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Winter 2007
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The Fish! Philosophy continued “Play” is about having fun, being creative and spontaneous with your work. The famous quote from Southwest Airlines is an example of a lighthearted approach: “There may be 50 ways to leave your lover but there are only four ways out of this plane.” In the higher education setting, we work in environments where creativity, enthusiasm and energy never run dry. The concept of Play fits right in. Play is not about being silly or goofy, it’s about “taking your work seriously and yourself lightly”. It’s not difficult to make all personal interactions enjoyable by being open, energetic and relating to the level of the other person. Play is natural to children, who on average laugh 40 times a day. But as adults we forget how to play and take ourselves too seriously, and only laugh a meager 5 times a day on average. Playfulness at work can decrease stress and increase retention, communication, energy levels and cooperation. “Make Their Day” refers to how we treat one another in the workplace and how we treat our customers. It’s about doing something special; something unexpected but meaningful. It can be as simple as remembering someone’s name. This concept centers on selflessness. In order to do a good deed you have to be conscious of others needs. We live in such a complex, busy world that it’s easy to become self-absorbed. Taking the time and effort to do small things for others creates positive, long lasting relationships that benefit everyone. The key is to do good deeds without the expectation of a return. A similar concept was the theme of a popular Hollywood movie, Pay It Forward. In the movie, a class of grade school children begins a “pay it forward” project with the hope of making the world a better place. The kids decided that when someone did something nice for you, you did not worry about paying them back, but instead paid the good deed forward three-fold. “Make Their Day” is about putting your personal signature on everything that you do and making a conscious choice to positively affect both staff and customers. “Be There” is the cement of the Fish! Philosophy. It has to do with being totally “there” with students, customers and everyone else you interact with. Being in the moment will allow you to focus on their needs without being sidetracked by internal or external distractions or frustrations. This is a concept that excellent listeners have mastered. You recognize a good listener when you interact with them. They lock eyes with you as if you were the only person in the room; they nod and reflect your emotional state with their non-verbal communication. They paraphrase what you say to gain a better understanding. Most importantly they are there when you need them. They won’t give you advice unless you ask; they won’t criticize or comment to reflect their own feelings and most importantly, they won’t tell you what they would have done if they were in your situation. That is what Stephen Covey, author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, calls “autobiographical response”. Good listeners are really in the moment in every act of communication. Not surprisingly, they often have lots of friends! “Choose Your Attitude” is about accepting full responsibility for your demeanor in the work place and making a conscious decision to have a positive outlook every day. As the psychologist William James once said, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.” There is a story of a computer consultant whose communication style was playful but always a little cynical. His clients asked him the same questions over and over with each phone consultation, and his response when they asked how his day was going was always to say “FANTASTIC”, in a loud, smiling and boisterous voice. What they didn’t know is that he was joking, mocking them and being sarcastic. As they listened on the other end of the line, they could never detect that in his tone. Soon he realized that his “Fantastic Day” comment would win over even the most frustrated or nervous customers. Without knowing it, he was able to influence their attitude with this seemingly positive one. “Behavior breeds behavior” and the people we interact with pick up on our mood and intentions. The bottom line is that we choose our attitudes every moment, every hour and every minute. Choose to bring your best attitude to work each day and seek to influence all those around you. Next: Training |
