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 - Great learning, easy readI loved this book. Simple and direct, it makes you reflect about all that can be done in our day to day to make it superb. It does not rely on magic formulas or rocket science, the author just leaves it in our hands... He does not deny the fact that businesses are overwhelmed with emotions and percetions, which in the end are much more powerfull than we realize. It is written in the format of a story which makes this book a pleasure to read. Once I started I wouldn't stop ! Rating:  - I thought we weren't allowed to bring religion to workI have met Jim Bergquist and been to his seminars and almost quit my job because if it. He preys on anyone who seems vulnerable so he can say they had a "breakthrough". This is no different than bringing in a church leader and breaking people down and calling it revival. I don't understand how this and others like it (landmark Education) has become acceptable in the workplace. I think it is a money making machine and they prey on the gullible. In his seminars they never pick on the bosses who are paying instead they stroke their ego. I would recommend anyone forced to go to these seminars to question why and not be afraid to walk out. I also agree 100% with the post copied below another person left. "As to the first, I do not believe that a company can motive or change a person. That is the business of missionaries, evangelist and philosophers. Business has no business in shaping the beliefs and ideas of the employees. These motivational programs all have silent value-statements, and to propagate these is a a form of intellectual evangelism. In short, you manager is a missionary for the gospel of corporate success. Unless you specially work for a church, or a philosophy-specific organization, such as the Freemasons or a political party, this smacks of violating conscience. " Rating:  - The Best and Quickest Way to Boost Corporate MoraleWhen our employees began reading Fish! the morale immediately went up. The readers were astounded that you could actually choose your own attitude. After the book was completed, their energy and excited has spread around our entire office of 100+ people. Everyone is reading Fish! and talking about it. They all definitely think FISH! should be read by everyone working in any organization. Rating:  - The story is inspiring, but not in an overwhelming wayThere are certainly bad jobs, but even the best job can be mildewed by a bad attitude. If a large percentage of the people in a group feel that their job is lousy, then it will be contagious and all will catch the disease. This story is about Mary Jane, a woman that moved to Seattle, Washington with her husband, only to have him unexpectedly die of an aneurysm. She is the manager of a group that does very well; the negative talk is not within, but about the third floor. Apparently, the floor is populated with the slackers of the company, people who care little for the quality of their work or how it appears to others. Since her husband died, Mary Jane has been struggling to pay off the residual medical bills, so when she is offered the management position of the third floor with a substantial pay raise, she accepts. She arrives to find that things are about as bad as she expected. Morale is horrendous; people delay in answering the phone and sometimes unplug it instead. There is no energy in the workers, everyone arrives as late as possible and seems to just endure until it is time to quit. At first, Mary Jane has no idea what to do and when her superior gives her an ultimatum to increase productivity or else, she knows that she has to do something. Her first idea comes from her trip to a fish market. The workers there clearly are enjoying themselves; they toss fish around and even use them as makeshift hand puppets. When she asks about their positive attitude, one of the workers, a kind man named Lonnie, points out that a positive attitude is a necessary prerequisite to enjoying any job. When Mary Jane calls a meeting and discusses it with her staff, she finds them much more positive than she expected. They are not by nature negative, in fact they are happy that someone is trying to improve their situation. After a few more visits to the fish market, Mary Jane discovers the other "secrets" to making her work environment a positive one and at the end, her staff is a team, happy and enjoying their work. The word "secrets" is extremely overused in the context of success. No effective tactic is really a secret, everyone knows about it, the difference is in the effective application. Mary Jane learns, and you will too, that treating people as valuable and appreciated members of a group is a sure way to raise morale, which always improves performance. It also helps if you can disguise the work as play, which is another one of the tactics employed by Mary Jane. The story is inspiring, but not in an extremely dynamic manner. Rating: - The Choice is Yours In a simple easy to read story "Fish" is about igniting passion into your work environment that can spill over into all aspects of your life. The "Fish Philosophy" is based on a few simple ideas that can transform your daily grind of a nine to five workday into an enriching, easy and yes, even a fun time at the office. I work at a large financial firm and currently am heading a team that is focused on creating a new work procedure that has never been applied in our office previously. The creative start up process can be challenging but the team we have assembled for the work is up to the challenge and eager to be a part of something that will have an impact on the firm overall. I am so glad I read "Fish" in that I can share with my team the insights I've learned so that our work together can be productive, successful and yes here it is again...fun. If you found "Fish" to be inspiring and enlightening, I highly recommend reading any of Ariel and Shya Kane's books called "Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment", "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation" or "How To Create a Magical Relationship." All of the Kane's books impart insights and ways into living a life that is meaningful, satisfying and joyful. Working in a place where you smile often...how cool is that? Can you imagine living a life where you smile often? It's definitely possible.
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