Anonymity

People cannot be fulfilled in their work if they are not known. All human beings need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by someone in a position of authority. As much as this may sound like an aphorism from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, it is undeniably true. People who see themselves as invisible, generic, or anonymous cannot love their jobs, no matter what they are doing.

Irrelevance

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. Even the most cynical employees need to know that their work matters to someone, even if it's just the boss.

Immeasurement

Employees need to be able to gauge their progress and level of contribution for themselves. They cannot be fulfilled in their work if their success depends on the opinions or whims of another person, no matter how benevolent that person may be. Without a tangible means for assessing success or failure, motivation eventually deteriorates as people see themselves as unable to control their own fate.

Simple? Absolutely.

Obvious? Perhaps.

But if so, then why in the world do so many managers—dare I say, most managers—fail to provide their people with these basics of a meaningful job?

Maybe because it is too obvious. Well-educated people often have a hard time getting their hands around simple solutions. Or perhaps the eighteenth-century author Samuel Johnson is right, and they just need to be reminded a lot. Or maybe they're just not sure about how to get started.

Whatever the case, the following sections provide a deeper understanding of the three root causes of a miserable job, the benefits of addressing them, and what is needed to make any job more fulfilling and engaging.