Adopted from the "FISH video"
338 Ways to Create a Better Workplace
Based on the "Fish Philosophy" at Pike's Place Fish Market in Seattle
PLAY
Create an employee bulletin board with pictures, likes, hobbies, family, pets.
Have a central area to share good news (births, weddings, promotions, kids' achievements).
Have a joke bulletin board where jokes can be posted.
Create bulletin boards to have fun - any employees can add anything within reason to the board, can be to have fun with someone in the company or a national figure or issue, no ridiculing!, no hurtful comments!
Get a Polaroid camera for work. Fill a bulletin board with photos.
Photo Day - Baby Photo Contest.
Post a cartoon every day. Make someone responsible for different days.
Cartoon pictures that may relate (or use a cartoon but make up a new "improved" caption related to the subject).
Have an area in which you post photos of staff having fun at work.
Display pictures of all the staff - a wall of fame.
Bring a camera for funny moments and hang pictures.
Roving random photographer.
Poke fun at yourself.
Tell a funny story about yourself.
Require everyone to bring in a joke for a staff meeting and tell at the beginning.
Joke around with one another.
Tell a "bad" joke to the first person you meet every morning.
2-minute joke drill.
Share a joke or funny story.
Kid around with co-workers - it helps make the day fun and go faster.
Tease a resident good-naturedly, i.e., "seen any good-looking men lately?".
Come up with a funny story, quote, or comic for each day and share it with everyone.
Do a joke chain letter.
Morning announcement joke (over loudspeakers).
Have silly days - everyone participates.
Do foolish things to make them laugh.
Do something silly.
Make a spectacle of yourself for the residents' amusement.
Wear clown noses on busy days.
Laugh at yourself - don't take life so seriously.
Prank calls to the kitchen from the phone on the loading dock.
Practical jokes like: Lock the bathroom door, write "women's room only" on unisex bathroom, decorate your boss's office at least once a day.
Joke and play - have wheelchair races.
Answer the phone as "Zachery's Pizza" or as some other local business.
Put bubble wrap under chairs for feet and entry doormat so it pops.
Start a fun committee to help organize events.
Have a team brainstorming session to explore acceptable ways to have fun in your workplace.
Theme days e.g., pajama, Hawaiian shirt day.
Have a Spirit week - crazy hair day.
Wheelchair and walker races.
Beach party in January.
Happy Unbirthday Week.
Have a No Whining Day.
Create holidays on non-holidays.
NASCAR Day - Dress as your favorite driver.
Color for the day - all wear the same color to work for unity.
Have a resident/employee social.
Celebrate not only Boss's Day, Nurses Day, etc., but celebrate the first snow day, etc.
Have a Dress Up Day - come to work as a character or costume on Halloween.
Hat Day, Dress Up Day, Costume Day.
Wear fun clothing, bright colors, fun jewelry on certain days.
Say Thank You Day.
Do a Good Deed Day.
Resident/staff activities - scavenger hunt, wheelchair race, ice cream social, breakfast, supper.
Bring in a hypnotist, magician, $5 massages, etc.
Ice cream social or other activity.
Play with water balloons in the summer.
Celebrate holidays.
Invent a "holiday".
Sponsor a cookout/softball game/swimming activity at a nearby state park.
Talent show.
Penny wars (winner/loser) must do something like kiss a goat.
Don't be so serious - decorate for holidays (i.e., Halloween).
Do some team-building activities.
Icebreakers in unit meetings e.g., write a secret about yourself and then guess who it is.
Team-building exercises once a month - intellectually challenging & physical.
Play some new non-competitive games as a team.
Monthly, pick a day and have the department go somewhere in the afternoon, such as climb a mountain together then go somewhere to eat fattening Italian pasta.
Outside activities (bowling, picnics, ball games).
Put together a department scrapbook.
Go on a field trip.
A contest of some sort...using department teams.
Do something for the community as a work team.
Enable employees to volunteer on work time at non-profits once a month, quarter, or year.
Bring the department together once a month to share good stories and problems. Keep everyone aware of what is going on in the hospital. No one should be in the dark.
Switch roles for one hour.
Have a job swap - pick a different job.
Change places with our residents - let them be staff and us, the residents.
