and their executive teams, helping them to become more cohesive within the context of their business strategy. The widespread appeal of Lencioni’s leadership models have yielded a diverse base of clients, including a mix of Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, the military, non-profits, universities and churches. In addition, Lencioni speaks to thousands of leaders each year at world class organizations and national conferences. He was recently cited in the Wall Street Journal as one of the most sought-after business speakers in the nation.
Prior to founding his firm, he worked as a corporate executive for Sybase, Oracle and Bain & Company. He also served on the National Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 591 reviews
February 28, 2011
How I wish I could mail this to almost every boss I've had. The largest part is taken up by a fable which illustrates the ideas of the book, while the second part goes into more detail on how to implement the ideas and what they really mean. The three signs are:
1. Anonymity
2. Irrelevance
3. Immeasurement
1. Anonymity
All human beings need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by someone in a position of authority. People who see themselves as invisible, generic, or anonymous cannot love their job, no matter what they are doing.
- A direct supervisor must be genuinely interested in employees on a personal level.
- They must ask about what's going on in people's lives.
- Must be done on a continuous basis.
- Managers must realize that people get out of bed in the morning to live their lives, and work tasks or only a part of that.
2. Irrelevance
People need to see a connection between the work and the satisfaction of another person or people The work must matter to someone, even if it's just the boss.
- People need to be needed.
- Important to serve others, not merely themselves.
- People die emotionally when they start to believe in the own irrelevancy.
- A job is not a series of self-involved activities without a clear connection to others.
- Two questions must be asked: Who am I helping and how am I helping?
- Who: Sometimes, the answer is the boss. But bosses are afraid to be openly thankful for fear of looking self-serving. However, employees would likely appreciate acknowledgement of their role's importance in their boss's success. Otherwise, they are deprived of feeling that they've made a difference.
- How: Managers must help employees see how their work matters to someone.
3. Immeasurement
People need to be able to gauge progress for themselves. Need tangible means for assessing success or failure. Otherwise, that leads to lack of motivation as people see themselves as unable to control their own fate.
- Immeasurement simply means lack of clear means of assessing one's progress or success on the job.
- Creates feelings of dependence on a manager to subjectively judge their achievements.
- This forces employees to engage in politics and posturing.
- Managers must ID areas an employee can directly influence, and then ensure that specific measurements are connected to the people the are meant to serve.
1. Anonymity
2. Irrelevance
3. Immeasurement
1. Anonymity
All human beings need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by someone in a position of authority. People who see themselves as invisible, generic, or anonymous cannot love their job, no matter what they are doing.
- A direct supervisor must be genuinely interested in employees on a personal level.
- They must ask about what's going on in people's lives.
- Must be done on a continuous basis.
- Managers must realize that people get out of bed in the morning to live their lives, and work tasks or only a part of that.
2. Irrelevance
People need to see a connection between the work and the satisfaction of another person or people The work must matter to someone, even if it's just the boss.
- People need to be needed.
- Important to serve others, not merely themselves.
- People die emotionally when they start to believe in the own irrelevancy.
- A job is not a series of self-involved activities without a clear connection to others.
- Two questions must be asked: Who am I helping and how am I helping?
- Who: Sometimes, the answer is the boss. But bosses are afraid to be openly thankful for fear of looking self-serving. However, employees would likely appreciate acknowledgement of their role's importance in their boss's success. Otherwise, they are deprived of feeling that they've made a difference.
- How: Managers must help employees see how their work matters to someone.
3. Immeasurement
People need to be able to gauge progress for themselves. Need tangible means for assessing success or failure. Otherwise, that leads to lack of motivation as people see themselves as unable to control their own fate.
- Immeasurement simply means lack of clear means of assessing one's progress or success on the job.
- Creates feelings of dependence on a manager to subjectively judge their achievements.
- This forces employees to engage in politics and posturing.
- Managers must ID areas an employee can directly influence, and then ensure that specific measurements are connected to the people the are meant to serve.
January 23, 2022
2.5 / 5
The premise of the book is that it follows the life of a recently retired CEO as he develops a theory on what makes a job miserable. This doesn't mean low pay, but instead means a job that is extremely unsatisfying. According to the author, the three main signs of a miserable job are:
1) Anonymity
This is when those around you, and especially your manager, do not know you as a person.
