updated 6/22/2010
What are Fish?
Fish are little fish-shaped cards that you give to someone you observe fulfilling one of the principles of the Fish! Philosophy. That’s just a fancy way of saying that you saw someone do something that had a positive impact on you or another person in the course of your workday and wanted to recognize that person for what they did. Actually, Fish! Cards are just one part of larger movement known as the Fish! Philosophy but one that is both powerful in its ability to lift people up and in its simplicity to implement. These cards have places for you to fill in for the date, the recipient’s name, your name, what the recipient did that inspired you to give them the card and the Fish! Principle that they fulfilled when they did what they did.
What is the Intent of the Program?
The intent of the program is to create a positive atmosphere and promote stronger relationships within our company by encouraging each other through the presentation of Fish! cards. These are not officially-licensed Thomas Reprographics awards. You do not need you bosses permission to give one to someone. These cards are tokens of appreciation that you can give to anyone you feel is deserving of yours or others’ recognition. You can give these to your teammates, employees at other stores or even customers.
What are the Fish! Principles?
There are four Fish! Principles: Be There, Play, Make Their Day and Choose Your Attitude.
Be There
Being there means that a person gave someone their full attention when they needed it. This can be when they needed help with a work-related issue or even that they just needed someone to listen to them work through a problem, either business or personal. Being there could also mean that they were willing to jump in and lend a hand when someone was overwhelmed or behind schedule or could just use some help completing a task.
Play
Play refers to someone’s playful attitude or their ability to make a tedious task less monotonous. The Fish! Philosophy began when the original author witnessed some guys who worked in a fish market in Seattle having a great time bantering with their customers and throwing fish around the market. It turned out that these same guys had originally hated their jobs and decided they needed to do something about it. Their solution was to make their jobs fun.
Choose Your Attitude
Choosing your attitude means that despite your current circumstances, either work- or job-related, you have made the conscious decision to not let it affect the job you do or the people around you. You may know someone that had to change a flat on their way to work and stepped in a puddle on the side of the road but walked in the door ready to work or someone that just had to deal with a particularly irate customer but hung up the phone ready to tackle the next challenge.
Make Their Day
Making their day means what it says. This principle can easily overlap with the other principles in that that someone did something that really had a positive impact on yours or your team’s day. This could be someone at another store helping you solve a problem, someone at corporate taking care of a tricky billing issue for you or your store’s sales rep getting you an extra day to knock out a job so that you could meet your other deadlines.
Fish are little fish-shaped cards that you give to someone you observe fulfilling one of the principles of the Fish! Philosophy. That’s just a fancy way of saying that you saw someone do something that had a positive impact on you or another person in the course of your workday and wanted to recognize that person for what they did. Actually, Fish! Cards are just one part of larger movement known as the Fish! Philosophy but one that is both powerful in its ability to lift people up and in its simplicity to implement. These cards have places for you to fill in for the date, the recipient’s name, your name, what the recipient did that inspired you to give them the card and the Fish! Principle that they fulfilled when they did what they did.
What is the Intent of the Program?
The intent of the program is to create a positive atmosphere and promote stronger relationships within our company by encouraging each other through the presentation of Fish! cards. These are not officially-licensed Thomas Reprographics awards. You do not need you bosses permission to give one to someone. These cards are tokens of appreciation that you can give to anyone you feel is deserving of yours or others’ recognition. You can give these to your teammates, employees at other stores or even customers.
What are the Fish! Principles?
There are four Fish! Principles: Be There, Play, Make Their Day and Choose Your Attitude.
Be There
Being there means that a person gave someone their full attention when they needed it. This can be when they needed help with a work-related issue or even that they just needed someone to listen to them work through a problem, either business or personal. Being there could also mean that they were willing to jump in and lend a hand when someone was overwhelmed or behind schedule or could just use some help completing a task.
Play
Play refers to someone’s playful attitude or their ability to make a tedious task less monotonous. The Fish! Philosophy began when the original author witnessed some guys who worked in a fish market in Seattle having a great time bantering with their customers and throwing fish around the market. It turned out that these same guys had originally hated their jobs and decided they needed to do something about it. Their solution was to make their jobs fun.
Choose Your Attitude
Choosing your attitude means that despite your current circumstances, either work- or job-related, you have made the conscious decision to not let it affect the job you do or the people around you. You may know someone that had to change a flat on their way to work and stepped in a puddle on the side of the road but walked in the door ready to work or someone that just had to deal with a particularly irate customer but hung up the phone ready to tackle the next challenge.
Make Their Day
Making their day means what it says. This principle can easily overlap with the other principles in that that someone did something that really had a positive impact on yours or your team’s day. This could be someone at another store helping you solve a problem, someone at corporate taking care of a tricky billing issue for you or your store’s sales rep getting you an extra day to knock out a job so that you could meet your other deadlines.
When should I give Someone a Fish?
It is entirely up to you to decide when to send someone a Fish. The only criteria is that you feel they deserve it. Remember that Fish are an expression of appreciation and that we want to use them to encourage each other and build relationships so make sure you don't let an opportunity to recognize someone's efforts go by unnoticed. Send 'em a Fish!
How do I fill out a Fish?
Although there are four "official" principles of the Fish! philosopy, since this isn't a formal program and you are really in control, feel free to use your own words to describe the philosophy you put on your card. An example of a Thomas value you could use would be "WCCS!"
Where can I find Fish! Cards.
There should be a supply of Fish! cards at your store locations but if you cannot find one you can click on this LINK to download a copy to print out and fill in.
Show off your Fish! Cards!
Feel free to proudly display the Fish! cards you have received though make sure to do so in a professional manner. The image below shows how JR Gonzalez at store 5 in Richardson has his displayed. They can be hung on cubicle walls or attached to the edge of computer monitors.
Want to know more about the Fish! Philosophy?
The Official Fish! Philosophy Website
Purchase the Fish! book from Amazon.com
Watch this YouTube video in which a local insurance agent explains the Fish! Philosophy
Watch this YouTube video showing how Furr's Cafeteria has put the Fish! Philosophy into action
Watch this YouTube video of a Liberty Mutual Insurance Commercial that does a great job of illustrating how you can "Be There" for someone
It is entirely up to you to decide when to send someone a Fish. The only criteria is that you feel they deserve it. Remember that Fish are an expression of appreciation and that we want to use them to encourage each other and build relationships so make sure you don't let an opportunity to recognize someone's efforts go by unnoticed. Send 'em a Fish!
How do I fill out a Fish?
Although there are four "official" principles of the Fish! philosopy, since this isn't a formal program and you are really in control, feel free to use your own words to describe the philosophy you put on your card. An example of a Thomas value you could use would be "WCCS!"
Where can I find Fish! Cards.
There should be a supply of Fish! cards at your store locations but if you cannot find one you can click on this LINK to download a copy to print out and fill in.
Show off your Fish! Cards!
Feel free to proudly display the Fish! cards you have received though make sure to do so in a professional manner. The image below shows how JR Gonzalez at store 5 in Richardson has his displayed. They can be hung on cubicle walls or attached to the edge of computer monitors.
Want to know more about the Fish! Philosophy?
The Official Fish! Philosophy Website
Purchase the Fish! book from Amazon.com
Watch this YouTube video in which a local insurance agent explains the Fish! Philosophy
Watch this YouTube video showing how Furr's Cafeteria has put the Fish! Philosophy into action
Watch this YouTube video of a Liberty Mutual Insurance Commercial that does a great job of illustrating how you can "Be There" for someone