What Does a Fish Market Teach About Employee Morale?
This article develops an idea from a great book on the subject of employee morale. For the whole story, read “Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results” by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen. “Fish!” tells the fictional story of Mary Jane Ramirez, a widowed mother of two who is challenged with turning around the worst department at First Guarantee. The third floor is a place that one VP describes as a toxic waste dump. The employees of this unit have low opinions of their department that are echoed by many employees in the building. Mary Jane decides to turn things around after her experience observing the staff of a world-famous fish market in Seattle. The fishmongers of the Pike Place Fish market exhibit energy and camaraderie that is contagious, inspiring her to revolutionize the third floor. According to Lundin, Paul, and Christensen, the first key principle that made the fish market a fun place to work was: “We can choose the attitude we bring to
