FISH! and the Flavor of the Month Club

Henry writes:

“I am passionate about the FISH! Philosophy, but I am very leery that my company is implementing this as one of many management styles that they preach today and drop tomorrow.”

Thanks for writing Henry!

So, how DO you keep your FISH! effort out of the “Flavor-of-the-Month” club?

First of all, this is a very common issue. In a lot of ways the training industry has shot itself in the foot here. Everybody says their program is all you need to “fix what ails’ ya”. Well, experience tells us a different story.

Training programs often follow a path not unlike March in Minnesota. March usually comes in like a Lion, with a flurry of cold and snow, but before you actually notice, the month has gone out like a Lamb and spring magically appears. In the same way, training programs often kick off with a lot of hype and excitement, and then one day, it just seems to have faded away.

The same thing can happen when people take on FISH! More accurately, I might say that it almost always happens when people take on FISH! as a new “training video” or “program”. FISH! is no doubt trained, but it is not a training video or program, it is a philosophy. When embraced as a philosophy, organizations and individuals, grow and develop - not because they are trying to “do” something extra, but because they do what they do everyday…but in a different way. Herein lies the key to sustaining growth with FISH!.

I had a quick-serve restaurant client tell me the other day that after working with it for eight months, “We just can’t do this FISH! thing anymore! It is getting in the way of servicing the customer.” I asked him what he meant by “FISH! thing” and he said, “Having the customer shoot a basket for a deal.” You may be surprised to know that I agreed - they should stop immediately! Not practicing FISH!, but having the customers shoot hoops when it gets in the way of servicing them or other customers.

You see, to a lot of people, FISH! = Activities. It may be Freaky Shirt Friday, Wacky Song Wednesday or having a basketball hoop behind the counter. Those are fun things, no doubt, and I’m sure they generate a lot of energy for the staff and the customer. However, that is only a small part of what FISH! can bring to your business.

To keep FISH! from becoming a member of the Flavor of the Month Club, it needs to be more than just activities. That means that you may do your daily tasks of reporting, teaching, selling or “making the donuts” with a new attitude and outlook. A FISH! approach – Be There, Play, Make Their Day, Choose Your Attitude – sparks creativity, innovation, a sense of caring, attentiveness and personal accountability. Isn’t that what we’re all after? And you don’t even have to wear a Hawaiian shirt!

So, how do you “live” the FISH! Philosophy?

Here is a quote that I have hanging in my office, I am not sure whose it is:

“To begin to change anything, we have to change the way we speak about things, the way we feel about things, and definitely the way we act about thing…day in and day out.”

Basically, you have to remind yourself consciously, every-day-hour-moment of how you want to show up. One thing that really helps people in is getting together (as a department, etc.) and talking about the situations we face and how we might typically respond. Then, look at how we might respond through the practices of FISH! (Be There, Play, Make Their Day, Choose Your Attitude). The more we talk about it, the more we expect it. I know that sounds simple but with practice it becomes a “way”…not just a “day”.

You have to keep the conversation about FISH! on the radar and top of mind. This takes commitment and effort. Don’t fool yourself – this is simple but it is not easy. Yet, as this approach starts to become a habit, you will notice that it has become the new “normal”. It’s just “the way you do things” now.

Congratulations, you’ve just changed your culture!

If you have further questions about this topic or any other please give me a call at 800-328-3789 and ask for Jay.

Take care and good luck!

Jay Larson

The Prophet of Possibilities