- Hardcover: 144 pages
- Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (January 1, 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0786868163
Amazon.com Review
In this third installment in the popular Fish! series, the authors examine change as a necessary, ongoing process that should never stop--at least not if one wants to keep the workplace vital and fully alive. Using a fictitious sushi restaurant as an example, this fable examines the three principles that Lundin, Christensen, and Paul believe are necessary for continuing success: Find It ("it" being each employee's personal vision of the business), Live It, and Coach It. Readers of the authors' previous books--Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results and Fish! Tales--should find its familiarity comforting. For those new to the series, this standalone volume is easy to read and highly valuable. --David Bombeck
From Publishers Weekly
This audio version of the third book in the Fish series uses as its example the work at one ward of a large suburban hospital. Rhonda, the supervisor, had been promoted, and her mentor, whom she succeeded, had been an ardent follower of the Fish program. Rhonda believed her staff was paying attention to the patients and were providing a level of service far beyond that at other facilities. However, after some time, she began to notice staffers were sloughing off and seemed not to be providing the absolute best care to the patients. The problem? Keeping the Fish principles fresh and new was difficult. After a visit to a successful sushi restaurant, Rhonda regained her enthusiasm for the program and, with the help of the sushi chef, was able to inspire her staff. In fact, her work was so effective, her staff was able to take over for Rhonda after she suffered a family tragedy. There's something charming about the Fish program, which counsels, "Find it, live it and coach it" ("it" is each employee's vision). The notion that individual workers can have a vision for their workplace and their place within a large organization is indeed empowering. And Rhonda's story offers insights into both personal and professional worlds. However, the simple message is rendered even more unsophisticated by the artificial voices on this audio. There's a kind of squeaky, schoolmarm voice for the older nurse who comes onto the ward, and the intonations used for the various nurses are similar and somewhat grating. Still, in spite of these flaws, the story and the business lessons within it are worth hearing.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
Review
(Of FISH!) 'I recommend their book to anyone, on any level, who wants to make a difference at work.' Hyrum Smith, co-chairman of Franklin Covey Co. (Of FISH!) 'This is the one fish story that doesn't exaggerate. It shows you how changing your attitude lets you enjoy your work and your life. Hook into it, it's quite a catch!' Spencer Johnson, author of Who Moved My Cheese? (Of FISH! 'The story of the world famous Pike Place Fish market is fantastic. But this book is not just about selling fish; it's a love story that can happen in your organisation too.' - Ken Blanchard, from the foreword. (Of FISH!) 'I think that this book should be given to any new employee...on their first day of work...Buy it!. - Amazon reader review 'FISH! is by far the best book that I have ever read about motivating a team through creative leadership' - Amazon reader review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
he 'o-FISH!-al' follow-up to the phenomenal bestselling Fish! and Fish! Tales, Fish! Sticks is a stand alone business parable that shows you how to come up with a vision for your business and how to keep it alive, vital, and renewed through tough times, such as turnover in management and staff or a troubled economy. Using the example of a hugely successful, fictional sushi restaurant as a model for a vision of continual renewal, Fish! Sticks employs the same kind of easy-to-read story that was used in Fish! to illustrate its three major principals of continued success: Commit, Be it, and Coach it. When Stephanie, a new manager, takes over from a wildly popular and now promoted boss, she is faced with the problem of how to keep spirits up in a corporate unit that has, frankly, started to get bored and cranky and revert to its old ways. But then she visits the amazing Taka Sushi (formerly Taka Teriyaki), with its lines of customers cheerfully waiting for hours to get in. Soon, she realizes that the way to keep her employees motivated and her customers delighted can be learned from a bunch of waiters who teach one another everything they need to know. And when she finds out just how the owner of Taka knew to switch her main bill of fare from teriyaki to sushi long before anyone else, what she really discovers is the secret of keeping your work fresh.
About the Author
Stephen C. Lundin, the Big Tuna Ph.D., is a writer, filmmaker, and public speaker. He serves as head counselor of the popular Fish! Camps.John Christensen is a filmmaker and CEO of ChartHouse Learning, the leading producer of corporate learning programs, including FISH!, the video.
Harry Paul, a professional speaker, is a consulting partner with the Ken Blanchard Companies and the director of speaker services at Nelson Motivation.
Harry Paul, a professional speaker, is a consulting partner with the Ken Blanchard Companies and the director of speaker services at Nelson Motivation.
From AudioFile
An allegory about a thriving Japanese restaurant is used to show how organizational change can be sustained only when individual members connect with the organization's vision. The restaurant's owner is the teacher here, while a nearby hospital--suffering every kind of institutional malaise one can imagine--is the student as it struggles through familiar bureaucratic and human problems. People impatient with narratives might glaze over at this one; it's drawn out and overacted. But the lessons have value for managers trying to motivate their troops to pull in the same direction. In spite of its excesses and length, the story does support the principles it teaches and offers a good organizational lesson. T.W. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Firnando Chau Review
