What is a cool moral and how do you create one?  First, an introduction to 'moral'. Next, something about how to get good morals. And finally something about how to maintain the moral that makes everyone (colleagues, managers and customers) comfortable. First, introduction to moral A moral is like the human immune system. The immune system is what ensures that we have a defense against diseases. Morale is also resilient and can withstand a myriad of unforeseen and planned events. A bad moral can rarely withstand just a few sick calls, a small lack of goods and a short-term IT breakdown. The reactions of the employees are violent and dramatic. The veneer is thin. The fuse is short. The nerves are on the outside of the clothes. The stronger a moral the better the defense against all challenges - canceled orders, pandemic, new and complicated laws, climate change and hacker attacks. 'Morality' means manners, character and orderly and correct behavior in the face of, for ex...

Have this great workshop with only a quote:  Yes, quotes like this really makes a difference. But only a small one. Very small to be honest. But this quote could be the intro to a workshop that involves all team members.   If you have a democracy in your workplace that allows everyone to speek and ventilate ideas and thoughts and problems - try it. Here comes a small plan: Start by showing the quote. Tell your team that wellbeing at work is essential to productivity and customer satisfaction. Ask: So what do you see when you read this quote? 10 usable statements Acknowledge every message by saying: Good point. Very accurate. I like it. Now tell them that you are all going to work with how the environment works. The workshop must end up with 10 statements ready for use by everybody - especially the leader - to follow. Workshop target The target of the workshop is to find answers and actions to: This is how we like it. This is how we prefer the climate. This is the behaviour we ...

Do you have to play at work or is it just bullshit?:  When you're at work, you don't play. There is no time for that. It is unproductive. Play is nonsense.  This is not correct: At work you have to play. There must be time for play. Play is very productive. Play must also be silly. Play leads to something serious. Play is the way to explore several possibilities - alone or together with several colleagues or the whole team. Here comes, for example, a vital game. A game that is so proven that success is guaranteed. It requires no aids. It requires no handouts. It does not require a stopwatch. It only requires a leader who can start it, explain it and review it with the team. Here comes the game in all its simplicity: Ask your participants to stand in pairs facing each other with a distance of 1 meter. They will now try a game that is about counting to three. The game gets a little more difficult along the way. But first one partner must say 1. Then the other partner says 2. The...

What does it take to get people to change?:  What you're about to see is real. And yes. There is a link for a video on YouTube further down. Real kids doing real things. Just thought you should know.  So here's a question: what does it take to get people to change? I'm not talking about their socks and underwear, but change behavior? Especially when it's hard? For example Every year, close to 100,000 people die from hospital acquired infections. That means people got sick—at the hospital! And it turns out, one of the main culprits is hand hygiene. That means just getting people to wash their hands could save lives. ‘All Washed Up’ is a short film about the methods used when you have to present a change to a group of people of young kids that faces a big puzzle. After the puzzle they have to wash their hands before enjoying a cupcake. Watch the film 'All Washed Up' right HERE  or copy this link  https://youtu.be/osUwukXSd0k The method is to use no less than 4 to...

Count down from 10:  Try involving your participants, your audience or your friends in a countdown before the important start. It can be the lighting of a Christmas tree. It can be the start of the fight. It can be the opening of a bottle of champagne before the cork pops. A countdown is an unassailable and active way to involve everyone. Anyone can join. You simply have to introduce the countdown: 'We count down from 10. We begin: 10, 9, 8...' When you introduce and start with a loud 10 yourself, everyone follows along. But why is it good to use a countdown? First , it is a reasonable demand. When it is a reasonable demand, then everyone follows along. As the host, you introduce that something a little out of the ordinary is coming. The 'host' tells it. It's not just another repetitive action. We don't count down from 10 because we have to brush our teeth for the third time that day. We do it because what needs to happen is a rarity. Second , the countdown make...

Six positives to one negative  We all need more positive news Why have I checked 4 daily news apps to find out which one made my life a little easier and a little more optimistic? Because it is a well-kept secret that we humans need optimism, faith in the future and positivity. However, I came to look far for the optimism in the four news apps. I checked 4 danish news sites: Berlingske, Politiken, TV2 and DR on Tuesday 29 June 2021 at 14:00. The survey was relatively simple. How many positive and how many negative headlines had these sites formulated? The 4 sites contained a total of 271 stories. Most of them were about the same thing, but had completely different headlines: Berlingske had 65 headlines. Of these, 20 were positive and 45 negative = 30% positive news. Politiken had 76 headlines. Of these, 26 were positive and 50 negative = 34% positive news. TV2 had 70 headlines. Of these, 24 were positive and 46 negative = 34% positive news. DR had 60 headlines. Of these, 33 were po...

