Book of the Month - November
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job
Patrick Lencioni - ISBN: 978-0-7879-9531-7 - 2007
Author:
Patrick Lencioni
Pat is one of the founders of The Table Group and is the pioneer of the organizational health movement. He is the author of 13 books, which have sold over 6 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages.
As President of the Table Group, Pat speaks and writes about leadership, teamwork, and organizational health and consulting with executives and their teams.
Before founding the firm in 1997, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation, and Sybase. Pat lives in the Bay Area with his wife and four boys.
Brief Synopsis:
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job follows Patrick Lencioni’s pattern for books: A fable followed by a breakdown of the theory. This book tells the story of Brian Bailey. Brian decides to sell his company and retire. However, he finds he can’t stay retired. He finds his most significant problem in needing a problem to solve. Through a series of conversations and purchasing into a restaurant. He lands on the diagram below.
Job misery can be eliminated when managers do not implement good measurements and help their reports understand how their jobs impact people positively. They also need to get to know their staff, so the team feels known and does not remain anonymous. When good managers genuinely care for the people they lead and measure the right things, people work harder and produce more. After the fable, Pat breaks down his theory and helps us understand how to implement it in their lives.
Insights:
“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. “ pg. 221
“See, management is an everyday thing. Strategy and financial reporting and planning are not.” - pg. 196
“Well, if a person has no way of knowing if they’re doing a good job, even if they’re doing something they love, they get frustrated. Imagine playing a football game and not knowing the score. Or being a broker and not knowing if the price went up or down after you bought a stock.” - pg. 128
Should I read it or skip it?
I love Patrick Lencioni’s books. He has been a mentor from afar as he invites anyone to come sit at his table with him. I recommend this book and any of his other books, especially Five Dysfunctions of Team. This book serves those who like to read novels while at the same time giving a clear and concise summary of the theory and suggestions for implementation. I realize the publish date of 2007 may throw some people, but I think this book is as relevant today as the day it hit the market. I think the wisdom it delivers may be more important now in a market struck by covid and low unemployment.
