The Three Signs of a Miserable Job

A Fable for Managers (and their employees)

By: Patrick Lencioni

Narrated by: Dan Woren

Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

In his sixth fable, best-selling 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 he 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 it offers examples of how managers can use the applications in the book to deal with specific jobs and situations.

©2007 Patrick Lencioni (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Interesting

Great job as usual by Patrick Lencioni! Loved Five Dysfunctions of a Team and this work was no less impactful.

great book

I have learned a lot from Patrick Lencioni. Sometimes the fable can drag on a bit and seem a little unrealistic but the core message is translated to the reader/listener and that is what matters. I highly recommend all of Patrick Lencioni's work.

I wish that I had read this years ago.

This is worth more than you'll pay for it. I sincerely wish I had found this when I first got into management. It carries over into teaching adults and team building, as well.

Brilliant and Necessary

Every manager needs to read this book. Every person needs to read this book! Because of what I learned here I quit my miserable job of 12 years and I'm applying these principles to my freelance work.
As someone with degrees in management, HR, counseling, and spiritual formation, I cannot recommend this work enough. Why has it taken so long for someone in a position of power to recognize the impact of a miserable work culture?
We cannot afford to ignore these problems in our lives and in our culture. Read this book now. Seriously. Now.

Story and Theory was effective delivery of concept

Hearing the fable first caused me to apply concept to personal circumstances even before I heard the theory

Another hit from Lencioni. Inspiring & actionable

Nailed it. I've been in miserable jobs and with hindsight certainty can say Patrick got it right. As a fan of his other work, I'm not surprised by that. As someone who now helps others recover from or avoid job misery, this will be a valued resource moving forward. It should be required reading in college or high school.

Eye opening and refreshing

As a manager this book was an incredible tool handed down to me by an upper management member. I am incredibly happy I took the time to indulge and cannot wait to apply some of the things I have learned.

Great Book.

Great Book. Easy to follow and relate to everyday life and work situations. Highly recommend

Powerful message for managers and non-managers

I highly recommend this book! It opened my eyes to how we over complicate simple things that can have such a positive impact on people’s lives.

So many managers are miserable in their jobs because they were promoted out of an individual contributor position and no longer have a strong grasp on the three factors outlined in this book.

Many individual contributors are miserable in their jobs because them and/or their managers don’t grasp these three factors.

There are several action items I have taken from this book that I am sure will improve the lives of the people who report to me and the people I report to.

Sorry I didn't read this sooner

Great story, but don't let the title fool you. It's not designed for people trying to figure out if they're in the wrong job, though it's possible to learn that. It provides insight into why certain jobs are miserable and how to make your way out of a rut, or lead your team/organization on the path to job fulfillment. There are many others I plan to share this with.