A ChartHouse PublicationKatie Parke-Reimer

Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D.

The

Facilitator’s Guide

Produced and Distributed byChartHouse International Learning Corporation

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Copyright ChartHouse International MCMXCIXWritten by Katie Parke-Reimer and Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D.Layout and Design by Amber J. Boyum and Patrick B. North

PrefaceWhen people first see the World Famous Pike Place FishMarket in action, they marvel at its energy, excitement, andfun. Those who visit again wonder how the market cansustain such a high-energy work environment over time.

We were no different. No sooner had we completed the filmFISH! than our minds shifted to the question, “How do thefish guys keep the vision alive?” Then we learned that anumber of long-term employees, including the manager oftwenty years, retired or left for other opportunities. Wequestioned whether this thriving work environment wouldbe able to survive the turmoil. We continued to stay in touchwith the market and noted that it didn’t seem to be losingany energy at all. Now we were really curious.

So we decided to visit the World Famous Pike Place FishMarket with our cameras once again. FISH! STICKS showsyou what we found. We think it is a story of hope for all of uswho struggle to keep a vision alive.

Table of Contents• Preface

• Introduction

• Using FISH! STICKS as part of your learning programYour role as facilitatorUses of the filmYour goals

• Keeping the Vision AliveCommitBe ItCoach It

• Facilitation session example

• Discussion questionsVision questionsCommit questionsBe It questionsCoach It questions

• Related materials

• Transcript

IntroductionIt’s easier to put a vision statement on the wall than it is toput it into action. We know organizations that have spentmonths of meetings carefully crafting and re-wording theircorporate vision statements, only to find the life sapped fromthe vision soon after they’re finished. Or sometimes a visionworks for a while, but then turnover takes a toll and the newpeople never seem to really get on board. When you watchFISH! STICKS, you’ll see that keeping the vision alive is notonly entirely possible, but it’s the whole point of having avision in the first place!

FISH! STICKS is all about making a vision stick. We hope thatyou will come up with ways to apply what you learn from theWorld Famous Pike Place Fish Market guys, not copy them.We’re not trying to tell you how to sell fish or even becomeworld famous. We hope your organization will apply theconcepts and find the enthusiasm you see in the film to createyour own unique workplace where your vision sticks.

Using FISH! STICKS as part of yourlearning programYour role as facilitatorA facilitator can add great value to the learning outcomes ofa film-based program. We value that role and want to doeverything we can to help you help your participants applythe concepts in the film to their particular work situation.Those of you who are more experienced facilitators may findsome new ideas to supplement your approach. For those ofyou new to facilitation, we have outlined an approach youcan use to get started.

We suggest that before you show FISH! STICKS to others,you start by watching the film all the way through, withouttaking notes. You don’t want to miss anything! Later, watchit through again and write down your impressions. Whatvalue do you get out of it? What issues might you want tobring up with each of the learning points? What is yourpurpose for showing the film?

Write your ideas here.

Uses of the filmYou may want to use FISH! (our first film with the WorldFamous Pike Place Fish Market) to focus on creating apositive, engaging environment, and FISH! STICKS to focuson keeping the energy and enthusiasm alive within yourorganizational vision. Or you may want to use FISH!STICKS as part of a program on one of the following topics.Please let us know about other uses you develop.

VisionAfter your organization has gone through the difficult workof developing a vision, you’ll want to be sure to harvest thebenefits by keeping the vision alive. The World Famous PikePlace Fish Market is a good example of how to make avision-in this case, the FISH! philosophy-stick. If yourorganization is in the midst of articulating or updating itsmission statement or vision, FISH! STICKS opens thediscussion on how your organization can obtain the benefitsfrom your hard work.

AccountabilityThe World Famous Pike Place Fish Market guys are modelsof accountability. They take ownership in their work and forthe organization. Rather than waiting to be told what to do,or just going through the motions of a job, they take actionthat is consistent with the vision. They go directly to thesource of a problem rather than complain to others. In short,they each take responsibility for the business.

