Book ~ "Fish! A remarkable way to boost morale and improve results" (2014) Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen

From Goodreads ~ Here's another management parable that draws its lesson from an unlikely source - this time it's the fun-loving fishmongers at Seattle's Pike Place Market. 

In "Fish!" the heroine, Mary Jane Ramirez, recently widowed and mother of two, is asked to engineer a turnaround of her company's troubled operations department, a group that authors Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen describe as a "toxic energy dump." 

Most reasonable heads would cut their losses and move on. Why bother with this bunch of losers? But the authors don't make it so easy for Mary Jane. Instead, she's left to sort out this mess with the help of head fishmonger Lonnie.

I've read this book a couple times over the years ... the last time was in 2006.  Gord and I were talking about Pike Place Fish Market a couple days ago for some reason (he hadn't heard of it) and it inspired me to read the book again.

Mary Jane is a widow with two young children.  She recently got promoted to manage a department in the company she works for which is known as a toxic energy dump.  She can't afford to quit her job and her manager threatens to fire her and the team if they don't turn things around.

One day she wanders into the Pike Fish Market and sees how much fun the workers are having.  She is approached by Lonnie, one of the workers, who shares the principles, which are:

1. Choose your attitude
2. Play
3. Be present
4. Make their day

Though Mary Jane and Lonnie's story is a parable, they are good principles to live by.  Reading this book again reminded me of them.

Book ~ "Revved! : An Incredible Way to Rev Up Your Workplace and Achieve Amazing Results" - Harry Paul and Ross Reck (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ Authors Paul (FISH! Tales and FISH! Sticks) and Reck (The X-Factor) offer a guide to the business of caring and how to maximize its effect on the workplace environment. Their advice is packaged as a story about Katie Adams, a working mother of two whose husband suddenly leaves her. Her career suffers when she brings her sour mood to work, until she sees Dr. Allen, host of a self-improvement radio show and inventor of a three-step program for business success: "Winning Them Over," "Blowing Them Away," and "Keeping Them Revved." Paul and Reck's parable serves as a vehicle for their advice on improving interpersonal skills. Katie follows Dr. Allen's advice to make allies at work, show appreciation for those that go the extra mile and be consistent in business relationships, becoming "director of human potential" and turning her company into a sought-after workplace. This is a simple read with a useful idea-caring for workers motivates them to care for their work-told, ironically (perhaps purposely), through a character that readers will find hard to care about.

Cute and corny ... but an inspirational quick read.

Book ~ "Fish! Sticks: A Remarkable Way to Adapt to Changing Times and Keep Your Work Fresh" (2003) John Christensen, Harry Paul, Stephen C. Lundin

From Goodreads ~ The 'o-FISH!-al' follow-up to the phenomenal bestselling "Fish!" and "Fish! Tales", "Fish! Sticks" is a stand-alone business parable that shows you how to come up with a vision for your business and how to keep it alive, vital, and renewed through tough times, such as turnover in management and staff or a troubled economy. 

Using the example of a hugely successful, fictional sushi restaurant as a model for a vision of continual renewal, "Fish! Sticks" employs the same kind of easy-to-read story that was used in "Fish!" to illustrate its three major principals of continued success: Commit, Be It, and Coach It. 

When Stephanie, a new manager, takes over from a wildly popular and now promoted boss, she is faced with the problem of how to keep spirits up in a corporate unit that has, frankly, started to get bored and cranky and revert to its old ways. But then she visits the amazing Taka Sushi (formerly Taka Teriyaki), with its lines of customers cheerfully waiting for hours to get in. Soon, she realizes that the way to keep her employees motivated and her customers delighted can be learned from a bunch of waiters who teach one another everything they need to know. And when she finds out just how the owner of Taka knew to switch her main bill of fare from teriyaki to sushi long before anyone else, what she really discovers is the secret of keeping your work fresh.

Quick motivational read.

Book ~ "Fish! A remarkable way to boost morale and improve results" (2002) Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen

From Goodreads ~ Imagine a workplace where everyone chooses to bring energy, passion and a positive attitude to the job every day. 

In this engrossing parable, a fictional manager has the responsibility of turning a chronically unenthusiastic and unhelpful department into an effective team. 

Seattle's Pike Place Fish is a world famous market that is wildly successful thanks to its fun, bustling, joyful atmosphere and great customer service. 

By applying ingeniously simple lessons learned from the Pike Place, our manager discovers how to energise and transform her workplace. Addressing today's most pressing work issues with an engaging metaphor and an appealing message, "FISH!" offers wisdom that is easy to grasp, instantly applicable, and profound.

I read this book a couple years ago and it was fun to reread it. I'd seen the video in my Marketing Management course a couple months ago. They looked like they were having so much fun that I wanted to be reminded about the message.

The principles are easy:

1. Choose your attitude
2. Play
3. Be present
4. Make their day