2) Irrelevance
This is when it is unclear who your job affects, be it a customer, another employee, or your manager.
3) Immeasurability
This is when it is not possible to rate your own performance, good, bad, or otherwise.
---
Pros:
- The work makes reasonable points about how to be a better manager, and how to seek out meaningful work (or, failing that, how to create it for yourself)
- Presents said points in a digestible way (especially in the last quarter of the book)
- Is short, clocking in at about 4.5 hours
Cons:
- Despite the short run time, the same points could be made even more succinctly. I still hold that you could listen to the last 45 minutes of the book and still get virtually the same experience
- The dialogue feels wooden and unrealistic
- The chapters on the audiobook make no sense, and are few and far between
- The author shoehorns in god at the 90% mark, and mentions how "god made humans this way." This felt really out of place, and is really only mentioned two or three times in the last 10% of the book.
- There are one ore two especially cringe-worthy bits of writing in the book, like when the MC jokes about being diagnosed with schizophrenia as an explanation for his actions. Yikes.
In short, the excessive run time for the content presented kept this from rising to even a 3 for me. If the message wasn't more applicable, I would have probably given a lower score still. Ultimately, I think you are better off reading some of the summaries / reviews on Goodreads. You'll get almost all the content without the clunky dialogue or the need to spend hours listening.
See more reviews at Quinn's Curios.
The premise of the book is that it follows the life of a recently retired CEO as he develops a theory on what makes a job miserable. This doesn't mean low pay, but instead means a job that is extremely unsatisfying. According to the author, the three main signs of a miserable job are:
1) Anonymity
This is when those around you, and especially your manager, do not know you as a person.
2) Irrelevance
This is when it is unclear who your job affects, be it a customer, another employee, or your manager.
3) Immeasurability
This is when it is not possible to rate your own performance, good, bad, or otherwise.
---
Pros:
- The work makes reasonable points about how to be a better manager, and how to seek out meaningful work (or, failing that, how to create it for yourself)
- Presents said points in a digestible way (especially in the last quarter of the book)
- Is short, clocking in at about 4.5 hours
Cons:
- Despite the short run time, the same points could be made even more succinctly. I still hold that you could listen to the last 45 minutes of the book and still get virtually the same experience
- The dialogue feels wooden and unrealistic
- The chapters on the audiobook make no sense, and are few and far between
- The author shoehorns in god at the 90% mark, and mentions how "god made humans this way." This felt really out of place, and is really only mentioned two or three times in the last 10% of the book.
- There are one ore two especially cringe-worthy bits of writing in the book, like when the MC jokes about being diagnosed with schizophrenia as an explanation for his actions. Yikes.
In short, the excessive run time for the content presented kept this from rising to even a 3 for me. If the message wasn't more applicable, I would have probably given a lower score still. Ultimately, I think you are better off reading some of the summaries / reviews on Goodreads. You'll get almost all the content without the clunky dialogue or the need to spend hours listening.
See more reviews at Quinn's Curios.
August 24, 2012
We are using this book in a leadership team meeting this fall to promote discussion among company leaders about their role in employee satisfaction, and eventually, the bottom line.
This is a quick read -- set up as the "fable" of Brian Bailey - a skilled, natural manager who rises to the top and understands people at all levels. As a young leader, Brian takes a small exercise equipment company from mediocre performance to the top of the industry. However, when he's forced to sell the company, he is annoyed that the successful culture and high level of engagement among his employees aren't more valued by the buyer.
He sets off on a personal mission to try to prove that culture matters, first in a small, roadside Italian restaurant and later at a regional sporting goods store.
His work at both leads him to conclude that there are three things that make work unbearable for employees, and thus negatively impact the success of a company:
1. Anonymity - people cannot be fulfilled at work if they are not known. All people need need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities. Personal connections at work matter.
2. Irrelevance - Everyone needs to know that his/her work matters to someone. Without seeing a connection between the work and the satisfaction of another person or group of people, an employee cannot find lasting fulfillment.
3. Immeasurement - employees need to be able to gauge their progress and level of contribution for themselves. They cannot be fulfilled in their work if their success depends on the opinions or whims of another person, no matter how benevolent that person may be. Without a tangible means of assessing success or failure, motivation eventually deteriorates as people see themselves as unable to control their own fates.