TeamworkThe World Famous Pike Place Fish guys make a great teambecause they’re committed to the same vision and theysupport each other. When co-workers function as a team, theflow of work is smooth, efficient, and enjoyable. There’s nodoubt teamwork benefits everybody-customers and workersalike. But sometimes people within an organization forgetthey’re part of a team. One department regards another as athorn in its side, or, worse yet, the enemy. Sometimes co-workers just don’t like each other. Coaching at the WorldFamous Pike Place Fish Market is structured around a visionto which the team is committed.

OrientationHaving new employees read a page-long vision statementisn’t going to move them to superior performance, but whenthey have a clear sense of what the group is trying toaccomplish-and they see other employees “being it”­theynearly always step up to the challenge. That’s what hashappened at the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market. Thenew employees have even brought new life to the visionbecause they take ownership of it.

Coaching and feedbackSometimes the clear vision and high level of accountabilitythe World Famous Pike Place Fish guys feel leads them tocoach each other. They let each other know their view ofwhat’s working and what isn’t, no matter what their rank is.And they’ve learned to avoid taking offense when coached.That’s because when you are in tight agreement aboutvision, the feedback process is less personal and more vision-oriented.

And now for the threeconcepts that will help

you make your vision stick.

Keeping the Vision AliveCreating a vision is hard work and many organizationsdevote considerable energy to the process. Once the visionhas been created, it will need regular attention. The WorldFamous Pike Place Fish guys have learned what it takes tokeep a vision alive.

COMMITThroughout history, we humans have associated ourselveswith causes larger than ourselves. We long to commit tosomething worthwhile. Yet we hate being coerced or forcedinto a corner, which is why it’s important that at the WorldFamous Pike Place Fish Market each person is invited tocommit to the vision. Most of the employees do commit tothe vision because they can see the benefits and rewardsthat come from it. They gain both the responsibility and theopportunity to create and contribute.

BE ITA vision becomes real when individuals who haveinternalized the vision choose to live it, or externalize it. Thatdoesn’t mean employees have to eat, drink, and sleep theorganizational vision, even in their free time. It means thatthe vision has a life only if the employees know it,understand it, and will take responsibility for creating itdaily, hourly, even from moment to moment.

COACH ITThe fishmongers at the World Famous Pike Place FishMarket constantly give each other feedback within theframework of the vision. It’s a way of taking responsibilityfor addressing problems directly. It encourages a free-flow ofideas across position and rank, increasing an organiza­tion’sopportunities to innovate.

Facilitation session exampleAs a facilitator, you will develop your own way to presentFISH! STICKS depending on how you’re framing it and howmuch time you have. Here is a basic outline of a trainingsession to get you started.

Design the session• Define what you want to accomplish. You may want to

prepare an opening statement that will clarify the sessionspurpose to the participants.

• Think about how you want to frame the discussion afterthe film. We’ve listed a whole school of questions in thenext section. Feel free to pick and choose and add yourown based on what you’re trying to accomplish.

• Think about the environment you want to create. A fun,theater-like environment-complete with popcorn and lowlights-can help participants fully experience the film andreally enjoy the session.

Just before the session• Save yourself an embarrassing moment; before the

meeting, be sure the tape is rewound and the equipmentis in good working order.

• While you’re at it, adjust the volume and color on themonitor, if necessary.

• Make sure the seats are set up so that every person will beable to read the text on the screen.

During the session

• After the troops arrive, introduce yourself and explain thepurpose for showing FISH! STICKS.

• Encourage the participants to forego note-taking so theycan fully experience the film. Then turn the lights downlow so they can’t see their notepad even if they try!

• Show the entire film. You can always repeat parts of thefilm later for review.

• Stay in the room while the film is playing, even if you’veseen it many times. Have a Pete the Perch on hand to peltanyone who looks crabby or is distracting others.

• When the film is finished, give a moment for spontaneousconversation about it. You may want to use some of thisinitial enthusiasm to segue into a brief review of thelearning points.

• Ask questions based on the time available and the wayyou want to frame the discussion. You may want to usethe following questions as a model.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

VISION questions for EVERYBODYState the vision of your organization in yourown words. Don’t worry about getting it “right”.What do you see as the organization’s vision?

