Fun on the Job: The FISH Philosophy

Submitted by Adam L. Cholewin, Resident Assistant, Winona State University

Moving in can sometimes be just as stressful on the staff as the new students. To eliminate the unnecessary stress and confusion we follow the FISH philosophy. FISH is a management philosophy that originated at the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington where employees yell out orders and make work fun by encouraging a playful attitude and placing extra emphasis on customer service. To incorporate the FISH philosophy at our university, when a student would come to the desk in our lobby to pick up their key and room assignment, the staff member helping the student would yell out the students name and then the whole rest of the staff would return with a response, HELLO_______, welcome to THE QUAD (our residence hall)!!! It is a simple gesture that welcomes the student, eliminates the boredom of the check-in process and most importantly puts a smile on everyone's faces.