How to get employees to like or love each other and their work

 

This is how leaders get employees to like or love each other and their work: 

When employees like their colleagues, they also like their work. Some people (2 out of 3) hate going to work. This is because they don't like all their colleagues or don't like their boss. The manager can do something about that. But at first glance, it doesn't sound easy to get people to like each other, have fun together, enjoy each other's company. But what if the manager could create a community where everyone likes each other? The solution is here:

The manager can use FISH! which is the simplest and cheapest tool on the market. FISH! consists of films, books, posters, booklets, fish, exercises and plans to create a community with good relationships - and good help to get started and keep it going. Any manager can do it themselves - without involving external consultants in the task.

First a little background. Pike Place Fish in Seattle created their community in the now world-famous fish shop. The fish shop became famous for the way they chose to be together as colleagues. When it worked, they could start looking outward and making customers happy. The fishmongers' behavior and story became a film, a series of books and a complete educational concept that spread like wildfire.

FISH! was used in businesses, schools, shops - everywhere employees needed to like each other.

The four FISH! habits (well, we call them practices) that make employees like each other are:

• Be there (be wholeheartedly present for the colleague who needs you)
• Play (be curious and creative and go a little further than just politeness)
• Choose your attitude (choose a productive response that helps you deal with what you encounter)
• Make their day (all your actions should make your colleagues happy).

These 4 habits are shown and further explained in the FISH! film. They can be try out and tested together with the employees - a little at a time. Exercises, methods and plans are prepared and drawn up for the manager, who can quickly start inviting this new morality, new behavior, new sense of community, new job satisfaction.

The FISH! tools contain enough material so that the manager can continue in many meetings in the future for a very long time. FISH! is not a quick fix for the coming week, but is a new, practical and productive culture.

Before the manager can say 'OMG', the employees like each other and the job. No hocus pocus. Only practical management for a reason.

In the photo above you can see some employees from a fish shop in Denmark. They are in the process of trying out one of the four new habits. They are trying to praise each other on the back. This exercise takes 3 minutes to complete. Each participant is given a cardboard card on a string around their neck. The exercise is explained out on the floor or outside on the grass. Everyone must now, with their pen held high, write praising sentences on their colleagues' backs. It takes about 3 minutes to write 7 to 10 praising, relevant sentences. After the exercise, everyone must take off their cards and read what has been written on their own card. These cards are typically kept for many years.

After the exercise, the employees talk about what it means to acknowledge, praise, value, appreciate each other and how wonderful it is to receive praise and to give praise. It is also interesting to find out what the differences between praise, recognition, appreciation and appreciation actually are. 'Praise on Back' is a small course in itself. And think of all the variations you can design (Thank you cards, A bouquet of roses, Tons of recognition).

OK. This was activity no. 1. Now what?

As a leader, you have to include 1 activity in each weekly meeting you have. The activity should be called something that refers to your culture, your way of being together. So - call it something so that everyone knows that it is coming.

The activities typically take 10 to 15 minutes. It needs to be explained. It needs to be carried out. And it needs to be followed up.

Here are 25 activities, so you have enough for six months. When the six months are up, you can start all over again, but twist all activities a little bit. You can also choose to appoint an employee to be the team's Culture Manager or Motivation Manager. Let that person be in charge of the activities. Remember to support this person at every single meeting. You can also hire an external consultant to come and lead the 15 culture minutes. Once every week for a whole year. It will cost you a little money, but it may be worth it.

Here are 25 activities, all of which are valuable and full of energy and meaning. If you do not think the activity is explained enough, please do contact me by email.

