New Attitude

"I'm feeling good from my head to my shoes.
Know where I'm going and I know what to do.
I tidied up my point of view.
I got a new attitude."

Do you remember those words from the old Patti LaBelle song from 1984? Now that the New Year is in full swing, some companies are sporting "a new attitude."

In order to be effective, a new attitude really has to permeate an organization. It has to be more than a few plaques on the wall. People have to really feel it.

The latest craze in management consulting circles is the "Fish! Philosophy." Having originated at the fish market at Pike's Place in Seattle, it is based on fun, contagious emotions, and unity of purpose.

Basically, the philosophy revolves around a few basic concepts.

First: Play ! The idea is to have fun, yes, even at work. The fishmongers in Seattle have a blast - selling fish. And the customers know it.

Second: Be there for each other! This requires a bit of focus, on your co-workers, and your customers, but can lead to huge rewards.

Third: Make their day! By thinking of creative ways to delight people, they feel unique and special. And you feel good for having made them feel that way.

Fourth: Choose your attitude! You can't always control events, but you, and only you, can control how you respond to them. Be in control.

The whole idea revolves around fun. Forty years ago, people didn't think of fun, and work, together. They were almost opposites in most people's minds. Now some offices have ping-pong tables, game rooms, and some employers encourage play, even in the office. The A1 Teletronics office in St Petersburg has a radio on all day, and it's not elevator music. Various events and programs create an ever-present feeling of fun.

Play is not just something you can tell someone to do. It requires a certain attitude to be effective. The goal is not simply to play the game, but to have fun. The Fish! Philosophy includes additional principles that help to make it all work. These include the principle of "Personal Power", "Being-in-alignment", "Vision-in-Action", and the principle of "Transformation". The idea is to empower people to take control, to have a common purpose, and to truly believe they can transform their own lives. A new attitude will go a long way toward a more fun life. And fun people are fun to be around, and fun to talk to. Customers pay attention to things like that. Attitudes, like fun, are contagious. Customers catch it, and they like it.

To really have fun at work would be a transformation for many people. Heck, some people don't even have fun at home. But, why is that? Who is responsible for the fun anyone else has? Someone once said (unfortunately I don't know who it was) "We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." Words to live, and work by.

For more information about the Fish! Philosophy, visit www.pikeplacefish.com.