The FISH! Philosophy in the Seward Public Schools

December 12, 2005

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During the Teacher Orientation sessions in August of 2003, the entire staff of Seward Public Schools was introduced to the FISH! Philosophy. Wall Street Journal Business Bestseller FISH! by Steve Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen lays out the philosophy that is ìa remarkable way to boost morale and improve results.î Seattleís Pike Place Fish, a world famous market known for its fun, bustling, joyful atmosphere and great customer service, has been highlighted in several books, videos, and training materials. The folks at Pike Place Fish have discovered how to make their work fun, among other things, and feel that it has contributed to the success of their business.

Here at Seward Public Schools, we have viewed three of the FISH! videos; FISH!, FISH! Tales, and FISH! Sticks. We began with 18 ìfish schoolsî with members of each ìschoolî meeting on a regular basis to have some fun and practice the FISH! philosophy. Teachers, custodians, paraprofessionals, nurses, kitchen staff, bus drivers, and administrators all belong to fish schools. The groups each have a leader, called a ìfish head,î to help their group stay organized and send reading material throughout their membership. The books, FISH!, FISH! Tales, and FISH! Sticks all ìswimî through the fish schools so that people can learn more about the FISH philosophy.

We have joined "schools" this year, incorporating the philosophy district-wide and continue to use the following practices to enhance our work experience.

FISH Philosophy Basics

Choose Your Attitude

You can choose the way you do your work, even if there is not a choice about the work itself. Choosing the right attitude for the day should become a daily routine. It will provide you the energy and faith you need to guide you through the day. So what is the weather going to be like for you today? Think Sunny!

Make Work Like Play

You can be professional while having fun at work. When work seems more like play you will have more interest and energy to get tasks started and finished. Look for ways to break the tension or to insert a little humor into the day.

Make their Day

Your positive attitude and sense of play should bring a smile to your face and to the faces of your students and coworkers. Remember to include everyone in on the joke. Sharing a smile, a compliment, a thoughtful gesture will make someone's day. They will be thankful and will remember your goodness.

Be Present

Because we can think twice as fast as we can hear, it is easy to let our minds wander during conversations. Be attentive. Listen to others with all your senses and look for clues to understand not only the statements made, but the meaning behind them. Ask questions to sum up points to make sure you understand both the facts and meaning. It takes courage and determination to take action and affect change. But sitting still and doing nothing is costly.

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As we have worked with our new district vision statement, "Every Student Every Day A Success," we have used the key concepts of FISH! Sticks.  Creating a vision is difficult, and Pike Place Fish folks have learned what they need to do to keep their vision alive.

Commit

Humans long to commit to something worthwhile, so we invite each person to commit to the vision as they see the benefits and rewards it entails.  People gain responsibility and opportunities for creating and contributing as they commit to a vision.

Be It

A vision does not become real unitl individuals have internalized it, lived it, and externalized it.  The vision has life only if those involved know it and understand it, then take responsibility for it.

Coach It

The fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market give each other feedback on how they are living the vision.  This encourages a flow of ideas among all members of an organization.