1. One about me and 3 about us: Draw 5 small circles and 1 large circle in the middle on an A4 sheet of paper and fill them in. The small circles should slightly cover the large one. Divide into groups of 5 and ask everyone to tell something 'unique' about themselves and describe it in a few words in a small circle. When all 5 circles are filled in, comes the slightly difficult task of finding 3 'unique' things that 'appeal' or 'suit' everyone.
2. Pairs: Count to 3. Replace 1 with clap. Replace 2 with stomp. Replace 3 with 'hep'.
3. Pairs: Stand in 2 rows facing each other. Everyone observes each other, turns around and changes 5 things. Turn and guess.
4. Everyone stands on the floor. Everyone must now choose 2 people to whom they must keep the same distance. When the leader moves 1 person, everyone follows.
5. Ask everyone to bring one thing from home that they value highly and have 3 of them present each week.
6. Formulate an internal satisfaction survey. Talk about each topic in pairs. Complete it together.
7. Sing a song alternately by 3 groups. 1 group starts singing. 2nd group starts after 1 line. 3rd group starts after 2 lines: My Bonnie lies over the ocean, My Bonnie lies over the sea, My Bonnie lies over the ocean, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me: Bring back, bring back, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.
8. Here is your IT. Watch the FISH! film and get the recipe for 1 handout for each participant. Watch the FISH! movie in 18 minutes and then talk in pairs about which scene you liked best and why. Also talk about which scene you liked least and why.
9. Download the SPEED FISH! dialogue cards and use them in 2 circles on the floor. The circles rotate inside each other, so everyone quickly gets to talk to many people.
10. End your meeting like the Pike Place Fish fishmongers do. One appreciates another, who in turn appreciates another (not clockwise). The last appreciates the first. Appreciate having said or contributed something at the meeting.
11. Make a sentence out of an acronym. For example, TEAM becomes: Tuesday everyone act mellow. The task is that the sentence must reflect the group's ability to perform an extraordinary job or a difficult task.
12. Stand or sit in a circle. The first five count to 5. Then the next five count to 5. Back at the start, 1 is replaced with (optional: a clap, a word, a sound that must be remembered by everyone and used subsequently). Continue until all the numbers 1 to 5 have been replaced.
13. Everyone writes the name of a well-known, living person on a Post It and sticks it to the forehead of a colleague who has not seen what is written on the Post It. Now everyone has a Post It on their forehead and must ask the others one at a time questions: Am I a man? Am I a politician? Am I famous? When you get a YES answer, you must continue asking. When you get a NO, the turn moves on to the next person.
14. Use the last letter: One starts by appreciating the teamwork they have in the group. For example, with the word 'Teamwork'. The next person must now appreciate with a word that begins with the letter K, e.g. 'Kind'. The next word must begin with D, etc. Helping each other is allowed. And it is a good idea to write the words down and use them.
15. Short lecture: One asks a colleague to give a 1-minute lecture on a specific topic. The person must now speak continuously for 1 minute on the topic. Questions may be asked afterwards.
16. Guess a quote: Relevant quotes subjected to guessing and grimacing.
17. Robin Hood Parcel game: Buy 3 exciting things and wrap them. Place them on the table and explain the rules: When you roll a 6 dice, you must choose a package and give it to a colleague. The leader takes time to decide when the parcel game should stop after e.g. 3 minutes. When all packages have been distributed, you must take from one colleague and give to another colleague. The packages should contain something relevant to the team.
18. Tie a bow: Use a rope that is long enough for everyone to grab with both hands and stand alternately on each side of the rope. Participants must not let go of the rope at any time before they have tied a bow. Display the bow in the meeting room.
19. A couple holds each other's shoulders so that they only have 1 arm available each. Now the couple must wrap a gift in gift paper and with ribbon.
20. The demanding leader: One person is appointed as the demanding leader, who says: 'I am your demanding leader. I must (point to a colleague) use 3 things from all of you that begin with the letter D.' The colleague then responds, for example, 'Diligence, data experts and drumroll.' This game is not about being bad or not being able to do it. Therefore, it is allowed to get help from colleagues. The game continues with other letters.
21. The checklist: One person begins and says the sentence: 'I went to the supermarket and bought 12 apples' (there must be enough for everyone in the team). The next person says: 'I went to the supermarket and bought 12 apples and 12 pizzas.' The game continues around the table. Colleagues are welcome to help along the way.
22. Reverse game: Place a deck of playing cards on the meeting table with backs facing up. One at a time, a colleague must turn over 2 cards. When the 2 cards have the same value, they must be removed and the colleague gets another turn. All colleagues must help.
23. Roll two dice: First agree what the eyes should lead to. For example, 'roll a seven and get coffee and tea for everyone.' Or, for example, 'roll a two and give a lecture on teamwork.'
24. What has been removed?: Place a covered tray with 20 items on it and let the team look at the items for 15 seconds. Cover the tray again and take it outside the door and now remove 3 of the items. Cover it again and return to the team. Now they must agree together which 3 items have been removed.
25. Five colleagues put together a puzzle with 5 pieces. No one is allowed to put together the whole puzzle, only their own piece. Let the colleagues compete against each other. Use the puzzle here:

After the activity comes the most important thing

Remember to talk about what this game consists of and what you practice when you play the game. Is the game worth the money to do with your colleagues? For example, you could ask: If our CEO comes through the door while we are playing this game and asks 'What are you doing?' - what would we answer? The CEO could be replaced by the Prime Minister, a key person, a journalist, an important customer.

PS. The leader who involves his employees in new things, changes, new systems, the spirit of community, meetings, opinions, etc. is already well on his way to creating a good atmosphere. Involvement in itself means that the employees are good enough, are worth involving and set to do independent things. The 26 activities are an excellent expression of this.

Have fun with the activities!

Michael Meinhardt
LEADERSwarehouse.com 

☎ +45 71 92 55 63 ✉ info@LEADERSwarehouse.com