Be someone else for a day - who knows you may like that person - you never know.
Reverse days - pick students to run the class.
Change job responsibilities for a short period of time or job shadow for an understanding of what others do.
Have everyone share their most embarrassing moment (if they dare) during a special project, etc.
Let the kid in you come out.
Twirl when all fails (per Loretta LaRoche).
Put humorous stuff in the newsletter every week.
Act like you just had a large coffee.
Dress up your office or space with fun stuff.
Put out toys to play with.
Play with hula hoops.
Have a toy box in the work area - with Groucho glasses, clown noses, Koosh balls, paddle balls.
Buy a rubber fish.
Keep a squirt gun handy.
Build a pyramid out of muffins.
Toss a few Nerf balls once in a while.
Have an anti-stress box with serious and fun things in it - Tylenol, punching bag, big eraser for big mistakes.
Dress up funny for the residents on special occasions (Halloween, Picnics).
Wear wild clothes to help start conversations.
Answer call lights together. "49 is ringing" "49 is ringing".
Respond with playfulness - let go of worrying "what they will think" and instead find opportunities to surprise people.
Put a face of someone from the dept or hospital on every screensaver in the dept.
Send notes between offices as paper airplanes.
Play music.
Sing - people will either sing with you or laugh - either way you have brightened a day.
Play: Music/entertainment in the cafeteria at times.
Don't post the daily menu. Sing it to the residents together.
Make written messages amusing.
Change boring routines: wear a funny hat when serving meals.
Tie a helium balloon to a resident's wheelchair.
Allow a fun environment.
Throw candy at my cubby, "mates!"
Greet everyone every morning in your office by standing in front of their desk and bowing.
Birthday balloons for everyone, delivered and sing.
Model fun.
Shock people, wear a wig to work.
Do something unexpected (i.e. pull out glasses with a funny nose while going over instructions).
Do something fun at the beginning of each meeting - icebreaker.
Raffles - parking spaces, free meal tickets - use money for charity, good causes, purchase hospital equipment.
Clown to make rounds to see staff and patients.
Have someone act like Miss Disorganized running around on roller skates.
Have a shift cheer or code phrase to start the day.
Start the day with a group cheer!!
Secret pal games: could be done quarterly.
Do something unexpected.
Leave a goofy message on someone's voicemail.
Recess (free time to play, meditate, nap, relax) - non-structured time.
Entertainment (carnival acts) during lunch/dinner in the cafeteria.
Compile a department or hospital-wide journal of employee work stories - humorous, thoughtful, emotional (like Chicken Soup books).
Find something to celebrate, even a small thing.
Celebrate small "wins" not just big projects.
Make a day/week or month a "Celebrate Success" day: Within the department, remind ourselves of most recent successes.
MAKE THEIR DAY
The tenth customer gets something special.
Find ways to thank customers for their business.
Events for customer appreciation.
Customer Prize Day - "You are the one millionth customer..."
Do a little extra for one person every day.
Activities and lots of love.
Customer and employee socials.
Compliment a customer/patron (and mean it).
Do something special for your customers - unexpectedly.
Assist visitors who seem disoriented or lost in your workplace.
Create a fun playful attitude with your patients and their families.
Involve the residents in activities (chain effect).
Have the customer of the week - someone you pick for a silly reason or an accomplishment and start a bulletin board.
If a resident looks sad, give them a hug.
Be extra kind if you see someone is having a bad day.
Do unexpected things, surprises.
Make patients feel like they are noticed, share your love.
Go beyond work description (to help customer/co-workers) and show them that you care.
Bring fresh flowers from the garden for residents - They love it.
Give stickers (I had a good checkup) goofy, but maybe adults may like it, kids love stickers.
Laugh more with customers at the front desk, start with a big smile and take it from there.
Write them notes or cards I tell the residents that I love them.
Sending anonymous notes of appreciation.
Leave a happy note for your co-worker.
Tell everyone you see during the day what you appreciate about them or a positive thing about them.
Show appreciation for a co-worker.
Give co-workers compliments.
Get ideas from staff of items they enjoy and would like to receive - comes in handy when recognizing.
Tell your boss you appreciate what he/she does for you.