The fable - including the dialogue - is a little hokey. Brian is just too much of a goody-goody to be taken seriously at times. And his turn arounds of failing businesses are too easy to be realistic. However, I think there is something to the 3 signs theory (having been in a few "miserable jobs" myself over the years) and this is definitely a worthwhile read for anyone who manages people.
This is a quick read -- set up as the "fable" of Brian Bailey - a skilled, natural manager who rises to the top and understands people at all levels. As a young leader, Brian takes a small exercise equipment company from mediocre performance to the top of the industry. However, when he's forced to sell the company, he is annoyed that the successful culture and high level of engagement among his employees aren't more valued by the buyer.
He sets off on a personal mission to try to prove that culture matters, first in a small, roadside Italian restaurant and later at a regional sporting goods store.
His work at both leads him to conclude that there are three things that make work unbearable for employees, and thus negatively impact the success of a company:
1. Anonymity - people cannot be fulfilled at work if they are not known. All people need need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities. Personal connections at work matter.
2. Irrelevance - Everyone needs to know that his/her work matters to someone. Without seeing a connection between the work and the satisfaction of another person or group of people, an employee cannot find lasting fulfillment.
3. Immeasurement - employees need to be able to gauge their progress and level of contribution for themselves. They cannot be fulfilled in their work if their success depends on the opinions or whims of another person, no matter how benevolent that person may be. Without a tangible means of assessing success or failure, motivation eventually deteriorates as people see themselves as unable to control their own fates.
The fable - including the dialogue - is a little hokey. Brian is just too much of a goody-goody to be taken seriously at times. And his turn arounds of failing businesses are too easy to be realistic. However, I think there is something to the 3 signs theory (having been in a few "miserable jobs" myself over the years) and this is definitely a worthwhile read for anyone who manages people.
November 24, 2020
كتاب الأسباب الثلاثة للتعاسة في العمل يحتوي على قصص رؤساء ومرؤوسين ولكن الجزء الأخير خلاصة ما كتبه المؤلف في هذا الموضوع ويغنيك عن قراءة تلك القصص المطولة بأحداثها.
بإختصار بسيط .. يرى المؤلف أن الأسباب الرئيسية المؤدية إلى عدم الرضا هي تباعد العلاقات بين العاملين، وشعور العامل أن دوره مهمش أو ضئيل داخل المؤسسة فهو فيها مجهول الهوية، والثالثة فقدان الموظف للتقييم الذاتي.
من خلال قراءتك ستدرك أن التعاسة في العمل لا يمكن قياسها أو حصرها، فهي متوقفة على طبيعة الموظف الشخصية ورؤيته لمهنته، ولن تخلو وظيفة من تعاسة مهما كان مستواها المهني بدءًا من منصب مدير فما فوق مرورا بعامل النظافة، فالوظيفة المثالية منتفية بإستثناء من يولد وفي فمه ملعقة من ذهب، فكلما تدرجت في المنصب زادت المسؤوليات الملقاة على عاتقك وارتفعت نسبة إدارتك للمخاطر في حين تقل فرصك الوظيفية في سوق العمل.
وبالمناسبة الشعور بالإحباط ينشأ عنه عدم الرضا وبالتالي التذمر الوظيفي فينعكس ذلك على أدائك المهني وعلى الشركة بالضرر فهو مكلف اقتصاديا ومقلل للإنتاجية، ناهيك عن ما قد يحصل من اضرابات واعتصامات من قبل بعض الموظفين في حالة إلتقاء العقول المحبطة.
قد تكون هناك فعلا وظائف جيدة باعثة للملل والعاملين فيها في حالة تعاسة تشوبهم بعض المشاعر السلبية، وبالمقابل هناك مستويات مهنية متدنية وأصحابها في قمة الرضا والقناعة، في هذه الحالة نشير إلى أن المسؤولية تتحملها الإدارة العليا والمدير أيضا الذي أهمل مهامه الإدارية اتجاه الموظفين، لذا يجب إدارتهم على أنهم بشر وليسوا مجرد عمال يتم استغلالهم لصالح العمل.
