Amanda-Dokter-headshotDo you currently work for a company or department that could be described as unpleasant, a wasteland, lifeless, negative, or a toxic energy dump?  Do you enjoy coming to work?  What if the company or department was known as a high energy place; usually described as playful, enjoyable, positive, and happy?  Would you look forward to going to work each day?

Think about a fish market, do the words playful, enjoyable, positive, and happy come to mind?  Fish markets are usually smelly, loud, require a lot of hard work, and don’t pay much.  Not many peoples ideal place to work.  However, one fish market is changing that stereotype and becoming a playful, enjoyable, positive, and happy place to work.

In 2000, Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen got together to write a book about the fishmongers of the world famous Pike Place Fish Market.  These fishmongers, despite their not so pleasant job, provide an enjoyable, positive, and fun working environment for staff and customers alike.

Their book, FISH!, tells the tale of how one manager used what she learned from the fishmongers, known as the Fish Philosophy, to turn her toxic energy dump department into a high energy, positive place to work.  KTLLP has been putting the Fish Philosophy into practice since 2005.  The firm encourages staff to follow the four key principles of the philosophy; to choose their attitude, play at work, make their clients day, and be present.

Over the next few newsletters we’ll be discussing in more detail these four Fish principles.  We’ll let you know how KTLLP has been putting them into practice and will encourage you to do the same.