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Are you a fish? If so, tell Children's Services by Chris West Public Relations So this group of fish mongers from Seattle decided to share their positive and creative work ethic with a short video series named “Fish!” It teaches and reinforces their company's core principles of customer service.  Now an MUSC director not only believes in this Fish! philosophy, she’s swimming in it. “‘Fish!’  is a customer service educational program,” said Carol Dobos, Ph.D., director of children’s services. “It helps create a work environment where people choose to motivate fellow staff to create a desirable climate in which to serve customers.” The philosophy was spawned from the employees of the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market—a public market that has quickly become an iconic attraction to Seattle tourists. The attraction to the open-air market is that where it may be a place of business it is much more a spectacle to behold. It is not uncommon to see “flying fish” as employees throw whole fish from trays of ice into the waiting arms of the mongers who quickly pack them away and serve them to waiting customers. And where this is not unlike most fish markets, it’s the teamwork, camaraderie and jovial spirit of the employees that sets it apart from the competition. Aside from the schools of airborne fish, the mongers play harmless pranks and crack innocent jokes while serving the public onlookers. Often, customers are invited to demonstrate their own prowess at fish catching. It was in Tampa that Dobos first encountered the Fish! video at the National Association of Children’s Hospital and Related Issues (NACHRI) Pediatric Workforce Conference in 2001. She saw the videos during a presentation by Karen Shea, director of patient care at Tampa Children’s Hospital. The video series is shared with all new employees at the Tampa hospital and introduces them to the principles of the philosophy.  The seven principles are simple: play, make their day, be there, choose your attitude, commit to the vision, be the vision and finally, coach the vision.  “Play at work lightens the setting and makes for a fun and conducive environment. It’s about finding ways to enjoy your job. That’s the deeper intent. Making their day simply means being helpful and pleasant beyond what is asked of you. While at work you should ask yourself ‘Am I just here physically going through the motions of work or am I really here, body and mind?’ So in being there, you are fully attentive to the customer or coworker and their individual needs. Finally, we all choose our attitudes daily and that choice will affect the people around us. Whether that affect is positive or negative depends on how we chose,” Dobos said. “Committing, coaching and being the vision is simply reinforcement that keeps everybody’s eye on their ultimate goal.”  And while Dobos may fully endorse the philosophy, she also practices what she preaches. Dobos has created her own presentation, similar to what she saw in Tampa and has implemented it within her own division. The Fish! philosophy has spread staff-wide and has even evolved into a sort of weekly contest that employees participate in. “I was in the (Charleston) market and found a fish pen. I brought it in to work and it began being passed around the staff from week to week. Well, as employee after employee received the pen, they began to add their own little touches to it. One employee bought a tackle box so the pen could have a home. Another bought a small journal to go along with it where recipients could share stories. The entire office is so taken by it that I now award the pen each week to a new employee at my weekly management meeting,” she said, donning a shirt that depicted a lively seascape complete with yes—fish. “We also wear fish stickers on our badges and hand out rubber fish to employees. Soon that employee’s colleagues may begin to ask about the fish stickers and then it becomes a chance to spread the philosophy a bit farther.” So how far has it gone? “We have presented to roughly 70 percent of the Children’s Hospital. We just finished with pharmacy, physical therapy and facilities management. A week ago we presented to 50 senior nursing students. We hope to get the faculty of the College of Nursing and environmental services next,” Dobos said. “It’s definitely spreading and has really become a part of campus culture.” That culture began spreading campuswide when Dobos and administrative assistant Dave Guarino decided to hold an acronym contest that best fit the philosophy while using the word fish. “The contest was held throughout April, and we received more than 40 entries from a dozen departments and colleges,” she said. “We held the contest to get the name out and to get people talking about it.” The overall contest winner was Jennifer Betros of the department of physical therapy with her entry: Focused on Individualized Care and Serving together to Help Others. Betros received a $35 gift certificate to Hominy Grill. Gift certificates were provided by Lyndon Key, M.D. Next in line for Dobos and her new school of fish is to simply keep access to the videos available and to share this mentality with everyone. “We just want to see how far this can go,” she said. “We want more and more to spread this around and help create an environment that is best suited for employees and patients alike. But it also applies across the board. It can be implemented in anyone’s life or relationships as easily as it can in a workplace. The philosophy is simply a collection of time-honored principles, it’s really nothing new.” For information about the Fish! Video series visit their Web site at http://www.fishphilosophy.com or to check the series out from children’s services contact Dave Guarino at 792-9848.