The FISH! Philosophy: Energy is Contagious

Last week I attended a short seminar at work where we were introduced to the FISH! Philosophy.

What is the FISH! Philosophy?

First, a little background.

John Christensen was in Seattle for a visit when he found himself at Pike Place Fish Market. What made this place different from other fish markets was its energy. Workers repeated each customer’s order with a chorus of yells before tossing their fish through the air. They gave their complete attention to each customer and made them laugh, and their energy was contagious.

Christensen knew that the actual work of selling fish was repetitive, cold and exhausting. He realized that the fishmongers probably did not enjoy every part of their job, yet they chose to bring joy to how they approached it… and also sold a lot of fish in the process.

He asked them if he could film them and they agreed. Thus, the FISH! Philosophy was born.

The FISH! Philosophy includes four simple, interconnected practices:

Be There: When people need you, they need all of you. Setting aside distractions and judgments to be fully present is a sign of respect. It improves communication and strengthens relationships.

Play: You can be serious about your work without taking yourself so seriously. Play is a mindset more than a specific activity. It allows you to throw yourself with enthusiasm and creativity into whatever you are doing, in a way that is natural, not forced. “Playing” with ideas helps you find solutions to everyday challenges.

Make Their Day: Simple gestures of thoughtfulness, thanks and recognition make people feel appreciated and valued. When you make someone else feel good, you feel good too.

Choose Your Attitude: To actually choose how you respond to life, not just react, you must be intentional. When you get up, decide who you want to “be” today. Moment-to-moment awareness is key. Ask yourself throughout the day, “What is my attitude right now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me to be most effective?”

Through The FISH! Philosophy, we build stronger relationships with the team members we work with, the customers we serve, the students we teach and the people we love.

{via Charthouse}

I thought it made a lot of sense, and I have just the perfect example for this – the extremely enthusiastic server at the the coffee shop in our office building.

He always greets his customers happily with a Cheshire cat grin, and whenever he serves me, I always feel my spirits lifting inspite of myself.

So whenever I’m in a desolate mood and badly in need of a pick-me-up, I just make my way downstairs for a cup of mocha or a toasted bagel with cream cheese, with a side of contagious happy energy, please.

I want to be like the coffee shop server. A person whose energy is so full to the brim, it can’t help but spill over to the people around me.

And if people who sell smelly fish or serve irritable corporate slaves for a living can muster happiness, then I definitely can, too.

And so can YOU!

ARE YOU WITH ME?!? (Yes I definitely yelled that part, ala the fish folks. I’m off to a great start, aren’t I?)