في حين نجاح المؤسسة ورضا موظفيها ناتج من نجاح إدارتها ومدى فهم أصحاب المناصب الذهبية لعملهم الفعلي اتجاه العاملين، وخدمة الآخرين.
برأيي المتواضع .. أن بيئة العمل المرضية للموظف لا تكون بتحقيق رغبات العاملين وطلباتهم بل بمداراتهم (إداريًا، واجتماعيًا، واقتصاديًا)، وكلنا يعلم أن إرضاء الناس غاية لا تدرك حتى وإن تفانى الموظف في عمله.
بإختصار بسيط .. يرى المؤلف أن الأسباب الرئيسية المؤدية إلى عدم الرضا هي تباعد العلاقات بين العاملين، وشعور العامل أن دوره مهمش أو ضئيل داخل المؤسسة فهو فيها مجهول الهوية، والثالثة فقدان الموظف للتقييم الذاتي.
من خلال قراءتك ستدرك أن التعاسة في العمل لا يمكن قياسها أو حصرها، فهي متوقفة على طبيعة الموظف الشخصية ورؤيته لمهنته، ولن تخلو وظيفة من تعاسة مهما كان مستواها المهني بدءًا من منصب مدير فما فوق مرورا بعامل النظافة، فالوظيفة المثالية منتفية بإستثناء من يولد وفي فمه ملعقة من ذهب، فكلما تدرجت في المنصب زادت المسؤوليات الملقاة على عاتقك وارتفعت نسبة إدارتك للمخاطر في حين تقل فرصك الوظيفية في سوق العمل.
وبالمناسبة الشعور بالإحباط ينشأ عنه عدم الرضا وبالتالي التذمر الوظيفي فينعكس ذلك على أدائك المهني وعلى الشركة بالضرر فهو مكلف اقتصاديا ومقلل للإنتاجية، ناهيك عن ما قد يحصل من اضرابات واعتصامات من قبل بعض الموظفين في حالة إلتقاء العقول المحبطة.
قد تكون هناك فعلا وظائف جيدة باعثة للملل والعاملين فيها في حالة تعاسة تشوبهم بعض المشاعر السلبية، وبالمقابل هناك مستويات مهنية متدنية وأصحابها في قمة الرضا والقناعة، في هذه الحالة نشير إلى أن المسؤولية تتحملها الإدارة العليا والمدير أيضا الذي أهمل مهامه الإدارية اتجاه الموظفين، لذا يجب إدارتهم على أنهم بشر وليسوا مجرد عمال يتم استغلالهم لصالح العمل.
في حين نجاح المؤسسة ورضا موظفيها ناتج من نجاح إدارتها ومدى فهم أصحاب المناصب الذهبية لعملهم الفعلي اتجاه العاملين، وخدمة الآخرين.
برأيي المتواضع .. أن بيئة العمل المرضية للموظف لا تكون بتحقيق رغبات العاملين وطلباتهم بل بمداراتهم (إداريًا، واجتماعيًا، واقتصاديًا)، وكلنا يعلم أن إرضاء الناس غاية لا تدرك حتى وإن تفانى الموظف في عمله.
February 22, 2016
Anonymity, Irrelevance, Immeasurement
June 12, 2025
Now that I have read two of the author’s books, I have a feel for his writing style and it just isn’t my favorite. The short chapters and dialogue between fictional characters often feels AI and corny. That being said, the information in this book is 10/10 solid and worth pushing through the shallow story telling. If you’d like, you could just skip to the final chapters for the point of the book and read an AI summary of the “storyline” that leads to the point.
November 9, 2016
Not a particularly compelling narrator, but I enjoyed this. Mostly I just wanted an entire novel on the people in the restaurant, but I understand that the book had different goals in mind :D
Definitely some good stuff in here, and practical advice, though occasionally unrealistic approaches.
Definitely some good stuff in here, and practical advice, though occasionally unrealistic approaches.
August 15, 2017
Another good Lencioni read.
Sometimes I listen to these books, and at the very end hear the original publication dates and try to think back to where I was when the book was written, and wonder how things might be different had I read it then instead of now (a decade later). Books like this one might have changed a lot of things, but at the same time, it is possible I just wouldn't have gotten the message back then.
