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The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (And Their Employees) (Hardcover)

by Patrick Lencioni (Author)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product details

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Jossey Bass; 1 edition (31 Aug 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0787995312
ISBN-13: 978-0787995317
Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.7 x 2.5 cm

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 104,005 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#70 in Books > Reference > Directories > Careers & Jobs

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Product Description

Review

Lencioni, a consultant, speaker and bestselling author (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team), pinpoints the reasons behind and ways around what many consider a constant of the human condition: job dissatisfaction. According to Lencioni, job–fueled misery can ultimately seep into all aspects of life, leading to drug and alcohol abuse, violence and other problems, making this examination of job misery dynamics a worthy pursuit. Through the "simple" tale of a retired CEO–turned–pizzeria manager, Lencioni reveals the three corners of the employee unhappiness pyramid—immeasurability, anonymity and irrelevance—and how they contribute to dissatisfaction in all jobs and at all levels (including famously unfulfilled celebrities and athletes). The main culprit is the distancing of people from each other (anonymity), which means less exposure to the impact their work has (immeasurability), and thus a diminished sense of their own utility (irrelevance). While his major points could have been communicated more efficiently in a straightforward self–help fashion, his fictional case study proves an involving vessel for his model and strategies (applicable to managers and lower–level staff alike), and an appendix–like final chapter provides a helpfully stripped–down version. (Aug.) (Publishers Weekly Annex (Online), July 30, 2007)

"Lencioni knows how to spin a good yarn and he weaves in plenty of advice…this book is essential reading." (British Airways Business Life, October 2007)

"…well–written fable…a must–read" (Accounting Technician, October 2007)

"...filled with actionable advice...A must–read for managers and employees alike seeking to get the most out of their jobs." (Securities & Investment Review, November 2007)

“…written in such a way that you′ll find yourself wanting to know what happens to the characters“ (Personnel Today, March 2008)

"As with all lencioni′s books, this one is filled with actionable advice you can put into effect immediately." (PublicNet, September 24, 2008)

Review

"Lencioni knows how to spin a good yarn and he weaves in plenty of advice…this book is essential reading." (British Airways Business Life, October 2007)

"…well–written fable…a must–read" (Accounting Technician, October 2007)

"A must–read for managers and employees alike seeking to get the most out of their jobs." (Securities & Investment Review, November 2007)

“…written in such a way that you′ll find yourself wanting to know what happens to the characters“ (Personnel Today, March 2008)

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Contemporary Business Fable of Compelling Importance, 3 Sep 2007

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

According to research conducted by The Gallup organization, only 25% of employees are engaged in their jobs, 55% of them are just going through the motions, and 20% of them are working against their employers' interests. What's going on? In the Introduction to his latest book, Patrick Lencioni acknowledges what he characterizes as "Sunday Blues [:] those awful feelings of dread and depression that many people get toward the end of their weekend as they contemplate going back to work the next day...What was particularly troubling for me then [when he had such feelings] was not just that I dreaded going to work, but that I felt like I should have enjoyed what I was doing...That's when I decided that the Sunday Blues just didn't make any sense" and he resolved to "figure out what [personal fulfillment in work] was so I could help put an end to the senseless tragedy of job misery, both for myself and for others."

In this book, Lencioni shares what he then learned during his journey of discovery.

As is his custom, he uses the business fable genre to introduce and develop his insights. His narrative has a cast of characters, a plot, crisp dialog, various crises and conflicts, and eventually a plausible climax. Here's the situation as the narrative begins. Brian Bailey is the CEO of JMJ Fitness Machines. After fifteen years under his leadership, JMJ has become the number three, at times two "player" in its industry. "With no debt, a well-respected brand, and plenty of cash in the bank, there was no reason to suspect that the privately held company was in danger. And then one day it happened"....

The balance of the book proceeds on two separate but interdependent levels: Brian's personal and professional development after JMJ's acquisition by a competitor, and, the impact of that acquisition on JMJ's culture. Both he and the company proceed through what Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas have characterized as a "crucible": an especially severe trial or ordeal during which those involved experience tremendous pressure that either "makes them" stronger and wiser or "breaks them" in terms of their ability and/or willingness to prevail. The details of Brian's "crucible" as well as those of JMJ's are best revealed within the book's narrative. It would also be a disservice to both Lencioni and to those who read this commentary for me to reveal the meaning and significance of the book's title.

However, I feel comfortable explaining why I think so highly of this book. Here are three of several reasons. First, Lencioni is a master storyteller. He makes brilliant use of the components of the classic fable, in this instance (as in his earlier books) creating a contemporary business situation in which human beings are involved, rather than anthropomorphic animals as George Orwell, E.B. White, and Stephen Denning do. Brian Bailey and others are anchored in sometimes "miserable" real-world situations. Their responses to these situations are portrayed with authentic drama, not with a business theorist's facile didacticism. Second, he achieves his objective of determining (both for himself and for his reader) how personal fulfillment can be achieved in a workplace. There are indeed important lessons to be learned, both by managers and by those for whom they are responsible. Finally, Lencioni entertains his reader with appropriate wit without at any time trivializing the seriousness of the issues he addresses. This is a fable, not a sermon.

Those who share my high regard for Patrick Lencioni's latest book are urged to check out his earlier works as well as The New American Workplace co-authored by James O'Toole and Edward E. Lawler, Paul Spiegelman's Why is Everyone Smiling?: The Secret Behind Passion, Productivity, and Profit, and Michael Lee Stallard's Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity, and Productivity.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining read, which will make management lessons stick, 9 Oct 2007

By	Natalie Lord - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am new to this genre of book - Business Fiction, so I was not sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, as Lencioni tells the story of a retired CEO turned pizza restaurant manager in the most entertaining fashion. You can easily picture the characters he builds up and you can relate to them well (even if you are a manager or not). The book is very easy to read with chapters of just a couple of pages in length, making the lessons and morals easy to digest. The only part I felt that let it down (if anything) was towards the end Lencioni tried to demonstrate the "Three Signs of a Miserable Job" in a different industry (sports shops) - I did not feel this was necessary and it slightly went off track. This book will be a beneficial read for anyone looking to get motivated in their own role and also for managers looking to motivate their team.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging fable about treating employees humanely, 27 Aug 2008

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

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.

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