What does this organization’s vision mean toyou? How do you connect with it? How areyou part of it?

When the World Famous Pike Place Fish guysstarted to develop a vision, they knew theywanted to get along with each other, have agood time at work, and deliver great productsand services. Are similar elements part of yourorganizational or departmental vision? Whatare they?

How good isour vision?

Is our visioncomplete?

VISION questions especially forMANAGERS and SUPERVISORSJohnny, the owner of the World Famous PikePlace Fish Market, went from being the kindof boss who demands results to one who enrollsemployees in the company vision. How doesyour management style compare with his?

What does it mean to “enroll” people in a vision?How can you distinguish it from coercion or acheerleading session?

Why is it important to enroll people in a vision?

How can you better enroll your employees in theorganizational or departmental vision?(For starters, do they know what the vision is?Could they state it in their own words?)

Johnny says there are always better jobs thanwhat he has to offer, at least as far as physicalcomfort and pay go. There will always be jobswith better pay, benefits, and physical worksettings out there. Does your organization’svision play a role in attracting and retainingemployees?

How inclusiveis my

managementstyle?

What does itmean to enroll

employeesin a vision?

What is ourvision worth?

And howcan we tell?

Whatresponsiblilitycomes from

commitment?

What are therewards ofcommitting?

COMMIT questions for EVERYBODYThe World Famous Pike Place Fish employeesare invited, not required, to commit to the vision,and they must individually choose to do it. Forthem, that means each person takes responsibilityfor generating the vision from their own placein the company. What does committing to yourorganization’s vision mean to you?

How do you or can you generate the vision ofthis organization?

To what extent do you feel responsible for it?

Jim, the coach, also says there’s something init for the employees when they commit. Whatdo you think the World Famous Pike Place Fishemployees get from their commitment to thevision?

What rewards would be available to you if youcommitted to the vision?

How can youmake the

commitmentworth it?

COMMIT questions especially forMANAGERS and SUPERVISORSYou and your employees have a basic commitment:they show up and do the job and you pay them.But you may want more of a commitment fromthem, beyond what is normally expected in aworkplace. Johnny’s commitment to hisemployees, for example, is that he trusts thatthey can handle the business and gives thempermission to take responsibility.

How will you go beyond what’s normallyexpected of you? What’s your commitmentto your employees?

What does itmean to “be it?”

If we were“being it,” howwould we act?

How do wedeal with “be it”

breakdowns?

BE IT questions for EVERYBODYWhat does it mean to “be” a vision?

What would it mean to “be” your organization’sspecific vision? How would you act? How canyou recreate it every day?

Mike, the fishmonger, says you have to makeyourself accountable, ask yourself how you wanteveryone else around you to be, and be that wayyourself. How do you want your co-workers tobe at your workplace?

What can you do to get yourself to “be” like that?

The World Famous Pike Place Fish guys admitthey aren’t always “being it.” How can you tellwhen you are being the vision and when youare not?

Does anyone point it out to you?

What could someone say to you to let you knowyou’re not “being it”? What could you say whenyou see someone not “being it”?

Can we“be” our vision?

How will WEbenefit from

employees“being it”?

How willEMPLOYEES benefit

from “being it”?

BE IT questions especially forMANAGERS and SUPERVISORS

If people can’t state what the vision is, or can’tfigure out how to “be” your vision, it’s probablyunclear or too complicated. Does yourorganizations vision need clarification orsimplification?

How would your employees “be” the vision?

How do you “be” it?

Being it means the vision is heartfelt, it showsin your behavior, and you use it in yourdecision-making. If your employees could “be”the vision better, are there guidelines, rules,instructions, or supervision that you wouldn’thave to give because people would assumeresponsibility?

What rewards would employees get forassuming that responsibility?

How can you encourage people to take on thatresponsibility?

COACH IT questions for EVERYBODY

The World Famous Pike Place Fish guys talkabout how keeping the vision alive is not asolo effort. They help each other keep it alive.How can you keep the vision going in yourworkplace?

