Looking for a Better Work Environment? Take Some Time to Fish

By TransforMED COO Marly McMillen, MBA

"Life is too precious to spend any time at all, much less half of my waking hours, in a toxic energy dump." This is a quote from Mary Jane, the star character of the book, FISH!: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Stephen C. Lundin, PhD, Harry Paul, and John Christensen.

This small book is packed with helpful ideas to take a typical, dull work environment and turn it into a vibrant place where people actually enjoy working together. It does this by taking the reader on a journey to the Pike Place Fish market. In classic fable style, the book tells the story of Mary Jane who recently has been assigned a new department that is in dire need of improvement. Mary Jane receives sage advice from Lonnie, a man who works at the Pike Place Fish market, where they have honed four secrets to developing a high energy work environment.

He wraps his advice around these key issues:

• There is always a choice about the way you do your work, even if there isn't a choice about the work itself. Lonnie describes the average fish market as "cold, wet, smelly, sloppy, difficult work." Doesn't sound too enticing. However, most jobs can be as boring or as exciting as you want; it all comes down to attitude. In fact, Lonnie recommends that we strive to be "world famous" in our work. The great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said:

"If you are called to be a street sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"

Think about your practice. Where does it fall on the continuum between toxic waste dump and high energy, world famous environments? If you're not world class yet, how do you get there? The answer might surprise you...

• Play! It's easy to think that the answer to the question above is to work harder. If that's the answer you came up with, you might be guilty of being too serious. Lonnie explains to Mary Jane in the book that the goal of their business is to make money and pay salaries for lots of people and they definitely take that part seriously. However, there are many benefits to a fun work environment (such as lower staff turnover) and he encourages Mary Jane to create an "adult playground" in her department.

Do you look forward to coming into the practice on Monday morning? Do you think others do? What about your patients? I read about a practice recently that closed down shop to take the staff on a field trip to local businesses – comparing the customer service feel at various places. There are some places (restaurants, department stores, etc) that are so attuned to their customers and they look like they're even having fun. That can be contagious. Imagine this: patients going to their doctor's office and "catching" a different type of communicable "disease" – playfulness!

• Make Their Day. Lonnie shares the third ingredient of their world-class environment and Mary Jane writes in her journal, "Focusing your attention on ways to make another person's day provides a constant flow of positive feelings." This is true between leaders and staff, staff to staff, and staff to customers. Lonnie explains that it's important to find ways to draw customers into the play as well. This could be particularly important for a medical practice where your "customers" (patients) are coming in because they're not feeling well. Finding ways to "make their day" beyond just the typical care, is a great opportunity to make a difference in the life of that person.

• Be Present. Lonnie shared the final secret to their high-energy fish market. In fact, Mary Jane was able to look around the market and see it for herself. Not only did the workers have great attitudes and were obviously having fun, but they also were looking around for opportunities to help customers. Lonnie explained how it's not enough for staff to have fun with each other; they have to be mindful of the customer and present with what they're doing.

Most importantly, the book explains about the importance of implementation. The concepts of FISH! cannot simply be dictated from above. Leaders need to find ways for everyone to discover it for themselves.  Mary Jane created teams around each of the four concepts and gave them each 6 weeks to create a presentation to the rest of the staff. She asked that presentations include benefits and action items for implementation.

One of the striking benefits of play noted by one of the teams is that "having a good time is healthy." Medical practices that are striving to improve the health of the hundreds and thousands of patients they touch, should also be concerned about the health of the people who work there. Lesson? Practice, first heal thyself.

Below is information on how to order the Fish book if you're interested in a more energetic, world-class practice environment!

Order the book at Amazon.com