Fish story

redshiloh · May 29, 2003

I have been to a "Fish Camp" class. It was a lot of fun, but not real useful.

atownsendrn · May 30, 2003

Okay, so maybe the "fish philosophy" works for some and not for others. I do agree that people who are hardworkers and easy to get along with will stay that way. And difficult @ss*(&s will stay that way. But what about the "followers" (those people who take on the mood and attitude of which ever co-worker they are working with that shift) Could they benefit????

I know that sitting down and finding the root of the problem has to be done. But what if one or two people are bringing down the morale. They are wonderful, hardworking nurses - but have a bad attitude.

Any suggestions for creative ways to boost morale. Even if the nay-sayers think its corny and a waste of time. Maybe helping one person change their attitude will create a more positive energy in the department. Please give me some good suggestions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · May 30, 2003

Originally posted by colleen10
My husbands office had everyone watch a video based on the book and management is trying to apply the fish principles to the office environment.

I never read it but my husband says it's a joke.

I think, as with any type of morale boosting mambo jambo, that management usually doesn't have a clue as to the real reasons why morale, team work and leadership in their office is low. They try to force new types of management principles on everyone and wonder why their employees think it's joke when they don't even go to their employees to find out why their current plan isn't working.

I think a lot more could be accomplished if management would just sit down with the employees and ask them what is good, what is bad and what they think can be done to fix it.

EXACTLY.

funnygirl_rn · May 30, 2003

Originally posted by colleen10 I think a lot more could be accomplished if management would just sit down with the employees and ask them what is good, what is bad and what they think can be done to fix it.

DITTO! Yep..seen the various movies too. Maybe they want "Stepford Wives" and/or "Stepford Husbands"!

KaroSnowQueen, RN · May 30, 2003

Saw the Fish movie at one of my husband's conferences a year and half ago. It was entertaining and it sounds good, but just don't see it working in a large company. It did good for them in a small business, but in a big place? I really have doubts.

And the companies above who made you sign a paper and threatened you if you didn't do it???? What the heck is that? I think THEY missed the whole point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bevi · May 30, 2003

Originally posted by colleen10
But I'm not Bitter

LOL!!!!!!

;)

Snakum · May 30, 2003

(Mr. Bill voice) "Oooooh Noooooo!"

Before I got into the IT industry I worked many years in QA Engineering and in ISO 9000 consultation. I saw all the 'Flavor of the Month' manufacturing, management, and quality programs come and go. It was an utter and complete joke. Kanban ... Poke Yoke ... MTM ... ISO 9000 ... Just-In-Time ... Malcomb Baldrige ... Blah blah blah.

I'd hoped when I finally get out of Nursing school I'd be able to leave that kind of thing behind. However, nowadays even healthcare has become big-business/competitive so I should have guessed there'd be management/consultant boobs shoving this tripe down peoples throats there as well.

Crap!

Minh

(Former management/consultant boob ... future ER Nurse)

mommy6 · May 30, 2003

Well, since we work to live,and not the other way around, we needed to find something to make work as enjoyable as possible. To be quite frank, I spend more hours per day with my co-workers than I do with my husband and kids. Our HR did the fish thing, with all the props, bells and whistles. The actual "fish" theme lasted about 2 months, then died, like all of the other "gimmicks", but we did resurect one valuable lesson--if you're gonna be stuck here for 8-10 hours per day, every day, you might as well make it as much fun as you can.

We loosened the strings a little, passed around a few jokes and funnies (ALWAYS clean), had silly contests and gave out silly dollar store prizes, smiled, laughed and grinned alot ourselves. We're slowly bringing the rest of the staff with us. As long as they're professional, not loud, get the work done and we have no patient complaints, we go with it. All-in-all, it's been good.

Agnus · May 31, 2003

I am not familiar with fish.

There are many books, tapes, seiminars, etc, etc. on management. example: TQI, TQM, 7 habits of highly effective people and on and on.

The bottom line is if management does not understand at a gut level and does not personally apply the principles none of these work.

Managment that takes persononal responsibility for it's own actions and attitueds has a great work enviorment no matter what "system" or "method" they follow.

Management that applies it first themselves rather than shove it down someone elses throat provindes a great enviorment.

In fact it has been my observation that when management applies it to themselves individually they do not even need to introduce it to everyone else. Know why? They already have introduced it to everyone else in the only way that works.

Leadership by example is the only way that counts.

Tell me you are going to do something and doing it are two different things.

The principles MUST be applied one's self first. To do otherwise says I am perfect it is you who is the problem.

That doesn't mean that the top manager comes in and desides to wip his senior staff into shape first before tackling the underlings. It means He wips himself into shape first and only that. If as manager cannot understand this and cannot take responsibility for his own self then he has not hope of controlling others.

Where I have seen managers apply principles to thier own lives and left others alone they attracted admirerers, followers, good moral, emulators, and people asking for help to be like them.

They created a great work enviorment.

When I point a finger I have 3 more pointing back at me.

When manager try to teach principles they have never practiced themselves they can only at best fail.

When ever I have seen one of these great systems introduced and managers are not already practicing the principles of it it fails.

That is why there are so many flavors of the month when it comes to stuff like this. It's like weigh loss systems they don't work if you are looking for an easy fix without following the basic principle of taking in fewer calories than you burn.

sbic56, BSN, RN · May 31, 2003

I am suprised to see how this fish thing has "caught" on. The hospital I work at was into it, but it seems to have become the one that "got away".

Most of us thought that signing the contract saying we would adhere to this fishy philsophy was a bit much. I didn't have a problem with it, because I have always tried to do my best at work and figured if they didn't like what I had to offer, then I wasn't in the right place anyway.

There was another similar type of philosophy presented to us a few years back that pretty much went by the way side as well. I would think companies would spend their money on something that would really be of benefit to it's employees instead of the newest philosophy of the month. It kills me to think of the thousands they fritter away on these things.

Chiaramonte · May 31, 2003

We haven't used the Fish Philosophy yet where I work. We were instead forced to read," Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service By: Ken Blanchard, Sheldon Bowles".

It's what we as nurses already know and perform daily. Pity though, our MD/ER manager who makes us read it pre-employment , doesn't abide by it at all. Personally, I have never worked for a more miserable, impersonal manager. He treats the patients he sees the same way. Maybe there's a new updated version we should have HIM read??

The point is if management expects us to act in a certain way, they have to practice what they preach!! Otherwise, it's purely hippocritical!!