Find common ground in 15 minutes:  If you want your team to be a community, ie. be connected by something you have in common, something you agree on, something you have the same point of view on or something that interests you, then start this exercise. Being connected by something you have in common means that it has to be a little unusual. It is not enough to have two eyes. But if several people have one green eye and one brown eye, then you have something in common. The common thing must therefore be somewhat rare. Somewhere in Copenhagen there is an apartment complex where only former employees of The Royal House. They have in common that they have all served various Danish royals throughout their lives. Elsewhere in Copenhagen, there is an apartment complex where only former actors live. They have in common that they have all appeared in theaters and in films throughout their long lives. Community can also be togetherness. This is usually the case in a workplace. When the comm...

My advice to you is: Take these 5 cool coaching questions:  There are conversations for every occasion. Here I will describe a few of them that you will need the most. Some people think that conversation is pure talk that leads to nothing. But that is not correct. If you are a group that has to solve a problem, it typically starts with talking. Talk turns into conversation.  And conversation leads to plan and action. There is small talk for a start Here they talk about weather and wind and health and children and grandchildren. Small talk is good for relationships. You have seen me and I have seen you. It is in line with waving and smiling at each other. Then there is Team Talk Which can be used when the whole group is gathered for, for example, a weekly meeting. Everyone gets to say something. Because everyone means something. Because everyone has something to contribute. Because everyone has an idea or two for a solution. Team Talk is, for example, 'the round table'. This is...

Eliminate the awkward silence and instead have some dignified conversations about the deceased:  Since there is rarely a leader of the funeral ceremony the whole thing becomes very quiet and serious and there is no room for conversation. It is of course very different from funeral to funeral. But there will always be people present who are neither family nor friends, but who are 'stakeholders'. Those who only have a small contact surface or know the deceased from a small angle, e.g. work, sports, school, etc. Therefore, one is content to show one's respect, calmly and dignified. But in reality, the deceased might want people to meet and have a nice experience. And in fact, the funeral is the deceased's last 'management task'. It is the last time that the deceased gathers these very people around him. The deceased would probably like it to be fairly pleasant and educational. New conversation cards For this purpose, I have formulated a series of conversation cards...

There is Small Talk and there is Team Talk. Here comes a 'what is what' explanation?:  When we meet with family and friends at the dining table, a conversation ensues where the host or the elder takes the lead, which sometimes shuts down the entire dinner party. Once in a while, the unique thing happens that everyone around the table speaks the same amount. Then there is both laughter and answers in the air. It all happens randomly and without control. It is usually problem-free. It is small talk about small and large topics. It's close to cozy. I have tried to be at a birthday party, where my waitress told me about her exciting job as a secretary for the well-known danish TV producer and master of our childhood Ingvald Lieberkind. And I have tried having a potato grower at the table. And there I listened to new and old stories about both potato species and cooking methods. But these must be described as small talk. Small Talk with content. Because there is also Small Talk ...

I can't find my will - where did I put it?: The headline puts the matter a bit on the edge. The will is not a gland or a special center in the brain. But the will is good to get in touch with if one day you sense that it is a bit difficult to get started with anything. There are people who, without warning, start playing the piano. They find a teacher. They practice. And then all of a sudden they play for us all. There are people who start to learn a new language, to ride a mountain bike, to collect ... I myself have been practicing to become a better badminton player. There are many things to practice. To pose correctly. To move systematically. Practicing the basics. Being able to vary. To be able to mask. To hit hard. To strike softly. To endure to win. To bear to lose. It's a long catalog. One stroke I have worked on refining is the serve. A good start is crucial to whether the ball gets into play at all. That's why I've been practicing the serve and it works really ...

Five nice learnings about eLEARNING:  Here you can read what eLEARNING actually is and what FISH! eLEARNING in particular is. With FISH! the film, the books, the tools, the methods, the posters, the gifts you can dazzle your FISH! process, so that you extend over a longer period of time and thus be remembered. 1: eLEARNING takes too long? Studies show that eLEARNING typically takes between 40% and 60% less time than when you have to learn the same thing in a traditional classroom. FISH! eLEARNING can be accessed from any computer or mobile when it suits the employee and at the employee's own pace. A few minutes at a time or the whole course at once (1 hour in total). 2: Isn't eLEARNING mostly for young people? Half of all content on YouTube is seen by 35 to 64 year olds. 55% of all people over 50 receive news online. If you watch videos or read news on a PC, a tablet or a mobile phone, then you are already familiar with eLEARNING. FISH! eLEARNING offers exciting video clips, qu...

What to do after showing the FISH! film: Unite your team:  When the FISH! film has ended, the leader must follow up. The worst thing a leader could do - is nothing. The leader must not do nothing. Just showing the film leads to nothing. Well, nothing but confusion. Every employee can with their own eyes see that the fishmongers are having a wonderful working environment, with four great values or practices. But what should the employee do about that - alone? Things will only happen when employees are united. The leader is in a position to unite them. The leader must consider the film (before showing it) as a beginning. A new beginning. A refreshing start. A film about a very productive service culture. A film about teamwork and trust, retention and recruitment, innovation and creativity, boosting engagement and morale. What is your aim? What will be your focus? Pick one - not all of them. After showing the film the leader must inspire employees to internalize the messages in the fi...