The TL;DR of the book is your employees want to know you care, want to know what they do impacts others, and want to know they are doing a good job (or a bad job). Pretty straight forward and obvious things...unless you are someone like me who forgets that people need to be told this stuff regularly.
Overall the story is easy enough to listen to, although the "fast forward" through time portions read a little like
Step 1: Show employees you care, help them figure out why they matter, and give them a scorecard.
Step 2: ...?
Step 3: Profit!
Sometimes I listen to these books, and at the very end hear the original publication dates and try to think back to where I was when the book was written, and wonder how things might be different had I read it then instead of now (a decade later). Books like this one might have changed a lot of things, but at the same time, it is possible I just wouldn't have gotten the message back then.
The TL;DR of the book is your employees want to know you care, want to know what they do impacts others, and want to know they are doing a good job (or a bad job). Pretty straight forward and obvious things...unless you are someone like me who forgets that people need to be told this stuff regularly.
Overall the story is easy enough to listen to, although the "fast forward" through time portions read a little like
Step 1: Show employees you care, help them figure out why they matter, and give them a scorecard.
Step 2: ...?
Step 3: Profit!
September 19, 2020
This is a management book told in the form of a fable, similar to how author Lencioni wrote "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team". This writing style makes it a quick read and it shares examples for helping employees feel valued and fulfilled in their jobs.
March 31, 2009
Believe it or not my boss is making me read it.
September 11, 2019
A very nice read indeed, I will be giving this more reading time later on. I can recommend you to do so as well.
September 3, 2022
Stories are a great way to teach, and Lencioni has a great way of combining instruction on management practice with narrative. A tiny bit formulaic, but much more memorable than pure theory.
If you are managing anyone (that’s you too, mom), this book is a quick, invaluable tool.
If you are managing anyone (that’s you too, mom), this book is a quick, invaluable tool.
February 16, 2025
I loved this book, one of the best books on employee engagement I’ve read. I really like that it is written as a story, instead of a self help type of book. The concepts are simple and obvious, but so many managers and leaders don’t put the concepts to use.
November 28, 2020
Шикарные, простые идеи по изменению компании и своей жизни. Очень рекомендую.
July 1, 2018
I love lencioni. And this book is no different. Some good tools and questions to ask yourself about your work and management at any level.
January 25, 2014
Having just taken a position that oversees a team, I knew intrinsic motivation would be key for each of them to experience a successful outcome. As such, I took to heart the recommendation to read this book (among others). While reading is enjoyable for me, I was surprised with my swallowing this book whole within 24 hours, post-it notes being scribbled as I went through, accidentally identifying the first two signs before I knew that that they were the official signposts to turning around misery. Having been involved with connecting people at deeper levels during this past year, I could not agree more that the final missing ingredient was anonymity. In fact, I understood that to be a problem before I read the book, so I was gratified to see that it indeed was on the radar. This book helps me channel my energy to develop a positive environment for my team.
The only reason I give it a 4 out of 5 is because unless I was in this particular situation, I would have probably put the book aside. However, for managers looking for ways to help their employees be fulfilled, which creates the handy by-product of more effective results, this book is very insightful.
The only reason I give it a 4 out of 5 is because unless I was in this particular situation, I would have probably put the book aside. However, for managers looking for ways to help their employees be fulfilled, which creates the handy by-product of more effective results, this book is very insightful.
June 4, 2018
Вот не зря говорят, что все гениальное - просто. Вот ведь какие простые, казалось бы, вещи определяют, счастлив ли человек на работе или нет. И дело тут совсем не в деньгах, хотя никто не говорит, что деньги не важны, но все-таки в конце рабочего дня они не самое важное. И люди, зарабатывающие миллионы могут быть намного более несчастными, чем простой рабочий за 10 долларов в час. При этом, конечно, он с удовольствием получал бы 20, если бы от этого не пострадала его удовлетворенность работой.
Отличная книга, которая доступным языком, на интересном примере объясняет, в чем соль. Прочиталась буквально за пару дней, потому что вместо тягомотной теории все просто и доступно объяснили на примерах из жизни. И им прям веришь.
Отличная книга, которая доступным языком, на интересном примере объясняет, в чем соль. Прочиталась буквально за пару дней, потому что вместо тягомотной теории все просто и доступно объяснили на примерах из жизни. И им прям веришь.
