This is a great topic and an easy read. While it is a one-trick book, the topic is so deep and varied that it can fill an entire book. A lot of managerial books that cover a single topic are often shallow and sometimes even fails to offer ways to correct the problems associated with the topic. That is not the case with this book. <BR/><BR/>The author provides a clear, operational definition of a miserable job. If you have moved around in your career (or not!) you can easily relate to these bad jobs. <BR/><BR/>I was very glad to see the author lay the bulk of the blame at the manager's feet. This is where it belongs but man. The relationship between the employee and their direct supervisor is one of the most important in that person's life. <BR/><BR/>The three signs are defined as: <BR/><BR/>Anonymity - In a recent training class for managers, I asked them to list their subordinates and then to tell me the name of the spouses and name at least one of their children. I struck out. Not a single person could pull this off. <BR/><BR/>Irrelevance - I am reminded of the two stone cutters. One said his job was hot, dusty and hard. The other enlightened cutter told everyone he was building a cathedral. What a difference between the workers! <BR/><BR/>"Immeasurement" or not being able to tell if your work is contributing to the success of the organization or themselves. For me, an analogy would be given the job of driving a car cross country but not being given a map, fuel gauge or speedometer. <BR/><BR/>Buy this book if you want to reduce your employee turnover and help with retention. This is right on point and I can highly recommend it. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 9, 2008
Decent book! but I will always be miserable at work! thats why they call it work!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.NathanIves
Posted April 9, 2013
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (And Their Employees)by Patrick M. Lencioni examines three causes of job dissatisfaction. Focused on the executive and management teams, Mr. Lencioni illustrates the harmful effects of anonymity, irrelevance, and immeasurability on worker performance and ultimately the organization's success. He then prescribes actions that can be taken to overcome these obstacles thereby increasing employee productivity and engagement which subsequently improves organizational performance.
Employee performance serves as the foundation for the organization's overall performance. When employee efforts are optimized and aligned to common mission goals, the organization realizes its greatest value potential.
Creating job satisfaction and thereby earning employee engagement and promoting focused, productive work effort is the responsibility of every executive and manager. I like The Three Signs of a Miserable Job because it highlights the fundamental job satisfaction needs shared by all employees and the barriers preventing these needs from being met. As with all of his previous fables, Mr. Lencioni offers actionable steps executives and managers can take in order to eliminate these barriers. Additionally, Mr. Lencioni's recommended actions support what I believe is key to sustained, superior success; shared vision, focus, and commitment.
As a business novel, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job presents its principles for improving job satisfaction through a believable, vividly illustrated, and easily related to story of two organizations struggling to improve performance. Many of the best practice recommendations found on the StrategyDriven website compliment the actions prescribed in The Three Signs of a Miserable Job; making this book a StrategyDriven recommended read.
All the Best,
Nathan Ives
StrategyDriven Principal
An easy read ... enlightening examples ... easy narrative.
Very informative ... of course I thought so since I related to so much of what the author wrote.
There's nothing like reading part of your work history in another's account of the issue!!
Probably should be required reading in any MBA curriculum .... just so those emerging MBA's have a real handle on the real world!!
I enjoyed it thoroughly. Keep it on your bookshelf!!
Anonymous
Posted November 11, 2008
This is a must read for anyone who has a job, especially Leaders. The book is written in such a way that you do not want to put it down. I read this complete book in two sittings because the book is written in story form where you just want to know what is next. Contrary to what most may think about the title it is a very upbeat book that shows you how you can make an impact in your employees life with 3 simple concepts and how as an employee you can empower yourself to truely enjoy any line of work. I manage an office of around 12 people and plan on having all of my employees read this book.
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Posted May 13, 2008
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Mangers (and their employees), by Patrick Lencioni, is a great and an informative book. It gives insight in ways to improve business life and relationships with your boss. If you're looking to improve your work life by finding it more rewarding then this is a must read. This book encompasses many aspects on why a job may seem miserable. Lencioni also offers some remedies that may improve a miserable job. A great book for an employer and employees as well! A must read for the working man.
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Posted October 1, 2007
As a consultant to executives and Boards, I see a growing interest in accountability and results, and systems that they believe will produce results. However, the piece they all too often miss is that unless the people who they lead, know and believe they care and show them, the results will probably not get achieved. What Patrick outlines in this his latest fable, is simple and yet so difficult to convince leaders of its fundamental importance. It reminds me of the axiom 'I don't care what you know, until I know that you care'. If you want evidence that this works, go look into the companies Jim Collins identified in Good To Great, and you'll find leaders who practice this day in and day out. If you show your people you care, then they'll start to trust you and you'll be able to move toward building a 'Team' as Patrick suggests in his other books. Leaders in whatever capacity need to understand that unless they lead by example, they'll likely never achieve the results they would like in their organization. It may be simple, but unless leaders commit to practicing this daily, and allow themselves to be held to account, it won't be believed by those they are trying to lead. This book is long overdue and could make a serious difference in the quality of products and services that we in North America would like to see. It could just be our competitive edge in the Global market.
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Posted August 19, 2007
We interact with 60+ CEOs in Northern Indiana and now we have something that helps these companies. Pat in his fable / easy read style effectively communicates solid solutions to a cloudy vital issue with clarity and simplicity. His findings will impact both your business and personal life.
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More About This Textbook
Overview
Praise for The Three Signs of a Miserable Job
"This is a page-turner that unravels the mystery of job satisfaction for any manager. Whether you manage six or sixty thousand people, it is essential reading."
—Trevor Fetter, president and CEO, Tenet Healthcare Corporation
"In a sea of generic books on employee engagement and empowerment, Lencioni throws us a life preserver. His book is a masterful tale which I highly recommend to leaders and anyone else trying to build more personal satisfaction in their work."
—Kevin D. Wilde, vice president, chief learning officer, General Mills, Inc.
"Lencioni provides a powerful message to all who lead people, one that will produce exceptional loyalty and results. This simple book can make a huge difference."
—Robert W. Savage, chief operating officer, Taco Bell Corporation
"I love this clever and insightful book! It will remind any manager, at any level, why they became a manager in the first place."
—Greg Cross, senior vice president, Hilton Hotels Corporation
"Don't let the simplicity of his message fool you. Lencioni provides powerful, practical real-world solutions for improving results by putting people first. I found many new ideas for self-improvement that I can't wait to try!"
—Jeff Lamb, vice president, people and leadership development, Southwest Airlines
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job
Product Details
Related Subjects
Meet the Author
Patrick M. Lencioni is founder and 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 in organizations ranging from Fortune 500s and high-tech start-ups to universities and nonprofits. He is the author of six nationally recognized books, including the New York Times best-seller The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
Table of Contents
Introduction vii
The Fable
Shock 3
Part One: The Manager 5
Part Two: Retirement 21
Part Three: The Experiment 59
Part Four: Going Live 167
The Model
The Miserable Job 217
The Cost of Misery 219
The Three Signs 221
The Benefits and Obstacles of Managing for Job Fulfillment 224
Exploring and Addressing the Causes of Job Misery 229
Case Studies 239
Taking Action 250
The Ministry of Management 253
Acknowledgments 255
About the Author 259