BookPrices.net - The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (And Their Employees)

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Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass

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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.3128
EAN: 9780787995317
ISBN: 0787995312
Label: Jossey-Bass
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: 2007-08-17
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Studio: Jossey-Bass

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Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: Don't Strike Out. Buy This Book!
Comment: 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.

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.

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.

The three signs are defined as:

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.

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!

"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.

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 - Author of Wingtips with Spurs

Customer Rating:

Summary: ABSOLUTE MUST READ!!!
Comment: This is a MUST read for anyone in a leadership position - it doesn't matter at what level or what business. After a collegiate coaching career, a college admissions career and now a Human Resources manager career this book applies to any genre and is EXCELLENT for bringing one back to the basics of 'what really matters' when you are dealing with people. My goal is to meet Patrick Lencioni!!!! I am now reading The Five Signs of a Dysfunctional Team - will review it when done.

Customer Rating:

Summary: An engaging fable about treating employees humanely
Comment: Business books take many forms, but seldom are they fables. Patrick Lencioni breaks the mold with this charming book about a manager who turns his workers' miserable jobs into fulfilling ones. He presents the fictional story of Brian Bailey, a big-hearted CEO who gets bought out, finds retirement dull and tries managing a seedy pizza parlor where the employees hate their jobs. Bailey quickly changes everything by the way he treats the shop's people. Later he works his magic as the new CEO of a failing retail sporting-goods company with a ruinously high turnover rate, where his humane techniques turn things around again. Lencioni's book is fun to read; its fable is touching yet credible. He reinforces important lessons all managers should know about getting the best from the people who work for them by providing empathy and recognizing the meaning of their work. If you are up for a parable, getAbstract recommends this engaging book. It spotlights a clear axiom: Treat people humanely and they will do as you wish - a valuable lesson for any manager or, indeed, anyone at all.

Customer Rating:

Summary: 10 page book in 200+ pages
Comment: I was disappointed by this book. The parable, while a quick read, lacked depth, insight and ah-ha moments. It was a dull story that didn't really go anywhere. The protagonist's journey of discovery lacked foils, obstacles, villains, etc. It was all too easy, as are the "3 signs of a miserable job." I've been in a miserable job and while it is true that these 3 signs were present, there were many other complex factors involved as well. This book takes too simplistic a view of miserable jobs.

I also have to point out that the book includes many references to God. Too many for a mainstream book, in my opinion.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Worthwhile Reading for Managers
Comment: While the title of this book..."The Three Signs of a Miserable Job"...might suggest a less than positive message, I found the take-aways from Lencioni's writing here to have a positive focus. More specifically, the book highlights the three signs of a miserable job, as identified by Patrick Lencioni, and focuses its message on how to identify...and avoid...these "signs" in the workplace.

Lencioni's books share a "fable as lesson" template and offer simple to follow...but difficult to implement...managerial practices. While difficult to implement, I generally find the author's practices sound and logical.

This book offers a good perspective for managers...if nothing else, it should highlight three characteristics of a job that should be avoided and/or eliminated across an organization.

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Editorial Reviews:

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 Lencionis 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, Sams 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.