The Truth About Employee Engagement Book Summary - The Truth About Employee Engagement Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

The Truth About Employee Engagement summary

Name: The Truth About Employee Engagement
Rating: 4.4 (165 reviews)
Author: Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni

A Fable About Addressing the Three Root Causes of Job Misery

4.4 (165 ratings)

18 mins

Brief summary

"The Truth About Employee Engagement" by Patrick Lencioni is a management guidebook that highlights the importance of creating a fulfilling workplace culture and ensuring employee satisfaction to enhance productivity and profitability.

Topics

Hiring

Table of Contents

The Truth About Employee Engagement
Summary of 7 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Make any job work for you.

Life’s too short to have a miserable job. But don’t blame the job itself. If you take the right approach, any role has the potential to become a meaningful one.

In The Truth About Employee Engagement, Lencioni explores the effects unhappy employees can have on the success of a business, as well as the employee’s family and social life.

You’ll learn to identify the three root causes of job dissatisfaction and gain the tools you need to improve your own – and other people’s – work lives.

No matter what your job, whether you’re managing or being managed, you can benefit from the advice in these blinks.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

what a withered plant has to do with an unhappy employee;
why your boss should ask about your after-work pottery class; and
that a garbage collector may well be happier than Madonna.

Job satisfaction does not depend on salary alone, and the cost of miserable employees is high.

What does it mean when somebody tells you they have a bad job? There are lots of reasons they might feel less than happy with their role. It might leave them physically exhausted or offer low pay. But there are less obvious reasons why people might be dissatisfied.

Say you land a job in the sector in which you’ve always dreamed of working or secure a move to a position with an attractive salary. Neither of these things can guarantee job satisfaction.

Have you ever found yourself heading to work each morning, dreading arriving at the office? Have you ever counted the hours all day long, waiting for it to be over? Then you’ve had a miserable job that may have left you feeling deeply cynical, without motivation to apply yourself or perform well.

It has nothing to do with the job title or the sector; a doctor can be just as miserable as a construction worker. A professional sportsperson might be as disillusioned as an amusement park designer. A wealthy executive might be deeply unhappy in her job, whereas the waiter who serves her lunch may find his job deeply rewarding. You get the picture.

Being so unhappy in your job obviously has a personal cost – your general well-being. What isn’t as obvious is the high cost to companies.

Let’s look at efficiency. There’s plenty of research to show the negative impact dissatisfied employees can have on a company’s efficiency. When a worker is less engaged and less happy with their work, they’re less likely to perform well, and both employee and company will suffer.

Not only that – an unhappy employee’s misery and cynicism will filter into their home life, affecting their partner and children. The same people are also more likely to find it hard to perform their other social responsibilities, such as caring for loved ones and taking part in the wider community.

If we’re going to solve job misery, we’ll first have to understand what causes it. Luckily, the next blink has the answer.

There are three root causes of job misery and these can affect anyone.

Picture a plant. If the roots are rotten, no nutrients can be absorbed, the rot spreads to the rest of the plant and the whole thing soon withers and dies. Well, it’s much the same for humans in bad jobs. Three different rotten roots can potentially cause good jobs to wither into dismal ones.

The first of these roots is anonymity. People need to have their efforts recognized to feel valued. It’s crucial that somebody – ideally their employer – takes the time to understand their potential and appreciate their abilities. When people feel invisible, and that their presence wouldn’t be missed, they become despondent.

There are benefits to increasing employee engagement, and obstacles to overcome.

Say you’re running a business. It’s not making enough profit – what do you do? Look for cheaper suppliers? Use more efficient production methods? Maybe you should take a look at your staff first – increasing employee engagement can solve many problems.

The most obvious benefit of employee engagement is higher productivity. When people feel that their job has meaning, they’re much more willing to take responsibility to get things done. This may involve working longer hours or being more diligent, which will mean more accurate, higher-quality results.

Employers need to get to know their employees and show what employees are contributing.

What do you have in common with megastars like Madonna? More than you’d think. In spite of wealth and success, many actors and movie stars find themselves dissatisfied – under constant pressure to reinvent themselves because of a deep fear of becoming irrelevant. This fear affects office workers just as much as Grammy Award winners.

Employers can do a lot to help their employees feel needed. Firstly, by making sure each employee knows what their contribution is. For example, employers might encourage their employees to ask “Who am I helping?” In the hospitality industry, the answer is straightforward: the customer. But even though it’s clear who they’re helping, it’s important to remind employees that their work is having an impact by making sure to relay customer feedback to them.

Employees need to know exactly what they are contributing and have a reliable way of measuring this.

“Great job!” That’s the sort of thing you might hear from a manager trying to keep you motivated. It’s nice, but it’s not enough. Employers need to be a lot more specific in their praise. Why? Because employees need to know exactly what their contribution is to feel their work is worthwhile.

This often involves playing on the human element of any job. Take a worker at an airport hotel. It may be their job to deliver breakfast trays to guests’ rooms. If they only see their job as delivering food, they won’t find much satisfaction in the task. But if they understand that the guests receiving the breakfast have likely been traveling for hours, are very tired, and that having breakfast outside their door will make a huge difference to their day, the job suddenly becomes much more meaningful.

The job of a box boy or of a star athlete can both be made more meaningful.

You’ve already heard why a glamorous job isn’t necessarily a happy one, just as a menial job isn’t always miserable. If you need convincing further, here are some more examples of how to make any job more meaningful.

What about a box boy? The boy in this example is called Josh. He works at the supermarket packing customers’ bags and carrying them to the car. Josh may be at the bottom of the hierarchy, but the boss would be unwise to treat him anonymously. The boss might start a conversation, find something the two have in common and by doing so increase Josh’s interest in and loyalty to the store. Josh could also make the work more interesting for himself by giving the customers extra benefits, such as a weather report or an inspiring quote while he’s doing his job.

