Fish!

I did a training course this week called “Succeeding in Supervision”.

One of the things which stuck in my mind most was a 15 minute DVD they showed which was about the importance of having fun in your job. It’s about Pike’s Place Fish Market in Seattle and how much fun it is to work there. The boss there has generated a great working atmosphere of fun among staff and customers, and people flock there just to see them throwing fish around and joking with the crowds.

They summed it up in 4 principles (which could be applied to family life as well as work):

1. Play. Life is too short to be miserable, and if you are happy you can make others happy too.

2. Be there. When you are talking to someone or someone is talking to you, you must focus on them and give them your full attention as if they were the most important thing in your life at that moment, and not just a distraction or an interruption.

3. Make their day. Every interaction you have with a customer, work-mate, friend or family member during each day may be an opportunity to change their life of at least make their day – make the most of that opportunity.

4. Choose your attitude. Every day you wake up you get a choice whether to be positive or negative. You decide – is your glass half full or is it half empty? 

Unfortunately it’s only available in the US as a training video costing hundreds of dollars – it’s not on general release – which is a pity, because it would be good to watch from time to time when you feel the need for motivation. 

These guys in the fish market have a very mundane – even unpleasant job, but they manage to make it into a fun experience for themselves and their customers.