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Resources>Book Reviews

Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results

Authors: Harry Paul, John Christensen, Stephen C. Lundin
Publisher: Coronet Books
Price: £5.99

Should work be fun? Can work be fun? For the majority of people work is pure drudge, a nightmare 5 days to be battled through between weekends. This book stars a fishmonger in Seattle, Pike Place Fish Market, where remarkably those who work there have a whale (!) of a time. The idea appears far fetched, after all getting up early, working in freezing conditions and as for the smell ...

The book is short and very easy and fun to read. The story involves a female manager who takes on a new job in Seattle and is asked to turn around her company’s operation department. Just to ensure that we understand just how bad things are the department is vividly described as a "toxic energy dump." This is a department full of losers, no hopers, energy challenged individuals and these are the better employees! No wonder her predecessors had departed convinced nothing was salvageable.

The heroine is in despair until one lunch time she is drawn by crowds being entertained at the local fish market. The crowd is enjoying the spectacle of fish mongers having a fun time, chucking fish at their customers, being fully engaged with them and at the same time managing to outsell all their competitors.

How is this possible? People working in these conditions are not only enjoying themselves but making lots of money and drawing regular crowds to enjoy the whole experience with them.

The heroine approaches the head fishmonger, Lonnie, to enquire about their remarkable attitude. Lonnie over a period of time reveals the four key elements that make the fishmongers happy and successful. These lessons are applied to the imploding department. Starting slowly the department accelerates through a remarkable change astounding not only the rest of the company but themselves.

Fish, as appears to be the trend set by authors such as Spencer Johnson, is written as a parable, the lessons can be used to enhance your life as well as your business. The four key lessons that the fishmongers impart are:

Play - have fun and create energy at home or at the office.

Make their day - how can you engage fellow employees, customers and make each other's day?

Be Present - How can you make sure you are fully available and aware during conversations with people? It is about create a greater sense of intimacy between individuals.

Choose Your Attitude - Each day you choose how you are going to act or which "side of the bed" you wake up on. The choice is yours and, the way you act, affects others.

The authors claim that this philosophy will boost morale and improve operational results in a business organisation -"…enclosed are the keys to creating an innovative and accountable work environment where a playful, attentive, and engaging attitude leads to more energy, enthusiasm, productivity, and creativity" they tell us.
The lessons are simple and obvious but need stating and repeating and practice. I certainly felt enthused having read the book. I have recommended it to a number of people who have been involved in organizations not far removed from toxic waste situations themselves and have seen the book enjoyed and enthused over and immediate attempts made to implement the philosophy.
However given the size of the book and the way it is written, as a story, there are no tools for implementing the philosophy and getting engagement and commitment from everyone involved in a turnaround process. No doubt these are revealed in the follow up books.
What the book does hammer home is that work can be fun, that success can be measured in terms other than just profits, (social entrepreneurs take note), that the lessons can be just as effective when applied to family and friends as to work colleagues and customers.
Uday Thakkar