In Fish! the heroine, Mary Jane Ramirez, recently widowed and mother of two, is asked to engineer a turnaround of her company's troubled operations department, a group that authors Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen describe as a "toxic energy dump." Most reasonable heads would cut their losses and move on. Why bother with this bunch of losers? But the authors don't make it so easy for Mary Jane. Instead, she's left to sort out this mess with the help of head fishmonger Lonnie. Based on a bestselling corporate education video, Fish! aims to help employees find their way to a fun and happy workplace. While some may find the story line and prescriptions--such as "Choose Your Attitude," "Make Their Day," and "Be Present"--downright corny, others will find a good dose of worthwhile motivational management techniques. If you loved Who Moved My Cheese? then you'll find much to like here. And don't worry about Mary Jane and kids. Fish! has a happy ending for everyone. --Harry C. Edwards

Book Info 

Addresses today's most pressing work issues (including employee retention and burnout) with an engaging metaphor and an appealing message that applies to anyone in any sector of any organization.

The author, Harry Paul , July 28, 2000 

Catch the Energy and Release the Potential 

We wrote the book, FISH! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results because we believe that we all should be able to enjoy our work while increasing productivity. Why can't the mantra of workers be, Thank God it's Monday. You can accomplish this if you live the FISH! Manifesto.

As you enter this place of work please choose to make today a great day. Your colleagues, customers, team members, and you yourself will be thankful. Find ways to play. We can be serious about our work without being serious about ourselves. Stay focused in order to be present when your customers and team members most need you. And should you feel your energy lapsing, try this surefire remedy: find someone who needs a helping hand, a word of support, or a good ear -- and make their day.

Excerpted from Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Stephen C. Lundin Ph.D., Harry Paul, John Christensen, Stephen C. Lundin. Copyright © 2000. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved Foreword by Ken Blanchard, Ph.D., co-author of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans, and Gung Ho!

Fish! is an incredible story that John Christensen first caught on film. He and his company, ChartHouse, produced an amazing video on the world famous Pike Place Fish market in Seattle. I have been showing this video at every one of my seminars to illustrate what happens when you create Gung Ho! employees--you ignite your workforce and create Raving Fans.

Now Stephen Lundin, and long-term colleague of mine Harry Paul, have teamed up with John to bring the Fish! story to print. In whatever media it appears, it's a fabulous love story. As the book suggests, "When we choose to love the work we do, we can catch our limit of happiness, meaning, and fulfillment every day."

How important is that? Incredibly important, especially when you consider that people spend about 75 percent of their adult wake time doing work-related activities--getting ready for work, traveling to work, working, contemplating work, and decompressing after work. If we spend that much time in that part of our lives, we ought to enjoy it and be energized by it. And yet, too many people are trading time on the job to satisfy needs elsewhere; "Thank God It's Friday" is still a way of life for many people.

Those days can stop now--if you read Fish!, share it with everyone with whom you work, and implement the four secrets and suggested strategies that Lundin, Paul, and Christensen give you. I guarantee that every manager will benefit from Fish!, because it will not only increase employee retention, it will motivate people to take pride in what they do. People like to work in an environment that is fun, energizing, and where they can make a difference. The Fish! philosophy will also benefit every employee, because it prevents burnout and will keep you excited about what you do.

As you can tell, I'm excited about Fish! I think this is a marvelous book. The story of the world famous Pike Place Fish market is fantastic. But this book is not just about selling fish; it's a love story that can happen in your organization, too.