Pass an award around (fish) secretly with a note saying why
338 Ways to Create a Better Workplace
Based on the "Fish Philosophy" at Pike's Place Fish Market in Seattle
PLAY
Create an employee bulletin board with pictures, likes, hobbies, family, pets.
Have a central area to share good news (births, weddings, promotions, kids' achievements).
Have a joke bulletin board where jokes can be posted.
Create bulletin boards to have fun - any employees can add anything within reason to the board, can be to have fun with someone in the company or a national figure or issue, no ridiculing!, no hurtful comments!
Get a Polaroid camera for work. Fill a bulletin board with photos.
Photo Day - Baby Photo Contest.
Post a cartoon every day. Make someone responsible for different days.
Cartoon pictures that may relate (or use a cartoon but make up a new "improved" caption related to the subject).
Have an area in which you post photos of staff having fun at work.
Display pictures of all the staff - a wall of fame.
Bring a camera for funny moments and hang pictures.
Roving random photographer.
Poke fun at yourself.
Tell a funny story about yourself.
Require everyone to bring in a joke for a staff meeting and tell at the beginning.
Joke around with one another.
Tell a "bad" joke to the first person you meet every morning.
2-minute joke drill.
Share a joke or funny story.
Kid around with co-workers - it helps make the day fun and go faster.
Tease a resident good-naturedly, i.e., "seen any good-looking men lately?".
Come up with a funny story, quote, or comic for each day and share it with everyone.
Do a joke chain letter.
Morning announcement joke (over loudspeakers).
Have silly days - everyone participates.
Do foolish things to make them laugh.
Do something silly.
Make a spectacle of yourself for the residents' amusement.
Wear clown noses on busy days.
Laugh at yourself - don't take life so seriously.
Prank calls to the kitchen from the phone on the loading dock.
Practical jokes like: Lock the bathroom door, write "women's room only" on unisex bathroom, decorate your boss's office at least once a day.
Joke and play - have wheelchair races.
Answer the phone as "Zachery's Pizza" or as some other local business.
Put bubble wrap under chairs for feet and entry doormat so it pops.
Start a fun committee to help organize events.
Have a team brainstorming session to explore acceptable ways to have fun in your workplace.
Theme days e.g., pajama, Hawaiian shirt day.
Have a Spirit week - crazy hair day.
Wheelchair and walker races.
Beach party in January.
Happy Unbirthday Week.
Have a No Whining Day.
Create holidays on non-holidays.
NASCAR Day - Dress as your favorite driver.
Color for the day - all wear the same color to work for unity.
Have a resident/employee social.
Celebrate not only Boss's Day, Nurses Day, etc., but celebrate the first snow day, etc.
Have a Dress Up Day - come to work as a character or costume on Halloween.
Hat Day, Dress Up Day, Costume Day.
Wear fun clothing, bright colors, fun jewelry on certain days.
Say Thank You Day.
Do a Good Deed Day.
Resident/staff activities - scavenger hunt, wheelchair race, ice cream social, breakfast, supper.
Bring in a hypnotist, magician, $5 massages, etc.
Ice cream social or other activity.
Play with water balloons in the summer.
Celebrate holidays.
Invent a "holiday".
Sponsor a cookout/softball game/swimming activity at a nearby state park.
Talent show.
Penny wars (winner/loser) must do something like kiss a goat.
Don't be so serious - decorate for holidays (i.e., Halloween).
Do some team-building activities.
Icebreakers in unit meetings e.g., write a secret about yourself and then guess who it is.
Team-building exercises once a month - intellectually challenging & physical.
Play some new non-competitive games as a team.
Monthly, pick a day and have the department go somewhere in the afternoon, such as climb a mountain together then go somewhere to eat fattening Italian pasta.
Outside activities (bowling, picnics, ball games).
Put together a department scrapbook.
Go on a field trip.
A contest of some sort...using department teams.
Do something for the community as a work team.
Enable employees to volunteer on work time at non-profits once a month, quarter, or year.
Bring the department together once a month to share good stories and problems. Keep everyone aware of what is going on in the hospital. No one should be in the dark.
Switch roles for one hour.
Have a job swap - pick a different job.
Change places with our residents - let them be staff and us, the residents.