January 16, 2017
I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. It's a book on business management principles, but written as a story with fictional characters. Once I got over the fact that it's just a story and not literature, I liked it more. It was easier to read than straight-up theory. Best part is that the message of the book is fundamentally to treat your employees like human beings: know them, remind them how they matter, and help them to figure out how to measure their growth.
September 18, 2020
What I liked about this book is that it's accessible. It's very simple writing with minimal jargon but it gets the point across. Is it groundbreaking? Not necessarily. But it does give you food for thought.
March 4, 2022
I liked the premise and framework presented; however, there were a lot of assumptions/comments made about people that come from a low socioeconomic class that I perceived as showing a lack of awareness :/
February 17, 2014
تحميل مقتطفات من هذا الكتاب مجانًا
http://www.hindawi.org/kalimat/50962083/
http://www.hindawi.org/kalimat/50962083/
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August 8, 2020It reminds me of a very long graduate school case study. (In a good way, if that is possible!)
August 6, 2016
A self-help book for managers and employees. The book uses three identifiable ways to make managers better bosses by helping employees enjoy their job more.
This 250+ page book is written in two parts. The first part is a fictional narrative that follows the life and career of a manager who believes that having people enjoy their job makes a company better. The second part is a text book style analysis of the three steps outlined in the book. I found it kind of odd that the fable part of this book took over 200 pages to run through while the actual outlined signs of a miserable job are only detailed in the final few pages of the book.
Generally speaking I liked the fable part of this book. It gave a visually interesting model to show the principles explained in the book. The characters were fairly fleshed out and easy to relate to. I think the three specific signs mentioned in the book are good, solid principles that, if done correctly, can make managers better managers.
There were a few things about the fable that I disliked. I think that in a management principles book you don’t need to go into unnecessary details. The fact that the main character skied (and got hurt) in retirement or the searching for their dream home are colorful aspects that work well in fiction, not fable. A fable is a short story that conveys a moral principle. 200 pages of narrative is not fable length. If it is too long for a fable than it starts to become a novel. While the story in this book is nice, it is not as entertaining as other works of fiction. I’m reading the book for management help not to find something to read on the weekends.
The story was a little odd for a book of this type. Normally you sit back and read the twists and turns of fiction without any real problem of where it ultimately ends up. You either like or dislike where the author ultimately put you or the characters and you move on to the next book. This book is supposed to be different as the story is the method used to illustrate and teach the management principles. There should not be any loose ends or unfinished business in these stories. I liked how the main character is forced out of his job and into retirement yet still wants to prove his management theory. So he manages a small town Italian restaurant that is in need of help. The character spent most of the restaurant part of the book going into detail about one of the principles in the book (immeasurement). He then relates the second principle (irrelevance) to his wife over dinner one night and even states that he just realized the third principle right there (anonymity). What kind of management fable goes into depth about one principle and then skims or skips showing the next two principles? Fortunately the story continues with the main character changing jobs and overseeing a sporting goods chain which is bad shape. After doing one training of the management principles with the board and overseeing a branch training, the book essentially ties the narrative off by having that company become successful enough (in a few pages of text) to get bought by another company. The fable should go into depth of implementation of all three principles. Go through hard times and patches with all principles and show us how to solve some of these management issues that could arise in implementation. The fable would have been better if they stayed only in one place (like the restaurant) and had a full illustration of the principles. Or you could do a full implementation of the process at one place (like the restaurant) without telling the reader that the process happened, then teach the principles, and then have a second implementation of the process (at the sporting goods store) where the reader sees the process.
There were other parts of the fable that I didn’t particularly like. One example is a part where the main character has to fire a delivery driver. However he doesn’t fire him because for not following the program (which the driver is not invested in) but because the driver refused to go back and apologize to a customer. It seems like a bad example to use in a fable used to illustrate your implementation of the management process used in the book. Any manager would have fired the delivery driver for what he did regardless of the management style.
