Use the FISH Program to Improve
Your Organization’s Culture
Prepared by:
James J. Messina, Ph.D.
Available on: www.jamesjmessina.com
Do you love what you do?
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Do you believe you should not settle for
anything less than doing what you love?
Do you tell yourself that life is too short to
spend your working hours doing anything
less than the ideal?
Are you on a continuous search for
creating your organization as a perfect
workplace?
Is your organization a Toxic
Energy Dump?
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Is energy, passion, and spirit on the job
missing?
Any job no matter how big or small can become
boring and yet it can be done with energy and
enthusiasm if you do something about the
culture of the workplace!
Is the energy and morale in your organization so
low that it pulls down everyone in your
organization?
Why the FISH Program?
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Do you want a productive and profitable
work environment which is innovative
and accountable where a playful,
attentive, and engaging attitude leads
to more energy, enthusiasm,
productivity and creativity among your
employees?
Then you have come to the right place!
Are you ready to make the
change in your organization?
Consider these obstacles to implementing a culture
change in organizations like yours:
1.
Are you afraid to take the risk to change?
2.
Are you afraid of failing in your efforts?
3.
Do you know how to have fun and play?
4.
Do you trust your staff to do the right thing?
5.
Do you feel that you already do enough for your staff
to be happy and satisfied?
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Are you suspicious of ideas which do not come from
“one of your own?”
Are you ready to change?
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Are you ready to make your
organization “world famous?”
Are you ready to give your workers and
customers legendary services?
Are you ready to reap the rewards of
engaging your workers and customers
in a life changing experience?
THEN LET’S
FISH
The 4 Keys of FISH
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Choose Your Attitude – be aware that each
of us chooses our attitude each day
Play – have fun while doing your work
because fun is energizing
Make Their Day - engage customers in ways
which create energy and good will
Be There – be fully attentive to the needs and
desires of your customers at all times
FISH Key 1:
Choose Your Attitude!
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Step 1: There is always a choice about the way you do
your work, even if there is not a choice about the work
itself
Step 2: There is a need to give up the “victim” role
because life is not fair, but why let it ruin your day- chose
to be and do your best today!
Step 3: You have to be willing to take the risk to change!
You have to get unstuck!
Step 4: Have faith and trust that whatever happens in
your efforts to change your organization that you will be
all right-You will survive!
Choose Your Attitude
What it looks like:
 Living fully engaged lives realizing that you have the
power to choose your response to what life and work
brings your way
 Recognizing that you are responsible for how your
choices affect others
 In this era of enormous emphasis on productivity and
maximizing human capital, leaders do not lose sight
of the fact that it is people that drive their businesses
 These leaders are passionate about helping
employees stay alive and engaged in the work they
do
Affirm Yourself as You take on
the FISH challenge
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Changing the culture in my organization will
require me to become a leader in every sense of
the word
I will need to risk the possibility of failure
To take no action is to fail for sure!
My first step is to choose my attitude: I choose
confidence, trust, and faith as I grow and learn
to FISH with my organization!
FISH Key 2: Play
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Step 1: Recognize that although you are
out to make a profit, pay lots of salaries,
and run a serious business you can still be
serious about business and still have fun
in the way you conduct your business
Step 2: Let things flow and let go of the
stress through play and having fun
PLAY
What it looks like:
 Keeping curiosity alive and trust it to lead
to better solutions
 Finding ways to incorporate play in your
daily lives
 Approaching your work, responsibilities
and challenges with energy and
enthusiasm
Benefits of Play-Learn from
Pike Place FISH Market
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High levels of productivity and profitability
Low turnover of employees
Employees enjoy the work that can be tedious
Employees become great friends
Employees feel like members of a winning team
Employees have pride in what they do and the
way they do it
The organization develops a product and service
which is legendary and well known in the
community!
FISH Key 3: Make their Day!
Make their Day: Creating Good Memories
 Step 1: Look for as many ways you can to
create great memories for your customers
 Step 2: Being playful in the way you work
allows you to find creative ways to engage your
customers
 Step 3: Engage your customers by finding ways
to respectfully include them and to invite them
to join in your fun
Make Their Day!
What it looks like:
 Being passionate about serving-your
customers and co-workers
 Striving to bring sincerity and value into
the lives of your customers and coworkers
Impact of Make Their Day! at
Pike Place FISH Market
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Customer like being “part of the show”
Memories are created which bring smiles and
make good stories for a long time afterwards
Involving others and working to “make their
day” directs attention to the customer
Focusing attention on ways to make another
person’s day provides a constant flow of
positive feelings
FISH Key 4: Be Present!
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Step 1: Be present (Be there) for your
customers at all times
Step 2: Always be fully engaged in your work
and always working to engage your customer
Step 3: Involve your customer in every step you
take in completing their work
Step 4: Always keep your focus on your
customers
Step 5: Talk to your customers as if they were
your long lost friends
Being There or Being Present!
What it looks like:
 Listening to others and yourself
 Cultivating self-trust
 Becoming conscious of how you show
up at work
 Striving to be fully present for each
other every day
Being There’s impact on Pike
Street FISH Market
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Engaged and enthusiastic employees
Employees who are inspired, motivated and
engaged
Creating a culture based on camaraderie,
renewed creativity, reinvigorated passion and
loyalty
Productivity increases
Customer satisfaction improves
Turnovers drop
Revenues go up and stay up
FISH Culture Statement
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As you enter this place of work choose to make
today a great day - Your colleagues and
customers and you will be thankful
Find ways to play - We can be serious about
work without being serious about ourselves
Stay focused in order to be there when your
customers and co-workers need you
Should you feel your energy lapsing try this
surefire remedy: Find someone who needs a
helping hand, a word of support, or a good ear –
and make their day!
Practice FISH at Work!
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Be sincere in your efforts-really mean
what you say when you encourage your
staff to Play, Be There, Make Their Day
and Choose a Positive Attitude
Be sure to role model this effort at team
work in your organization
References
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5.
FISH! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results (2000) by
Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul and John Christensen. Hyperion
Books, New York
FISH! Tales Bite-sized Stories. Unlimited possibilities (2002) by Stephen C.
Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul and John Christensen. Hyperion Books, New
York
FISH! Sticks Make Change Stick (2003) by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D.,
Harry Paul and John Christensen. Hyperion Books, New York
FISH for Life (2004) by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., John Christensen and
Harry Paul, Hyperion Books, New York
When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating Vital and Energized Workplace from
the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market (2004) by John Yokoyama and
Joseph Michelli, Hyperion Books, New York
6.
Catch! A Fishmonger’s Guide to Greatness: Stop Floundering and Become
More Effective in Your Life and Work (2004) by Cyndi Crother and the
Crew of World Famous Pike Place Fish, Berrett-Koehler Publisher, San
Francisco, CA
Where can you get the Fish books? http://www.fishphilosophy.com
Graphics come from http://www.charthouse.com/ecards.asp?whoenter=
References from Jim Messina
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On Becoming a Risk Taker:
http://www.coping.org/growth/risk.htm
Handling Insecurity:
http://www.coping.org/growth/security.htm
Overcoming Pessimism and Negativity:
http://www.coping.org/anger/pessimis.htm
Handling Hostility, Sarcasm and Cynicism:
http://www.coping.org/anger/hostile.htm
Handling Fear of Success:
http://www.coping.org/growth/success.htm
Self Affirmations:
http://www.coping.org/innerhealing/affirms.htm
Having Fun: http://www.coping.org/growth/fun.htm