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

From Pakistan, Islamabad
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Dear Asad,

Thank you very much for such wonderful tips. The presentations you posted on the Fish Philosophy some time ago were also very useful. Inspired by them, we have started educating our employees on the FISH philosophy. Various charts, figures, etc., have been placed on our notice boards. I am confident that these tips will be further beneficial. I would appreciate it if you could send or post the video as well.

Regards,
Bhavna
[Website: www.vinove.com]

From India, Delhi
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Dear Bhavna,

I am pleased to hear that you have started the Fish Philosophy for your team. It is going to work! 😄 As far as the video is concerned, I really don't have a Fish video. These activities were shared by one of my friends, and I shared them with everyone around here.

Could you please share with us how exactly you introduced the Fish Philosophy in your company and what steps you took?

Have a Fishy Life! 😛

Regards,
Asad

From Pakistan, Islamabad
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Hello!

Thanks a lot for this post. Based on your previous post (PPT on Fish Philosophy), I suggested to my seniors to go for a workshop on this, and we are planning for it next weekend. Keep posting such things.

God bless.

Regards,
Sandeep
+91 99383 510 33

From India, Morvi
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Dear Bhavana Could you please share with us how you have implemented this fish philosophy in your org!!!! Please!!! Regards, Paromita
From India, Bangalore
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Dear Asad/Paromita,

None of our employees were aware of anything like this concept.

To start it from scratch, we have put up the brief of the FISH philosophy on our notice boards. We have created charts detailing what the Fish philosophy is about – the four major parts of this philosophy. To make it interesting, the charts are loaded with images, pictures, and examples.

Gradually, people are coming and asking what it is about and how these principles are associated with FISH. This is when the HR team briefs them on the FISH story and educates them on its importance.

By next week, we will start focusing on each principle. For the first week, all our notice boards will display information about PLAY, and so on in the coming weeks.

Implementing such a thing will take time as people are completely unaware of it and its importance. However, I am confident that with patience and systematic efforts to spread awareness, it will definitely make a difference.

The activities suggested by Asad today will be implemented by the HR team. I hope this information is helpful, and I look forward to suggestions from site members.

Regards,

Bhavna

www.vinove.com

From India, Delhi
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Dear Asad, Tks for sharing the information in addition to the PPT on this topic posted in the past. Rgds, P. Vasan
From Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Dear Bhavna,

Superb! The way you have initiated the FisH in your org is great. Thank you a lot for sharing with us; this will really help us a lot.

@Gouri, Partho, Ravinder, Rajeshwari, Donna, Khurram & P. Vasan - Thanks for liking and your comments.

@Khurram - Sir, my number is 0334-3581791. Stay in touch.

From Pakistan, Islamabad
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Dear All Please find attached the Fish Cards...passing them on to your team will add value to the process. Thank you & Regards
From Pakistan, Islamabad
Attached Files (Download Requires Membership)
File Type: zip fish_e_cards_204.zip (940.8 KB, 804 views)

Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Hi Asad,

Thank you for your appreciation. I will keep sharing whatever we do regarding spreading awareness and implementing the FISH philosophy in our organization. And thanks a ton for the lovely F!sh e-cards; they are really awesome.

Regards,
Bhavna
www.vinove.com

From India, Delhi
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

@ Bhavna

Hummm! I will wait for your suggestions as well on Fish Philosophy implementation. I would suggest you to read the books "Fish" and "Fish Tales" by Stephen C. Lundin.

@praveen

You are welcome. Thanks for liking.

@ Khurram

Welcome, Bro.

From Pakistan, Islamabad
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Hi Asad,

Excellent stuff.... Thanks a ton for sharing. I would like to request if you can forward the Fish ppt to . That would be really great.

Thanks again.

Best Regards, Dipika Amlani

From India, Mumbai
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

@Bahubali & Dipika

My pleasure.... Dipika... You can download the Fish ppt from the link below... <link no longer exists - removed> However, if it doesn't work, do let me know, and I will email you.

Regards, Asad

From Pakistan, Islamabad
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Hi.. I saw the ecards that were put up...one Q.. can we use them? arent they copyright? Rhiana
From India, Bangalore
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Hey Asad, Wow ! pretty good ideas...thanx for posting ! Please keep posting more of them. Will surely help !
From India, Delhi
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Hello everyone,

Hey all,

Can you tell us what the four major parts of this philosophy are? Please provide charts, images, pictures, and examples. How are these principles associated with the Fish...? Briefly educate on the FISH story and its importance. Please answer my queries. I have heard about this philosophy for the very first time.

From India, Nasik
Acknowledge(0)
Amend(0)

Looking for something specific? - Join & Be Part Of Our Community and get connected with the right people who can help. Our AI-powered platform provides real-time fact-checking, peer-reviewed insights, and a vast historical knowledge base to support your search.







Contact Us Privacy Policy Disclaimer Terms Of Service

All rights reserved @ 2025 CiteHR ®

All Copyright And Trademarks in Posts Held By Respective Owners.