Managers should serve their employees; there are simple actions any manager can take to do that.

What do you think of when you think of service? An underpaid waiter serving a rich diner? An ordinary worker serving a more powerful manager? Actually, service should go both ways, and managers should aim to serve their employees.

When you’re a manager in a corporate organization, it’s easy to feel you’re not as generous or caring as a nurse or a doctor. But don’t forget that managers are in a position to give a great deal to their employees. To do this, they have to make an effort to improve the well-being of their employees – physically and mentally – to ensure they have the best possible working conditions. The great news is that everybody benefits in this situation; the employees feel valued and motivated, while the manager enjoys the satisfaction of having improved the well-being of many people and their families.

Want to see all full key ideas from The Truth About Employee Engagement?

Key ideas in The Truth About Employee Engagement

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is The Truth About Employee Engagement about?

The Truth About Employee Engagement (2007) tells you how to turn any type of job from miserable to meaningful. Using three key tips, you’ll find joy and satisfaction in your work. The blinks offer guidance for employers on creating an environment in which employees can thrive, and advice for job seekers on how to find the job that will be the perfect fit for them.

Best quote from The Truth About Employee Engagement

Job misery leads to even more immediate and tangible problems, like drug and alcohol abuse, or violence.

—Patrick Lencioni

Who should read The Truth About Employee Engagement?

Managers who want to motivate their employees
Employees seeking to improve their work experience
Job seekers looking for more than a paycheck

About the Author

Patrick Lencioni is a consultant and manager who specializes in developing strong teams and creating healthy dynamics within companies. He has worked not only for Fortune 500 companies but also for start-ups and nonprofit organizations. He has published numerous books including the bestselling The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

© Patrick Lencioni: The Truth About Employee Engagement copyright 2015, John Wiley & Sons Inc. Used by permission of John Wiley & Sons Inc. and shall not be made available to any unauthorized third parties.

Categories with The Truth About Employee Engagement

Management & Leadership Career & Success Corporate Culture

Book summaries like The Truth About Employee Engagement

The Fifth Discipline

Peter M. Senge

The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization

25 min

4.5

Build It

Glenn Elliott and Debra Corey

The Rebel Playbook for World-Class Employee Engagement

35 min

4.6

The Ideal Team Player

Patrick Lencioni

How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues. A Leadership Fable

Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business

A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty

9 min

4.4

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Employee Experience Advantage

Jacob Morgan

How to Win the War for Talent by Giving Employees the Workspaces They Want, the Tools They Need, and a Culture They Can Celebrate

An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

A Brief History of Humankind

Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't

17 min

4.5

Emotional Intelligence Habits

Travis Bradberry

Change Your Habits, Change Your Life

The Human Way to Transform Everyday Routines Into Workplace Magic

The New Psychology of Success

Say Less to Get More from Any Pitch or Presentation

27 min

4.5

Do Breathe

Michael Townsend Williams

Calm Your Mind. Find Focus. Get Stuff Done.

Why So Many Leaders Abdicate Their Most Important Responsibilities

18 min

4.2

The Psychology of Money

Morgan Housel

Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness

22 min

4.4

Plays Well with Others

Eric Barker

The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know about Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong

The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

22 min

4.6

When They Win, You Win

Russ Laraway

Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think

The Science and Art of Longevity

20 min

4.3

Leading an Inspired Life

Jim Rohn

Timeless Wisdom and Practical Strategies to Find True Fulfillment

18 min

4.5

Show the Value of What You Do

Patricia Pulliam Phillips & Jack J. Phillips

Measuring and Achieving Success in Any Endeavor

How to Get Noticed in a Noisy World

15 min

3.6

The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide

James Fadiman

Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys

17 min

4.5

Million Dollar Habits

Brian Tracy

Proven Power Practices to Double and Triple Your Income

18 min

4.4

The Obstacle is the Way

Ryan Holiday

The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph

31 min

4.5

Ultra-Processed People

Chris van Tulleken

The Science Behind the Food That Isn't Food

How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your Pleasure

Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma

20 min

4.4

Search Inside Yourself

Chade-Meng Tan

The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace)

19 min

4.4

Mastering Communication at Work

Ethan F. Becker and Jon Wortmann

How to Lead, Manage, and Influence

What to Do When Your Get-Up-and-Go Has Got Up and Gone

25 min

4.2

All You Have to Do Is Ask

Wayne Baker

How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success

28 min

4.2

Immunity to Change

Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey

How to Overcome it and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization

8 min

3.3

Be Useful

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Seven Tools for Life

19 min

4.4

The Necessary Revolution

Peter Senge

How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World

How Great Businesses Achieve Long-Lasting Success

23 min

4.6

The Storytelling Animal

Jonathan Gottschall

How Stories Make Us Human

Explore the Evolution of Inequality and a Path to a Better Future

Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

16 min

4.3

Change the Culture, Change the Game

Roger Connors and Tom Smith

The Breakthrough Strategy For Energizing Your Organization and Creating Accountability For Results

14 min

4.1

The Myths of Happiness

Sonja Lyubomirsky

What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't, What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does

28 min

4.4

How to Be an Adult in Relationships

David Richo

The Five Keys to Mindful Loving

26 min

4.5

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

Haemin Sunim

How to Be Calm in a Busy World

16 min

4.6

Meetings That Get Results

Terrence Metz

A Facilitator's Guide to Building Better Meetings

18 min

4.2

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine

Rashid Khalidi

A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917–2017

A Practitioner's Field Guide

What You're Missing and Why It Matters

22 min

4.5

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.