I want say a few brief things about the three signs of a miserable job put out in this book: 1) Immeasurement. I found this idea to be the most innovative and different concept that I read about. Every manager is aware of measurement, most of their job description relies on it. This book puts forth the idea that some traditional forms of measurement are unhelpful to determine the employee’s enjoyability in the job. Number of customers served in a day is not necessarily under the employee control as customers might not have control of how many customers show up in a day. Better measurements might be a low percentage of errors created or high percentage of customer smiles. When an employee lacks proper measurement they might not have a goal to achieve better which gives purpose to employees in their jobs.
2) Irrelevance. Knowing your job makes a difference to someone. This point seems a little basic and obvious if you just look at customers. I liked how the book pointed out that your job also impacts your coworkers and managers. Doing your job well makes their jobs easier.
3) Anonymity. A personal connection with employees lives make them human and worth the time to help. This is the focus of many manager books. Getting to know your employees allows a bond stronger than coworker or boss to impact your working relationship. I didn’t really find anything new from this section of the principles.
Overall, the purpose of the book is noble and useful. I think we are implementing aspects of the measurement principles found in the book. I don’t know how ground breaking this book is but it does give some management help for those willing to sift through the fable and analyze the principles.
This 250+ page book is written in two parts. The first part is a fictional narrative that follows the life and career of a manager who believes that having people enjoy their job makes a company better. The second part is a text book style analysis of the three steps outlined in the book. I found it kind of odd that the fable part of this book took over 200 pages to run through while the actual outlined signs of a miserable job are only detailed in the final few pages of the book.
Generally speaking I liked the fable part of this book. It gave a visually interesting model to show the principles explained in the book. The characters were fairly fleshed out and easy to relate to. I think the three specific signs mentioned in the book are good, solid principles that, if done correctly, can make managers better managers.
There were a few things about the fable that I disliked. I think that in a management principles book you don’t need to go into unnecessary details. The fact that the main character skied (and got hurt) in retirement or the searching for their dream home are colorful aspects that work well in fiction, not fable. A fable is a short story that conveys a moral principle. 200 pages of narrative is not fable length. If it is too long for a fable than it starts to become a novel. While the story in this book is nice, it is not as entertaining as other works of fiction. I’m reading the book for management help not to find something to read on the weekends.
The story was a little odd for a book of this type. Normally you sit back and read the twists and turns of fiction without any real problem of where it ultimately ends up. You either like or dislike where the author ultimately put you or the characters and you move on to the next book. This book is supposed to be different as the story is the method used to illustrate and teach the management principles. There should not be any loose ends or unfinished business in these stories. I liked how the main character is forced out of his job and into retirement yet still wants to prove his management theory. So he manages a small town Italian restaurant that is in need of help. The character spent most of the restaurant part of the book going into detail about one of the principles in the book (immeasurement). He then relates the second principle (irrelevance) to his wife over dinner one night and even states that he just realized the third principle right there (anonymity). What kind of management fable goes into depth about one principle and then skims or skips showing the next two principles? Fortunately the story continues with the main character changing jobs and overseeing a sporting goods chain which is bad shape. After doing one training of the management principles with the board and overseeing a branch training, the book essentially ties the narrative off by having that company become successful enough (in a few pages of text) to get bought by another company. The fable should go into depth of implementation of all three principles. Go through hard times and patches with all principles and show us how to solve some of these management issues that could arise in implementation. The fable would have been better if they stayed only in one place (like the restaurant) and had a full illustration of the principles. Or you could do a full implementation of the process at one place (like the restaurant) without telling the reader that the process happened, then teach the principles, and then have a second implementation of the process (at the sporting goods store) where the reader sees the process.
There were other parts of the fable that I didn’t particularly like. One example is a part where the main character has to fire a delivery driver. However he doesn’t fire him because for not following the program (which the driver is not invested in) but because the driver refused to go back and apologize to a customer. It seems like a bad example to use in a fable used to illustrate your implementation of the management process used in the book. Any manager would have fired the delivery driver for what he did regardless of the management style.
I want say a few brief things about the three signs of a miserable job put out in this book: 1) Immeasurement. I found this idea to be the most innovative and different concept that I read about. Every manager is aware of measurement, most of their job description relies on it. This book puts forth the idea that some traditional forms of measurement are unhelpful to determine the employee’s enjoyability in the job. Number of customers served in a day is not necessarily under the employee control as customers might not have control of how many customers show up in a day. Better measurements might be a low percentage of errors created or high percentage of customer smiles. When an employee lacks proper measurement they might not have a goal to achieve better which gives purpose to employees in their jobs.
