University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
FISH!
Book

FISH!

A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results

Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen
Hyperion, 2000
First Edition: 1996
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Editorial Rating

8

Recommendation

Mary Jane Ramirez has just been put in charge of Hell. That’s how bad her new assignment seems, before she stumbles upon the inspiring management secrets of The Pike Place Fish Market. This effective little tale introduces readers to "Fish!" - the authors’ prescription for boosting employee morale and productivity. The fish-tossing, joke-cracking camaraderie of the market serves as the workplace ideal in this book, which is easy to read but carries a lasting punch. getAbstract recommends this book to executives, change agents, managers, staff members, and students. Whether you are trapped in a bad working environment or trying to improve a mediocre one, this book will inspire you to get up and change your surroundings. Fish! will be one of the most influential books you read all year.

Summary

Mary Jane and the Toxic Waste Dump

Mary Jane Ramirez lived in Southern California with her husband Dan and their two children, Stacy and Brad. Everything was good. Then one day Dan came home with a dream job offer from Microrule, a Seattle-based company.

Soon thereafter, the family moved to Seattle. Dan settled into his new position and Mary Jane went out to find work. She landed a pretty good job herself. She was a supervisor at First Guarantee Financial. Even the kids were happy.

One day while at work, Mary Jane got a phone call that Dan had been rushed to the hospital with a burst aneurysm. Dan died before Mary Jane had a chance to get to the hospital. The family had been in Seattle less than a year.

Mary Jane settled back into work but she still thought of Dan and the life they were going to have together in Seattle. Even two years after his death, she still felt a surge of emotion whenever she thought about him. She knew that it was important to move on, but she couldn’t help think that life shouldn’t be this hard.

Luckily, Mary Jane’s work life was good. She was a respected supervisor and her team’s reputation was excellent. People knew they...

About the Authors

Stephen C. Lundin, runs a corporate membership seminar series for the Institute for Creativity and Innovation at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. Harry Paul is a senior vice president with the Ken Blanchard Companies, where he coordinates special projects and manages the internal speakers’ bureau. John Christensen is CEO of ChartHouse Learning Corporation, the leading producer of corporate learning films, including FISH!, the video.

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