top of page
Search
lenacrawford1980

The Fish Philosophy Video: What You Can Learn from the Fishmongers Who Changed the World of Work



This principle is the foundation piece of the FISH philosophy. When people choose to be fully present in the moment it allows them to be emotionally present for people. Be There is a powerful message of respect that improves communication and strengthens relationships.


When you only show the video you are robbing your team of the full experience. We have come across organisations that claim to have delivered Fish training and yet they have actually only shown the Fish Video at induction or during a team meeting.




The Fish Philosophy Video



What that does is give the employees a very basic introduction of what another company has done a very long time ago. Often we hear that some of the younger generations say it is not relevant since they can not relate to throwing fish. There is so much that can be lost when only a video is shown.


Many employees will even zone out when they watch a video and we know that people learn in a variety of ways. Most effective learning is experiential. Getting your team involved will require so much more than just showing a video.


You will also need to make this relatable to your team. If you are selling Fish at a Fish Market this video will be instantly relatable but what if you are selling working in an Art Gallery or serving drinks at a high-class venue or greeting Guests at a Five Star venue. How will your team throw their own version of Fish into what they do every day?


Organisations that have a strategy or fishing plan in place are the ones that are coming out winners. They are still sharing the fish video but only as a part of an entire program or Culture Strategy.


The Fish! Philosophy (styled FISH! Philosophy), modeled after the Pike Place Fish Market, is a business technique that is aimed at creating happy individuals in the workplace. John Christensen created this philosophy in 1998 to improve organizational culture. The central four ideas are: "play", "be there", "make their day", and "choose your attitude".[1]


On a visit to Seattle in 1997, John Christensen, owner of ChartHouse Learning, observed fish sellers at Pike Place Fish Market tossing trout and salmon through the air of the market, providing high energy that energized many pedestrians passing by on their lunch breaks.[2] They gave their complete attention to each customer and ensured each had an enjoyable visit.


Christensen noticed the actual work of selling fish was repetitive, cold and exhausting. It occurred to him that the fishmongers might not enjoy every part of their job, but they chose to bring joy to how they approached it. They also sold a lot of fish. He asked the fishmongers if he could film them and they agreed. Lee Copeland Gladwin reports the events at hand spawned a film entitled Fish to be released, June 1998. John Christensen created the Fish Philosophy in 1998. From the film, a book entitled Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results, by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen was written.[3] When Christensen and his team examined the footage, they identified four simple practices anyone could apply to their work and life.[4] Karen Boynes, asserts once application of the four concepts of choosing your attitude, play, make someone's day, and be there, start, the environment changes to welcome positivity into the work place.[5] ChartHouse Learning called these concepts The Fish! Philosophy.


Ranken Jordan Pediatric Specialty Hospital in St. Louis has four FISH! banners, one for each practice, hanging in its lobby as a symbol of its commitment to patients, parents and visitors. The staff uses the philosophy as a reminder to thank and recognize each other. Ranken Jordan's patient/parent satisfaction is above 95 percent and its employee retention above 97 percent.[6]


The Fish! Philosophy is applied in companies as far away as the Middle East. Wild Wadi Water Park, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, uses the video and principles in the socialization process of each of its new hires. The employees also continue to live by its principles under the initiative of the current General Manager, who makes sure that his management style both reflects these principles and that his employees are also working in an environment that allows them to simultaneously have fun and be productive. A visible indicator of this is the team video produced for the Wild Wadi's version of the Harlem Shake (song).[8] In 2004, the water-park won the SWIM Award for their Front Line Employee Training Program using "The Fish Philosophy". The Wild Wadi is not the only company in Dubai to actively use the Fish! philosophy, even the American Hospital uses the video in customer service training for its front line staff.


The FISH! Philosophy video was inspired by the Fishmongers at Pike Place FISH! and it was John Christensen that decided to share their story to help other businesses learn from their success.


They also have to sell the fish and deal with customers. But they realised that they wanted to enjoy their work more and not have it just be a JOB. So they came together and decided to become World Famous.


The FISH! award-winning online course is interactive, engaging, and effective. With more and more teams working remotely or apart sharing this philosophy online helps to bring teams closer together with a common language and encourages lighthearted interaction during the engagement.


HiI would welcome any feedback from colleagues regarding the FISH! philosophy. Where people have found it has worked well and what issues if any they have come across in using it as part of a wider change initiative. We are thinking of using it as part of a drive to improve our customer services environment and responsiveness, energy etc.


I think it is important to treat it as a means, and not an end (or a beginning - a video will not change a thing). It is important also to believe that everyone influences their work environment, even by whether or not they walk in with a smile on their face. Most crucially, it works where senior managers want to make a cultural change and Fish just exemplifies it. They must walk the talk, ALL the time, for at least a year before all the cynics and fence-sitters take notice.


The FISH! Philosophy is a set of practices used for more than 20 years to inspire teams and individuals to reach new heights in their work. It is based on the lessons of the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, WA - where staff are so energetic and positive that large crowds come just to watch them work - and buy lots of fish.FISH! teaches four essential practices anyone can apply to their work and life. It will help you develop key skills for professional and personal success.


The Gertrude B. Nielsen Center has been influenced by the principals of the Reggio Emilia Approach to the education of children birth-six. The Reggio Emilia philosophy is based on the idea that early years of development form who children are as individuals. The approach is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment driven by the interests of the children. Find out more at North American Reggio Emilia Alliance.


Our team GBN activities are inspired by the training video, Fish, which is based on the World Famous Pikes Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington and the book by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen which shows us how we all can make a working environment, work for everyone.


For more than 20 years fish have been flying through the middle of downtown Seattle. Locals come to the Pike Place Fish Market to buy fresh fish. Tourists come for the novelty of seeing the fishmongers throw 10-pound salmon to each other 50 feet through the air. The tradition continues, as owner John Yokoyama has sold his fish market to three employees.


While some organizations may focus on making a better product, even at the expense of customer and employee experience, the lesson from the Pike Place Fish Market is that the entire employee-and-customer experience can be the product. The fish at the Pike Place Fish Market is not significantly better than at any other market in Seattle. Arguably, there are better deals on fresh seafood at other markets. But they make the normally boring activity of buying fish fun. More than that, the interaction with the fishmongers brightens your day. They are playful. They are present in the moment with the customers, and each other. They have great attitudes. And they try to make your day. Given the choice of buying from people who are clearly not enjoying their work, and people who are clearly having fund and making and effort to brighten your day, many of us would pay a bit more for the same product.


It was a happy accident that the kaizen idea to throw the fish in order to reduce steps also added an element of novelty and playfulness to the customer experience. It was fortunate that Yokoyama made respect for people the pillar of his fishmonger philosophy. How many of us sell a commodity or service that we could differentiate by adopting the customer and employee-centered Fish! philosophy?


A corporate video about the fish throwers has become the best-selling training video in the country. They're so famous that Yokoyama and the company's business consultant, Jim Bergquist, are starting a venture called Pike Place Business Futures Consulting.


Like a flying fish, Yokoyama is soaring high. He's been bombarded with invitations to give corporate presentations. Some 3,000 organizations - including Nordstrom, Boeing, Amazon.com, Nokia, Harley-Davidson, Sprint, Saturn, Southwest Airlines and McDonald's - are already using the video "Fish!" and its sequel, "Fish Sticks!"


In 1998, ChartHouse International Learning put together a lighthearted, 17-minute corporate-training video called "Fish!" featuring the Market's fishmongers and a "Fish! philosophy," broken down into four easily digestible points: Play; be there; choose your attitude; and make their day. 2ff7e9595c


0 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

تعليقات


bottom of page