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I just finished reading this book last night (it arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon). It is another of Pat Lencioni's books of management fables and describes the three signs of a miserable job and how to turn that around.

The techniques are very familiar to all of those here at MT even if different terminology is used. Pat recommends using one-on-ones (to overcome annominity), feedback (to overcome immerasurability - his word), and coaching (to overcome irrelevance).

Like his other books this is a management fable and covers a retired executive as he attempts to learn why he was successful at his former company in raising morale (and productivity). A fun and easy read - common sense (which is sadly not all that common).

enjoy

cwatine's picture
Training Badge

The audio version has just been released on I-Tunes. I just need to find a train, plane or car travel to be able to listen to it !

hmcwheeler's picture

I just finished his book about politics in the workplace...Silos as he calls it. A terrific book I finished in a day. I have since given it to a coworker and my boss, both of which have enjoyed it.

cwatine's picture
Training Badge

I listened to the audio version. I found it interesting and entertaining. But I don't think it gave me anything really new. This is common sense.

So ... In my opinion, not the best book from Lencioni. I feel it lacks concrete stuff.

mikehansen's picture

It is a good read, but not overly actionable. However, if you are not doing O3s, this book might instill some passion in you to invest in the relationship with your direct reports. If so, it is worth the read.

His implied approach towards relationship building is unstructured, and thus inferior to O3s. I am not sure I am with Lionel on the mapping of immeasurability and irrelevance to feedback and coaching, but I can see some faint connections there.

I think Lencioni’s books (and I have read them all) are kind of like watching ‘Hoosiers’. They may inspire you to want to become a great coach, but they won’t tell you how to teach folks to pass and shoot.

My .02

Mike

Ps. The Silo book was my favorite :)

terrih's picture

I read about the first 8 chapters at a bookstore and was underwhelmed.

He's not the only writer to employ the "management fable" technique, and I wish it would go away.

Just tell me what you want to tell me. I've read Tolstoy, and you're no Tolstoy. Hell, you're no John Grisham even! :roll:

(My husband suggested that if the author followed my advice, it would just be a magazine article and not a book and wouldn't make him near as much money :wink: )

stephenbooth_uk's picture

[quote="terrih"]IHe's not the only writer to employ the "management fable" technique, and I wish it would go away.[/quote]

Ditto. I'm not a fan of management fables (about as far as you can be from being a fan, an anti-fan if you will allow), largely because I often find an alternate meaning to the one the writer/speaker is trying to put accross (often a much more compelling and, to me at least, logical one). When it somes to the ant and the grasshopper the version depicted in the film "A bugs life" seems much more true to life.

I remember some years ago hearing one, in a presentation abvout Network Marketing, about two sales people from different shoe companies visiting a new country and finding that no-one wore shoes. One sent back a message "No market, coming home" whilst the other sent back "Unlimited opportunity". The presenter was trying to make a point about the power of a 'can do' attitude but all I could think was "Didn't anyone think to try to find out why they don't wear shoes?"

Stephen