The FISH! philosophy is a workplace management system created by John Christensen. The system was first published as a film, with a spin-off series of books. The central concepts of the system were inspired by the observed work culture at Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market, anecdotes about which are often used as illustrations in the film and books.
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On a visit to Seattle, Christensen observed how animated and happy the employees at Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market were in their work. They filled orders by flinging fish to each other, inciting laughter from the customers and compliments about their throwing/catching abilities, or commiseration if they missed. Employees would often invite customers to join the fun. The Pike Place employees gave their complete attention to each of their customers and ensured each had an enjoyable visit.
Christensen realized that not only were the workers making a routine errand fun for themselves and their customers, they also were selling tons of fish. He constructed the FISH! Philosophy from his observations of Pike Place employees, arriving at four key concepts:
The resulting FISH! film was translated into 17 languages and spawned a series of spin-off book titles, including Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results which has been translated into 34 languages.[1]
In a video on YouTube, "Pike Place Hates FISH! Philosophy", a Pike Place Market employee informs his interviewer that the FISH! philosophy does not represent Pike Place, stating, "The guys that work here don't actually like the FISH! videos." The employee states that they "put on a show" for the maker of the FISH! video for three days, and implies it's not possible to work all year round in such a way.
Some employees find these techniques ridiculous and demeaning. They contend that the idea of 'choosing your attitude' is naive and can be alienating for those with mental health problems such as depression, for whom a negative attitude is an affliction rather than a straightforward choice.
In his book Organization Theory: A Libertarian Perspective, anarchist Kevin Carson calls FISH! "vile"[2] and a "lesson from the powerful to the powerless",[3] adding:
To grasp just how presumptuous Fish! really is, just try a thought experiment: imagine management’s reaction if the circumstances were reversed. Imagine the bosses’ reaction if you and your coworkers matter-of-factly announced that, henceforth, you would be working at a slower pace for the same amount of money, or that you would be receiving a higher hourly wage. Imagine telling the boss "you can’t do anything about these changes, but you can choose to have a good attitude about them!" My guess is your boss would demonstrate in short order that he does have control over events, and that it’s not his attitude that has to be adjusted. That’s because, while you may be powerless, your bosses most certainly are not.
This asymmetrical power relationship is implicit in Fish! Philosophy. And you’d better believe that the people who push it are fully aware of their agenda. [...] They are the ones who do things. We are the ones that things are done to. Learn to enjoy it, or else. That’s the message of Fish! Philosophy.[3]