Everyone at the World Famous Pike PlaceFish Market has permission to coach anyoneelse on the team. Do you feel you havepermission to coach everyone?

What do you need to do to be coachable?

How can you tell if someone is coachable?

All of the World Famous Pike Place Fish guysdo similar kinds of work at the market. If youwork in an organization where job functionsdiffer considerably, how does this affect coaching?(For example, can a customer servicerepresentative coach a human resourcesperson?)

How can wehelp each other

keep thevision alive?

Howcoachableare we?

How do we adoptFISH! STICKS-like

coaching in ourenvironment?

What iscoaching andwhat isn’t it?

Have you ever wanted to coach somebodybut couldn’t get up the nerve? Did you feel itwasn’t your place?

Where is the line between coaching and meddlingin someone else’s work?

What’s the distinction between criticismand coaching?

Have you ever heard or participated in acomplaint session about a co-worker? Haveyou asked those people why they weren’ttalking directly to the person they had aproblem with? What risks do you need totake in order to do that?

The World Famous Pike Place Fish guys feelaccountable for coaching a co-worker ormanager when they see something wrong,even if they don’t feel like “opening a can ofworms.” Have you been in this position before?

Did you say anything?

Are weaccountable with

our coaching?

What is ourcoaching

environment?

Discuss this statement: 360° feedback instruments, and otherkinds of anonymous feedback for co-workers, would be oflittle added value in a culture that embraced the concept of“coach it.”

Is coaching a part of what already happens inour workplace?

Who coaches whom?

Are there people who are uncoachable? Why?

Do you ever resist coaching? Why? Is it in theway it’s delivered? The person who’s deliver-ing it? The actual message?

What can we do to improve our coachingenvironment?

What kind ofcoaching exampleare we setting?

COACH IT questions especially forMANAGERS and SUPERVISORS

If you have told your employees you’re “open”to comments or that your “door is alwaysopen,” you may want to consider the possibilitythat that has not been perceived as truepermission to give any feedback or coaching.Remember: there’s a big difference betweencoaching a peer and coaching someone whohas authority over you.

Are there other ways you can let people knowyou’re coachable?

How do you react when you do get coaching?Could you react more receptively?

SYNTHESIZING QUESTIONS—PUTTING ITALL TOGETHER• What do we see happening at the World Famous Pike

Place Fish Market that we would like to see in ourorganization? In our work group? On our team?

• What can we do to bring those qualities to life here?

• What are we already doing that we need to continuedoing? What needs to change?

• How can we support each other?

• What are we, individually, going to do?

Other FISH! materials• FISH! Catch the Energy. Release the Potential. (video)

• The FISH! Playbook (booklet)

• The FISH! STICKS Participant Guide (booklet)

• FISH! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Resultsby Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., John Christensen, andHarry Paul (book)

Related materials available throughChartHouse or your distributor• VC Personal Accountability and the QBQ with John Miller (video)

• VC Personal Accountability: Your Path to a Rewarding Work Life byStephen C. Lundin, Ph.D. and James K. Arnold (booklet)

• Feedback is a Gift by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D. and MarshallGoldsmith, Ph.D. (booklet)

• The Gift of Feedback with Marshall Goldsmith (video)

• FireStarter Collection: Igniting Real Conversationsin the Workplace with David Whyte (collection of 5 videos)

TranscriptJohnny: When I first took it over, it wasn’t a real dynamic,busy store. Everybody was behind the counter in the oldendays. And so when you had to sell a fish, you’d walkoutside, take about fifteen steps out and fifteen steps back.My former owner of Pike Place Fish, who I worked for, usedto hate the business. And he went out to get a pound ofclams, and I heard him going, “One, two, three, four, five,six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve...” By the time hecame back: “Thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five steps for apound of clams. (Beep!)”And then—that always stuck in my mind-and then one dayafter I took it over, I caught myself counting.

Sammy: Johnny’s changed a lot, drastically, from the pastthirteen years I’ve known him.

Shawn: In the old days, Johnny used to work out here everyday, and, boy, if there was a shrimp that fell on the floorfrom somebody walking by, boy, they got it. They really feltlike they had the whip cracked across their back.

