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.
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