Two ways you can become a better manager

In his Amazon blog, management consultant Patrick Lencioni writes "The primary source of job misery and the potential cure for that misery resides in the hands of one individual--the direct manager. There are countless studies confirming this statement, including both Gallup and The Blanchard Companies. Both organizations have found that an employee’s relationship with their direct manager is the most important determinant to employee satisfaction (over pay, benefits, perks, work-life balance etc)."

"One of the most important things that managers must do is help employees see why their work matters to someone," says Patrick in The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. "If managers cannot see beyond what their employees are doing and help them understand who they are helping and how they are making a difference, then those jobs are bound to be miserable."

Patrick also mentions the importance of establishing effective measures. "Employees who can measure their own progress or contribution are going to develop a greater sense of personal responsibility and satisfaction than those who cannot....When they realize that there is no clear, observable link between their daily job responsibilities and the metric they are going to be measured against, they lose interest and feel unable to control their own destiny."