2) Irrelevance. Knowing your job makes a difference to someone. This point seems a little basic and obvious if you just look at customers. I liked how the book pointed out that your job also impacts your coworkers and managers. Doing your job well makes their jobs easier.
3) Anonymity. A personal connection with employees lives make them human and worth the time to help. This is the focus of many manager books. Getting to know your employees allows a bond stronger than coworker or boss to impact your working relationship. I didn’t really find anything new from this section of the principles.
Overall, the purpose of the book is noble and useful. I think we are implementing aspects of the measurement principles found in the book. I don’t know how ground breaking this book is but it does give some management help for those willing to sift through the fable and analyze the principles.
January 18, 2021
The Truth About Employee Engagement is an easy read while maintaining highly practical applications.
Pat Lencioni maintains an anecdotal approach to presenting a “problem-solution” paradigm. This approach navigates the tension between oversimplifying complicated problems and over sterilizing practical applications. This approach to business and management was new to me, or at least the proper execution of this approach was something I have never encountered before. For this reason, I give this book a high rating.
Part of what I like about this book is the same reason I give it a slightly lower rating. While I like that he presents his approach to management in 3 different scenario it also started to feel like it was dragging, even for such a short and easy read.
Overall, this was a largely beneficial read that I will refer back to mentally for many scenarios because it is so retainable. I recommend this book to anybody looking to increase employee engagement or looking for a new approach to management and understanding people.
Pat Lencioni maintains an anecdotal approach to presenting a “problem-solution” paradigm. This approach navigates the tension between oversimplifying complicated problems and over sterilizing practical applications. This approach to business and management was new to me, or at least the proper execution of this approach was something I have never encountered before. For this reason, I give this book a high rating.
Part of what I like about this book is the same reason I give it a slightly lower rating. While I like that he presents his approach to management in 3 different scenario it also started to feel like it was dragging, even for such a short and easy read.
Overall, this was a largely beneficial read that I will refer back to mentally for many scenarios because it is so retainable. I recommend this book to anybody looking to increase employee engagement or looking for a new approach to management and understanding people.
May 31, 2017
Enjoyed this short read about employee fulfillment or the lack thereof. Lencioni's model is very similar to the Self-determination theory model (Autonomy - Control of your time, Competence - refers to mastery of unambiguously useful things, and relatedness - the feeling of connection to others.) but replaces autonomy by essentially splitting relatedness into two parts 1) being known and 2) relevance.
Anonymity
People cannot be fulfilled in their work if they are not known. All human beings need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by someone in a position of authority.
Irrelevance
Everyone needs to know that their job matters, to someone. Anyone. Without seeing a connection between the work and the satisfaction of another person or group of people, an employee simply will not find lasting fulfillment.
Immeasurement
Employees need to be able to gauge their progress and level of contribution for themselves. They cannot be fulfilled in their work if their success depends on the opinions or whims of another person.
Anonymity
People cannot be fulfilled in their work if they are not known. All human beings need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by someone in a position of authority.
Irrelevance
Everyone needs to know that their job matters, to someone. Anyone. Without seeing a connection between the work and the satisfaction of another person or group of people, an employee simply will not find lasting fulfillment.
Immeasurement
Employees need to be able to gauge their progress and level of contribution for themselves. They cannot be fulfilled in their work if their success depends on the opinions or whims of another person.
June 26, 2020
Shame on me for letting this book fall through the cracks in my Lencioni readings over the years. His assessment of what leads to job misery certainly resonates with my experiences, and, as usual, he packages the insights in a manner that is both compelling and accessible. If I have one critique, it is that the fable went on a little longer than it needed to. But it seems he addressed that in subsequent books, as they are much shorter. Still, well worth the read.
January 25, 2020
Must have for anyone interested in being manager and decent person at work
July 19, 2021
Не ожидал, что книга будет такая же крутая, как «5 пороков команды»
September 25, 2021
Recommended reading from a supervisory course I'm in right now. Would recommend for current and future managers/supervisors.
April 21, 2024
Simple yet still gold. Lined up for summer book club.
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