Dick: He used to be awful hard to work for. And he wentthrough some training, and started realizing things abouthimself, and started sharing, sharing things he’d learned,with us.

Johnny: I had this real realization that there was other ways ofyou know empowering people. And instead of demandingresults, I could enroll them in a vision that I had.

Justin: It was like Johnny’s thing, you know. It was like, “I wantto create an environment in the workplace where my employeeslike each other, have a good time, want to serve people, andgive them the best they can have, have an atmosphere wherepeople can say whatever they have to say to people to better thebusiness, and out of that, people liked us, we had the best fish,we had the best service, we got world famous.”

Johnny: Who the heck would think of becoming world famous sellingfish? It was a crazy idea that came out of some young kid’s mouth,you know. ‘Cause I was an adult at that time; I knew that kind ofstuff wouldn’t happen! It was like a crazy idea that came out of ayoung person’s mouth. And then we looked at him and said, “Yeah,why not? Let’s do it. Let’s try. Let’s become world famous and thatwas the start of it, I guess. We’ve had cameras coming fromAustralia, England, Japan, from everywhere, Africa...”

Sammy: We did the commercials, we did the movie, the “FreeWilly” movie, the Levi’s 501 ...I mean, we didn’t know that wasgoing to happen. What about the ads at Nordstrom, theNordstrom ad, what, the billboard... I mean, no control overthat. And people come from everywhere just to see us. Andthen for like the NBA spots, commercials, they come down hereand do us as a backdrop.

I mean, we have no control over that. It just happens fromthere. Basically, these are the people that we touched in thepast by waiting on them.

Customer: We love these guys!

Jim: Yeah, they’re selling fish, and they’re good at it. Butthat’s not the fundamental commitment. That’s the vehicle.The real commitment is, the vision is, that a company canimpact the quality of life in the world.

Sammy: Even though we’re going through changes, that’swhat keeps us striving is the vision.

Johnny: Through the thirty-five years that I’ve been here,gosh, I can’t remember how many employees that we’vegone through. Because this is a tough business, it’s hardwork. And there’s better jobs out there where you don’t haveto freeze your butt off!

Mike: We have a lot of new people, and we’re still learningour places, our niche in the whole company. But it just fits inso well it’s almost like it was meant for us to come in andtake over and renew the vision.

Johnny: We let them choose whether they want to becomepart of that vision. And they individually need to choose thatthey are willing to commit to that. And in that they committo that, they actually become part of it.

Jim: If you hold the vision like it’s Johnny’s vision and you’rejust working for him, there’d be a tremendous loss of power.We ask merely as an invitation that you step forward and bewilling to take responsibility for the future of this company,not because you have to, but it’s an invitation. There’ssomething in it for you, there’s something available to you ifyou’re willing to do it. This is you being willing to commit tobeing responsible for generating the vision yourself fromyour own world, from your own point of view, from yourown place on the team.

Kacy: After committing, you know, to the vision, work’sbeen easier and I can tell that because I have more energy todo stuff after work.

Darren: I made the commitment to the vision and to, I guess,enjoy what I was doing more.

Johnny: They do a lot of things that they wouldn’t donormally as workers, you know, because this is their life,their future.

Jim: What do you want to have happen, what are yourintentions for this year?

Kacy: I would like to establish off-site shipping. I thinkthere’s just, you know, it’s just going to get too big, there’sjust no way that, what we’re looking for, that we can handleit at the shop.

Ryan: Probably, e-commerce, like our Internet. But not onlynecessarily our Web site, but also the big thing is like malls.Internet malls are popping up now, and we need to get ontosomething like that.

Johnny: We took a stand to become world famous and out ofthat... you know, when you take stands it seems like out ofthose stands the appropriate actions show up.

Customer: See. Didn’t you hear it? It was beeping.

Sammy: I hear it.

Sammy: Turn that bag upside down. Turn that bag upsidedown.

Customer: Oh, that’s totally embarrassing.

Sammy: Dump it out!

Justin: Look what you’re doing here. Yeah!