Read this guide before your first FISH! presentation:  Vital conversations that transforms your business When presenting The FISH! Philosophy, you are about to open the door to something potentially powerful. Therefore, it is important how you present FISH! This guide suggests a simple, yet very effective step-by-step method that you can use when inviting to and presenting FISH! The method involves participants talking about how FISH! can make a positive difference in their job – and inspire them to make this difference. Whether you are a seasoned facilitator or you have never facilitated before, this guide contains suggestions for a FISH! presentation of 75 to 90 minutes. This is a solid foundation for your team to build a long lasting FISH! culture. With this Quick Guide you have 5 simple steps to get started: Insights into introducing FISH! Your preparation before the first presentation Invitation to participants for the first FISH! presentation Facilitating the first FISH! pres...

Start your weekly meeting in a delicious way:  Well begun is half done When you are the meeting leader, you probably think that it is you who has to speak most of the time. You shouldn't. Instead, you must be listening and asking questions most of the time. It is popularly said that he who talks a lot dominates. But he who asks a lot rules. The danger, of course, is that your participants will say most things and decide everything. Nah no. It is not like that. Are you giving up your power? No, neither. You just have to keep calm. You manage abundantly. Now you have to involve. And here are 12 involvement tips. It is for certain that when the meeting is boring, no one hears anything, learns nothing, gets smarter about anything. They all sit and sleep inside. They sleep with their eyes open. Their thoughts are elsewhere. They are not in your conference room. Therefore, try one or more of these tips: 1. Ask your participants to note the topic or issues that, in their opinion, are the ...

How to pat everyone on your team:  Is it really necessary to praise each other at work? I have a story that I would very much like to tell you. A cause I am passionate about. A matter that occupies me most of my waking hours. At the same time, it is an experience that is about you and your employees being able to achieve extraordinary results when you are all involved in creating the team culture you really want. Unhappy employees Being a consultant, I hear about unhappy managers and stressed employees daily. Employees are underinformed. They are overloaded with too many and too difficult tasks. They are stressed. They are overloaded. They get no help. They get confused. They get sick. It can hardly be called well-being and teamwork in year 2022. You can't be like that to the most important people you have at work. It is both hideous, disrespectful and mediocre. It hardly matches the company's values ​​either. The colleagues who remain fear that they may be subjected to the sam...

It is not possible to choose your own attitude, when everything goes wrong at work:  This story begins with a young roofer who shows up for work early in the morning. Cold rain is planing down from gray clouds. The roofer would like to be somewhere else entirely, but he has a job to do. While the icy raindrops cut his cheeks, he turns his face up to the clouds, grinning: 'Is that all you have to offer? Spit it out!' The roofer understands that the 'choice' is his. By 'choice' means that he himself is responsible for the way he reacts in relation to what life offers him in his path. No one else can choose for him. 'You have to choose where you want to be as soon as you get up in the morning,' says Bear, one of the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish. 'I make a conscious choice every day.' Trapped in an unpleasant situation We often feel like prisoners in an unpleasant or stressful situation and our reaction shows it: 'I can not help it! I look like...

Why not be serious at all times?:  What is PLAY? If you think along the lines of learning, experimentation or interaction, then it makes sense. Wherever creativity flourishes, there is play going on. We all learn as we did when we were children - by playing with ideas. We learn by setting aside the idea that we are limited. We open our eyes. Here are 3 ways to relate to PLAY when we are at work: First option: PLAY without working The individual employee or the group can step away from the tasks and start PLAYING. This is what happens when you step out onto the lawn and start a game of football, or go out onto the walkway and PLAY chair racing. It is fun. It gives energy. Those who want to join will have red cheeks. The community sparkles. If the boss allows it, it is a great way to team build, to focus, to boost enthusiasm and a number of other skills. The boss and the employees know that it costs money. Because while the PLAY is going on, we don't solve any of the tasks. We don...

Team tools must be both fun and serious:  I found this pencil sharpener the other day. It is not for pencils but for carrots. This tool is both fun and serious. You can peel the carrot and you can sharpen the carrot. But why sharpen a carrot? Well. Just for the fun. The slices you sharpen off you can eat. Both functions are working very well. Exactly the same expectations you may have to a team tools. It must be both serious and fun. In Copenhagen, Denmark you can walk into TIVOLI - a huge and ancient amusement parc. TIVOLI opened in the year 1843. If you read TIVOLI backwards it says I LOV' IT.  TIVOLI is serious in so many ways (safety first, traditions, good looking parc from all angels, well kept, moneymaking) and fun in so many ways (scary, fun for all ages, concerts). This is why a number of museums have used the term 'Tivolization' - where the customer experience is both fun and serious. You learn something while you're having fun. Laugh and learn.  The very same...