Fish ! - Book Abstract

Fish!

The story of the book revolves around office life of Mary Jane. She is promoted manager of the promotions group on the third floor of First Guarantee. She was going to be the third manager in two years. She had heard the negative reputation of the staff which was honored with the titles like unresponsive, zombie, unpleasant, slow, wasteland, negative. The third floor had earned a reputation of a ‘Toxic Energy Dump’. People working there were de-motivated and unwilling to work. They would often unplug the cord to avoid a call. Some of the employees were on the look out for new opportunities whereas others were happy with their secure positions without being responsible.

Jane could have turned down the job but her compelling personal economics, especially after sudden death of her husband, didn’t permit the luxury of sitting home. First five weeks she struggled to understand the work and the people. Her previous work report had been good. She had the seeds of a promising leader but the atmosphere at third floor seemed to have damaged beyond repair.

While walking down from her office Jane is casually attracted by the noise and activity at Pike Place Fish Market. A fish market, opposite to being an uninviting, stinking, cold, wet, sloppy, dull place; is brimming with fun and enthusiasm with fishmongers tossing and catching fish. This amusement made her visit the market on a subsequent day; and after initial hesitation she befriends a trader, Lonnie. She talks about the problems of her workplace. Lonnie agrees to help her because fishmongers take interest in their customers. Lonnie says, “There is always a choice about the way you do your work, even if there is no choice about work itself”(p-36). He added, “I guess given the right conditions any job can be dull”. Jane is sparked by Lonnie’s convictions and listens a tape given by her boss on the way back home.

It is inspiring poetry by David Whyte.
Let this then, my small poem,
Like a new moon, slender and barely open,
Be the first prayer that opens me to faith.( p 44)

She makes up her mind to transform First Guarantee staff amid fear of failure. The tape gives her strength. “ I don’t believe that companies are necessarily prisons, but sometimes we make prisons of them by the way we choose to work there.” She wrote in her journal, “the fact is that the risk of doing nothing is probably greater than the risk of doing.”

Training Methods
Jane made her outline as to how shoe was going to use the following four principles at her workplace. She met her share of resistance at First Guarantee. She was stern at this moment and made it clear to everyone that no excuses will work. She decided to make four teams which will visit Pike Place to get first hand knowledge.

1. Choose your attitude – you can’t change circumstances but can always choose your reaction.
2. Play- The fun element enlightens the burden of work.
3. Make their day- Fish mongers took keen interest in the customers and made their day happy.
4. Be present- Most of us are so engrossed with the future and past that we become unavailable to the present moment. Being present leads to a fulfilled life spreading infectious happiness everywhere.

Four teams were constituted with specific goals and given six weeks time to gather knowledge, share the ideas during periodic meetings and have good time with a moderate budget of $200 for every team. The teams were supposed to come up with customized plans based on their deliberations suitable to the environment at First Guarantee. Jane remained aloof, though she was available to help the groups on demand.

Motivation theory
When everyone was engaged in the work, the staff took responsibility and enjoyed ding it. All the teams came up with unexpected ideas to improve the office productivity. Bill offered to be a volunteer to look after the office when guys were out. On the last meeting day she recorded-“ the room was a sea of color, music and energy. Balloons were attached to each chair, and colorful flower arrangements brought the room to life.”
The book ends with the Chairwoman’s Award Ceremony. Jane shares with the colleagues that how delighted she was. She also informs that she had declined a better job offer from a rival company because she wanted to make a difference right over here.

A plaque hanging in front entrance of the headquarter reads- “ As you enter this place of work please choose to make today a great day. Your colleagues, customers, team members and you yourself will be thankful. Find ways to play. We can be serious about our work without being serious about ourselves. Stay focused in order to be present when your customers and team members most need you. And should you feel your energy lapsing, try this surefire remedy: Find someone who needs a helping hand, a word of support, or a good ear – and make their day.

Stephen C. Lundin and two co-author give an interesting and entirely different parable of Pike Place Fish Market. The simple free flowing language and easy to imbibe ideas compressed in a nearly hundred page cover capsule make it an easy reading in one go.