Johnny: I don’t know how to tell you how to do it and makeit happen. You just kind of have to be it. And that’s reallyhard to explain to corporate America. I mean, how am Igoing to explain to corporate America, “be it.” What kind oflanguage is that? We are it. We are Pike Place Fish, worldfamous.

Mike: You have to start from yourself. How do I wanteveryone at work to be today? How would I like to see them?You have to make yourself that accountable.

Darren: Justin was talking the other day about a little danceskit he wanted to do when we’re real busy and everyone’sdoing one thing, all of a sudden stop and have this littlethirty-second little dance thing. That’s one thing that’s goingto affect our daily workplace. You know, that’s one thing Ibetcha in six months it’ll be, you know, people will come andthey’ll remember that.

Customer: It’s a lot better than going to any grocery store,that’s for sure.

Customer: And you get, like, there energy going, and, youknow, you can’t help but buy something from here, justbecause you want that little special attention that they giveyou.

Sammy: My customers, they’re going to leave this placeknowing that: “Wow-those guys-how do they do that, youknow, twelve hours a day, get along so good, have fun?” Iwant them to think about that so I know when they go to adifferent department store, I want them to think about us,saying, “Wow, there’s a big difference in service here.”

Customer: He gives me a sample even after I bought some!

Johnny: We be it on a daily basis. And sometimes we don’t,you know. We’re human beings; we’re not perfect, youknow. We come in and out of that space-we call it space-wecome in and out of there. Some days they come to work andthey’re not being it.

Dick: And you can tell if you’re not by .. if you’re just kind of...you know, doing this.

Mike: I could tell if I was being inconsistent with the visionby coming to work and not having a fun time and notmaking the place I want to be.

Johnny: You have to recreate that vision when you get up inthe morning, every morning: “I’m going to go to work andcreate World Famous Pike Place Fish.”

Justin: just be it!

Dick: You have to help each other keep the vision going.Everybody in the crew helps each other keep the vision going.

Sammy: No one team member; it’s all of us. All of us keepreminding each other every day what we’re here for.

Dick: You have to have permission, you have to givepermission, to be what we call coached. From the top all theway to the bottom; the bottom guy has permission to coachthe top guy, or anybody in between.

Justin: The coaching also is kind of like almost like a burden.If I see something wrong, it’s my personal responsibility—asme, being the vision, creating Pike Place Fish, personally,individually—I have to stop and say that.

Doug: One crab? Oh, here Dickie. Go ahead and just leave‘em right there. Hold on.

Sammy: We coach them to create on their own. There’s somany coaches here, when a new guy gets in he’soverwhelmed with all the coaches—there’s the choiceagain—the choice of who to be coached by.

Dick: And you also have permission to take it or leave it.You do not have to take the coaching.

Darren: So you get ten, twelve different ideas on one thingand you just kind of got to figure out what’s the best way foryou to do it.

Johnny: We have to give up our righteousness, and to be ableto coach each other. That’s the hardest thing, I thinkespecially for men, is to give up our egos and ourrighteousness and allow other people to coach us.

Justin: You’re responsible for the way that you listen to me.It all is kind of combined with your commitment to thewhole vision, and if you don’t have that, then it won’t work.

So you have to commit. You have to be willing to give upyour ego and whatever thoughts you have about this is(beep!) or whatever, and get past that and just hear thewords for what is being spoken.

Sammy: I need bodies up in the back, please! I need bodiesin the back, please!

Dick: And the coaching doesn’t always come out likecoaching. It comes out like yelling and screaming, andsometimes it’s not taken like coaching; it’s kind of like, “Uh-huh.”

Justin: Brothers, come on. Brothers, come on!

Johnny: There’s times when people get into it. They’rehuman, you know. But after they do, they realize, you know,they have a conversation. We make sure they have aconversation to recreate the relationship.

Justin: I don’t coach someone as a power trip kind of thing.It’s all only for the team, for the vision; that’s the only reasonwhy you coach somebody.

Shawn: That’s OK? Smoked red king! OK, you’re next kid.One kid! Incoming: one kid!

Notes

Notes