Many learn life lessons from quiet, patience-testing afternoons spent fishing. While I cannot attest to this form of character development personally, I am hook, line and sinker supportive of the philosophy made famous by Pike Place Fish Market that has swept through corporate America, known as The FISH! Philosophy.
Jumping in!
I am an academic regalia nerd. Immaculata University’s new hire orientation leaders had the privilege of wearing a “fish” pin on our robes alongside honor society keys and achievement pins. As we entered the world as “big bad adults,” a cartoon fish reminded us to always be there, play, make others’ day and choose our attitudes. Combined, these four approaches to life and leadership form the famous The FISH! Philosophy. This framework made a strong impression on me, and I was intent on sharing it.
Fast forward a few years…As I neared the end of my MBA studies, my visions of starting new hobbies turned into plans. What transformed the vision of a blog into a reality was an intriguing turn of events. The day before I introduced a team of leaders to The FISH! Philosophy, as I was dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s of the presentation, I discovered PropellerGirl.com and on a whim, committed a LinkedIn sin….I sent a blank invitation to Deena Ebbert, a world famous Brand Ambassador of The Fish! Philosophy. As I thought better of this and quickly sought to pen a personal invite, the invitation was accepted. (Fangirling.) Instead, I swiftly messaged her a word of thanks. She immediately responded, and our exchange turned into a coaching session, exemplifying the “be there” and “make their day” philosophies.
Deena challenged me to develop a plan based on our impromptu chat and act on it. Today's Unicorn Talent is the first step of me making good on that promise. Thanks, Deena!
To the Point
The FISH! Philosophy centers on engaging and motivating employees and customers alike, in good times and bad, to “be there, play, make their day and choose your attitude.” By taking small everyday actions and becoming more deliberate in how we interact and lead, we can transform our teams and workplace cultures. Upon first introduction, I find that these four philosophies present individuals with a bit of humble mental gymnastics. The well-named philosophies can be fairly easily defined. We know what it means to “be there” and “choose our attitude.” “Play” can be a bit elusive; more detail to come. Finally, we each have been on the receiving end of someone living out “make their day.” How do we create such moments for others?
The FISH! Philosophy is about putting people first. Plain, simple…effective!! It can be put into practice through small tangible actions and not grandiose, expensive gestures. Some ask, “Do such small actions count? How different is this from what I currently do? If I put the effort in, will the impact be meaningful?” Only the fisher can answer this. To bait the hook and encourage sustainable behavioral change, what I have found is that individuals’ ears perk up and their minds open when engaged in discussions of what “being there, playing, making their day and choosing your attitude” look like. How are they a part of our everyday?
Be There
· Be present and reliable
· Listen to listen, not to respond
· Be there for the person, not just the employee
· In the good and the bad
· Have their back
· Go to bat for someone
· Work side-by-side; check egos at the door
· Be an effective coach and accept coaching in return
· Grow together
· Build others’ confidence
Play
At Pike Place Fish Market, the team throws fish to entertain and engage. What could be viewed as stinky, cold and slimy – a mere transaction – becomes a show, a game, an invitation to an immersive experience. What if work were not a clock watching exercise but a joy-filled way to spend our most precious resource, our time?
How can you play if you don’t happen to have fish lying around? What does play look like for your team? Below are some ideas:
· Throw smiles
· Be lighthearted
· Embrace humor
· Craft experiences, not exchanges
· Welcome creative approaches to problem solving
· Throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks
· Be unapologetically creative
· Host friendly competitions
Make Their Day
· Craft and deliver a thoughtful thank you
· Sprinkle a bit of magic, shine in your customer service
· Share in the good times and lean in even more in the bad
· Go the extra mile on an ordinary day or occasion – elevate the everyday
· Show them the highest regard and respect in challenging moments
· Add positive energy
· Set them up for success and breakdown barriers
· Remember their birthday or anniversary
· Personalize tokens of appreciation (e.g. favorite candy bar with a handwritten note)
Choose Your Attitude
· Don’t let stress rule your day or transfer to others
· Let your sun shine
· Know you are contagious
· Reconsider your assumptions
· Your problems are not everyone else’s
· Pause, own it, move on
· Deliberately choose to show up as your best self
· Be candid and vulnerable
What is perhaps most wonderful about FISH!, as the philosophy’s slogan “catch the energy, release the potential” highlights, is that once individuals understand these core tenets, they naturally become change champions and contagious role models. Everyone quickly has the opportunity to dive in and get in on the fun!
As mentioned above, I recently shared this great lesson in leadership and teamwork with a key talent population. They recognized the challenge and nuances of “walking the talk” but immediately saw its value and practicality. In fact, one FISHer decided to “play” and “make my day” the day after The FISH! Philosophy was introduced to the team. This person rearranged two items on my tidy, 5S-ed desk. He switched my safety glasses storage cup with my pencil cup, which reads, “You don’t have to be crazy to work here; we will train you.” I suppose you could say, I trained him well. Haha. I was left grinning ear to ear and still am as I write this.
Call to Action
Living The FISH! Philosophy is not hard, rather it requires mindfulness and commitment. Engaging our teams and empowering our people will continue to remain a key success factor for organizations and talent development and retention. Being there, playing, making their day and choosing your attitude will distinguish growing and prosperous organizations from others. Are you ready to FISH?
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