philosophical stuff at Franklin Mint FCU

BROOMALL, Pa.-"Something fishy" usually carries a connotation of something somewhat "off," but not at Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union. Instead staff there are honing up on "FISH! Philosophy" as a way of becoming more energized, motivated and creative. If all goes according to plan, this should translate into improved member service, said Rick Durante, training & development manager. "This program's based on the film that's called "FISH," Durante explained. "It's actually become very popular, from what I understand." It's so popular, as a matter of fact, that not only is there a video called "FISH," but there also is a follow-up called "Fish Sticks," and there's a book, all of which staff at Franklin Mint is becoming very familiar with this year. This is all about positive energy, Durante insists, and he may be on to something. As the fishmonger in the film says: "People are having fun with this, but they're also, by the way, buying our fish!" Which is, after all, an intriguing bottom line. Still, when the distributor of this unusual staff invigoration video first called Durante to ask if he'd like to see a preview tape, Durante couldn't figure out what a fish video had to do with what they were doing at the FCU. When it arrived, it sat on his desk and sat. When the distributor called back months later, Durante picked it up to take a look at it. "As soon as I watched it, I knew that this was perfect to show to all of our employees," Durante notes. And that was the beginning of the whole fishy campaign at the FCU, a campaign that was a little secretive and more than a little silly, which involved fish-related items such as goldfish crackers, fish T-shirts, little bean-bag fish piled on employees' chairs, paper fish suspended from the ceiling, fish posters and more. "There even is a fish song," Durante enthused. "One employee got up and sang that!" How this all works at FMFCU is staff members watch the film and then activities are scheduled that explore the basic components of all this, such as "Choose your attitude" or "Make their day." "We talked about how you could be there for your members, and how your attitude affects your performance and so on," he said. Then offices were draped with fishnets, paper fish hanging from the ceiling and on the walls, and desks were covered with fish pens and books and magnets, and even members who got a peek at it all were curious. "Leading up to the program, we tried to build enthusiasm and keep it a secret what it all was about," Durante said. And then, when staff came to the session, they were surprised by what was presented, since it had been kept a secret basically. Durante dressed up similar to how the workers in fish market dressed, with heavy clothes and boots. Everybody had a great time. They played, but they also worked. "This begins with senior management all the way down... and it tells employees they are allowed to play and have some fun at work, with the idea that this transfers to relationships with members, creating a little bit of a playful and creative workplace," Durante said. Where all this fish energy originally got canned was the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, "where the energy is so infectious that business people spend their lunch hours just watching the action and absorbing the energy," Durante said. But, he noted in a report he did on the subject, the market wasn't always such an ideal place. Years ago, "the drudgery of working in a cold, smelly place" was evident in the fish workers' attitudes. So one day they decided to try changing their attitudes to create a totally different environment, and that impulse led to a new philosophy of work called FISH!Philosophy. "These guys working in the fish market don't just stand behind the counter and sell fish," Durante points out. "They actually throw the fish around. You have to see the video to really appreciate this. These guys are really there for their customers, and they are really there for each other. "And they even invite customers behind the counter, too, to try their luck. Or they might bring a customer around back and throw a fish to them. And we are not talking about small fish, here. These are pretty large fish," Durante said. They've been in a lot of commercials and ads, Durante said. "And they came up with this training video on Fish!Philosophy," he said. "This philosophy is based on the four fundamentals: "Play" and "Be there" in addition to "Choose your attitude" and "Make their day." Anyone seeking more information could visit the FISH!Philosophy Web site at www.fishphilosophy.com, Durante said. "As of a few weeks ago, we've had 13 fish sessions here at Franklin Mint," he noted. "In October when we have our service day, we're hoping to get one of the authors of the book to come to talk to us." There reportedly are "hundreds of organizations" using this book and video. "It's boosted morale and boosted activity at Franklin Mint!" Durante said. -lide@cutimes.com