Be someone else for a day - who knows you may like that person - you never know.
Reverse days - pick students to run the class.
Change job responsibilities for a short period of time or job shadow for an understanding of what others do.
Have everyone share their most embarrassing moment (if they dare) during a special project, etc.
Let the kid in you come out.
Twirl when all fails (per Loretta LaRoche).
Put humorous stuff in the newsletter every week.
Act like you just had a large coffee.
Dress up your office or space with fun stuff.
Put out toys to play with.
Play with hula hoops.
Have a toy box in the work area - with Groucho glasses, clown noses, Koosh balls, paddle balls.
Buy a rubber fish.
Keep a squirt gun handy.
Build a pyramid out of muffins.
Toss a few Nerf balls once in a while.
Have an anti-stress box with serious and fun things in it - Tylenol, punching bag, big eraser for big mistakes.
Dress up funny for the residents on special occasions (Halloween, Picnics).
Wear wild clothes to help start conversations.
Answer call lights together. "49 is ringing" "49 is ringing".
Respond with playfulness - let go of worrying "what they will think" and instead find opportunities to surprise people.
Put a face of someone from the dept or hospital on every screensaver in the dept.
Send notes between offices as paper airplanes.
Play music.
Sing - people will either sing with you or laugh - either way you have brightened a day.
Play: Music/entertainment in the cafeteria at times.
Don't post the daily menu. Sing it to the residents together.
Make written messages amusing.
Change boring routines: wear a funny hat when serving meals.
Tie a helium balloon to a resident's wheelchair.
Allow a fun environment.
Throw candy at my cubby, "mates!"
Greet everyone every morning in your office by standing in front of their desk and bowing.
Birthday balloons for everyone, delivered and sing.
Model fun.
Shock people, wear a wig to work.
Do something unexpected (i.e. pull out glasses with a funny nose while going over instructions).
Do something fun at the beginning of each meeting - icebreaker.
Raffles - parking spaces, free meal tickets - use money for charity, good causes, purchase hospital equipment.
Clown to make rounds to see staff and patients.
Have someone act like Miss Disorganized running around on roller skates.
Have a shift cheer or code phrase to start the day.
Start the day with a group cheer!!
Secret pal games: could be done quarterly.
Do something unexpected.
Leave a goofy message on someone's voicemail.
Recess (free time to play, meditate, nap, relax) - non-structured time.
Entertainment (carnival acts) during lunch/dinner in the cafeteria.
Compile a department or hospital-wide journal of employee work stories - humorous, thoughtful, emotional (like Chicken Soup books).
Find something to celebrate, even a small thing.
Celebrate small "wins" not just big projects.
Make a day/week or month a "Celebrate Success" day: Within the department, remind ourselves of most recent successes.
MAKE THEIR DAY
The tenth customer gets something special.
Find ways to thank customers for their business.
Events for customer appreciation.
Customer Prize Day - "You are the one millionth customer..."
Do a little extra for one person every day.
Activities and lots of love.
Customer and employee socials.
Compliment a customer/patron (and mean it).
Do something special for your customers - unexpectedly.
Assist visitors who seem disoriented or lost in your workplace.
Create a fun playful attitude with your patients and their families.
Involve the residents in activities (chain effect).
Have the customer of the week - someone you pick for a silly reason or an accomplishment and start a bulletin board.
If a resident looks sad, give them a hug.
Be extra kind if you see someone is having a bad day.
Do unexpected things, surprises.
Make patients feel like they are noticed, share your love.
Go beyond work description (to help customer/co-workers) and show them that you care.
Bring fresh flowers from the garden for residents - They love it.
Give stickers (I had a good checkup) goofy, but maybe adults may like it, kids love stickers.
Laugh more with customers at the front desk, start with a big smile and take it from there.
Write them notes or cards I tell the residents that I love them.
Sending anonymous notes of appreciation.
Leave a happy note for your co-worker.
Tell everyone you see during the day what you appreciate about them or a positive thing about them.
Show appreciation for a co-worker.
Give co-workers compliments.
Get ideas from staff of items they enjoy and would like to receive - comes in handy when recognizing.
Tell your boss you appreciate what he/she does for you.
Pass an award around (fish) secretly with a note saying why