Fish! A Simple Philosophy to a Better World of Work

Noel Dykes
2 min readFeb 3, 2022

In Seattle, there’s a world-famous fish market called Pike Place.

So popular, there’s a New York Times bestseller book entitled ‘Fish!’ and a recognised Fish philosophy, all modelled on the work culture of this fishmonger’s market.

We spend upwards of 75 per cent of our awake adult life focused on work-related activities. Surely we ought to enjoy it and be energised by it.

So what exactly is the Fish philosophy? Let’s dive in:

1. Choose your attitude

We spend a lot of time at work; we might as well focus on having the best day we can.

There is always a choice about how we approach our work, even if there is no choice about the work itself. What if we also chose to be world-famous rather than just ordinary?

A day spent world famous is a lot more enjoyable.

2. Play

As we get older, we tend to become more serious.

We forget the importance of having fun and striking the right balance between work and play. The Pike Place fish market team discovered they could be serious about business and still have fun with the way they conducted business.

Work can be tedious at times, but when we bring fun, relationships flourish, a winning team mentality develops, and customers love it!

3. Make their day

Always look for ways to create great memories for your customers and your people.

When there’s a positive culture, creative energy and ideas flourish. Make your people and your customers feel a part of the journey. Be respectful, engaging and committed.

People will never forget how you made them feel.

4 Be present

Great teams that deliver a great customer experience are fully engaged in their work.

They show up consistently present and are aware of their role in engaging their peers and their customers. They are wary of not focusing their attention internally.

Wonderful work happens today, in the moment.

Here’s to a world where we truly love what we do.

--

--

Noel Dykes
Noel Dykes

Written by Noel Dykes

Passionate about the intersections of great design, people and business. Founder @ www.frankli.io