Hello there,

            A fundamental business principal we believe in here at Kudos is that a happy, engaged, employee makes a better employee, and the consequent workplace becomes a win-win environment, for employee & employer. A classic business book from 2000, Fish!  by Stephen C. Lundin, PhD, Harry Paul and John Christensen [Hyperion Books], builds on this core principal with their “Fish Philosophy” outlined in four basic concepts:

1.     Choose Your Attitude

2.     Engage (Make Someone’s Day)

3.     Play

4.     Be Present

When we “choose our attitude” we can fundamentally shift the focus of our day away from negative energy towards a more positive outlook on life and work that basically affects every action we take that day. We can choose to look at the bright side of things (and their options), or we can choose to be miserable and stay in sustained “toxic energy dumps”.

When we “engage” with people in our lives, be it at home, at work, or at the supermarket checkout: We have the opportunity to “make someone’s day”just by offering a smile or a helping hand or by simply listening with focus and intent.

Every day, in everything we do, there is an opportunity to “play” with responsibility and accountability, but in a way that makes even routine work “serious fun”. Its up to each of us to figure out how to play every day - an intuitive skill we had as children, but which some of us lost along the way to adulthood.

My favourite concept is to “Be Present” in the here and now. Focus on today. The past is past, and who knows what the future will bring? But we have today to choose our attitude; engage in our lives & the lives of others; and have some fun!

The “Fish! Philosophy” stems from the authors’ observations & research into the world famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, USA. For more information & resources, check out: www.fishphilosophy.com

I’ll leave you with my favourite quote from the book:

            “Life is too precious just to be passing through to retirement”(p. 57)

Have a Kudos day!

MK,

~eleni

Eleni Tsaprailis

Kudos Editor/

Engagement Strategist