Patrick Lencioni on Job Misery

At Catalyst session #2, Patrick Lencioni shared insights from his new book, The Three Signs of Job Misery: A Fable for Managers (and their Employees).

  • The question isn’t whether someone has a good job or a bad job…it’s whether it makes you fulfilled or miserable.
  • Samuel Johnson said, “People need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed.”
  • There are three signs of job misery: 1) Anonymity, 2) Irrelevance, 3) Immeasurement.
  • If we don't care for the people who work for us, we shouldn't be managing people.
  • As a leader we must have a balanced perspective. On one side, we realize we are no more important than anyone else. On the other side, it makes a huge difference when we talk to people about what matters to them.
  • People who don't feel relevant in their lives don't like their jobs. Far too many people aren't reminded enough about how they make a difference.
  • Everyone who works need to know how they are doing. They want to know if they are doing well or not. They want and deserve feedback.
  • Some people say, "When I retire I'm going to spend my days doing ______." Patrick says, don't wait until you retire. Start doing what you can now to influence or help others.
  • When you manage someone, you are ministering to them.
  • Management is ministry. I think more people take steps toward Christ through being managed well than just about anything else.
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