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The FISH! philosophy is a workplace management system created by John Christensen. The system was first published as a film, with a spin-off series of books.
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History
On a visit to Seattle, Christensen observed how animated and happy the employees at Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market were in their work. They filled orders by flinging fish to each other, inciting laughter from the customers and compliments about their throwing/catching abilities, or commiseration if they missed. Employees would often invite customers to join the fun. The Pike Place employees gave their complete attention to each of their customers and ensured each had an enjoyable visit. Christensen realized that not only were the workers making a routine errand fun for themselves and their customers, they also were selling tons of fish. He constructed the FISH! Philosophy from his observations of Pike Place employees, arriving at four key concepts:
- Play
- Make Their Day
- Be There [for Coworkers]
- Choose Your Attitude
The resulting FISH! film was translated into 17 languages and spawned a series of spin-off book titles, including Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results which has been translated into 34 languages.[1] Many companies and organizations have paid to introduce the FISH! Philosophy to their workplaces.
Technique
One method of recognition is the FISH! card, given by employees to each other when they have demonstrated one of the FISH! concepts. Employees who have earned three FISH! cards are presented with "Pete the Perch" a small stuffed toy fish of varying colors. Many companies present these tokens at staff meetings, flinging them, as the employees at Pike Place fling real fish, to the employees who have earned them.
Criticism
Some employees find these techniques ridiculous and demeaning. They contend that the idea of 'choosing your attitude' is naive and can be alienating for those with mental health problems such as depression, for whom a negative attitude is an affliction rather than a straightforward choice. In a video on YouTube, "Pike Place Hates FISH! Philosophy", a Pike Place Market employee informs his interviewer that the FISH! philosophy does not represent Pike Place, stating, "The guys that work here don't actually like the FISH! videos."
