Normandale - Student Clubs&Organizations





The FISH! Philosophy Overview \| Choose your Attitude \| Play \| Be There \| Make Their Day Advisor's Corner What is the FISH! Philosophy? FISH! is a way of life. It is composed of four simple principles that each person can adapt to his or her own work & life. When you're using the Philosophy you will notice a positive change in yourself & with your relationships. FISH! is an invitation to join– it is not mandated or a quick fix . FISH! reminds us of the possibilities we can create in our lives. Like one of the fishmongers said, “It's about who you're being while you're doing what you're doing!” The Four Principles… 1. Choose your Attitude ~ You choose the attitude that you carry with you– choose a good one! 2. Play ~ Make sure to have fun & incorporate it into your daily life– be yourself, use play to get things done, enjoy the people around you. 3. Be There ~ Be there physically & mentally– give the person you are speaking with the utmost attention & listen fully. 4. Make Their Day ~ Do something out of the ordinary for someone– take the extra step to make them feel special. Every moment presents the opportunity to make someone's day– take advantage of it! For more information check-out the FISH! Philosophy Website Back to the top of this section... Choose your Attitude What does it mean to Choose your Attitude? Who are you being while you're doing what you're doing? You have a choice of what your attitude is going to be. Choosing your attitude is the foundation of the FISH! Philosophy. Without choosing a good attitude– the other three concepts won't fall into place. The attitude you are carrying with you today– is the attitude that you are choosing to carry with you. Choose to make today a great day! Benefits of Choosing your Attitude… Your positive attitude influences attitudes around you– it's infectious! Having a positive attitude will help you & your group approach problem-solving & projects with ease. If you can choose your attitude– why wouldn't you want to be happy & enjoy yourself, your group, & the people you're around? Your Attitude creates good group morale, productivity, & effectiveness. People will want to be around you & your group– RECRUITMENT! How can you incorporate Choosing your Attitude into your life & club or organization? Model a positive attitude– group leaders can help set positive group norms & expectations. Be positive & friendly when meeting new people! Choose to be excited & have fun at club, campus, & OSL events. Hold yourself or group members accountable for the attitudes they have chosen. Make “Choose your Attitude” reminders. Imagine what your day would be like if you chose a good attitude…. If you find someone that has chosen a bad attitude– choose a good one & Make Their Day! Back to the top of this section... Play What does it mean to play? Many people think that you either work or play but this is not true. Play isn't what you do but how you do it! It's being ourselves, trusting each other, having fun, enjoying the people around you, & using play to get things done. Play when combined with BEING THERE, MAKING THEIR DAY, & CHOOSING YOUR ATTITUDE create a great environment! Benefits of Play... Happy people treat other people well. Creativity & stress-free problem-solving stem from fun & play. Boring tasks become easier. Time passes more quickly if you're playing. Being involved & working becomes a reward- instead of a way to rewards. How can you incorporate Play into your life & club or organization? Incorporate it into your meetings & events. Be yourself & enjoy others around you. Use games, music, your own creativity. Have a “Play retreat”- get stuff done & have fun! Set ground rules for the “playing field” - so people feel O. K. to be silly & know its O. K. to have fun! Create a fun theme for the year. Decorate your bulletin board, table, & cubby. Participate in the fun things Club Central is doing & other clubs/orgs. are doing (events). Participate in Campus Events– Recreational Sports, Service-Learning, & NPB. Surround yourself with people you like to be around. Make your club/org. one you want to be a part of. Smile, laugh, & giggle! Back to the top of this section... Be There What does it mean to Be There? Being there means not just being there physically but being there mentally as well– don't let distractions destroy the quality each moment presents. Living in the present moment & giving others our full attention is very important. You can multi-task with “stuff” but you need to “be there” for people– be engaged, listen to them, make eye-contact, have great non-verbals, & be selfless. Live your life in the moment! Benefits of Being There… Builds a stronger team & stronger leaders that are fully engaged. Taps into the groups strengths because you listen to each other. Makes the person you are interacting with feel like they matter– that they are special. You hear what the other person is saying– you are not just going through the motions, you are actually fully listening. How can you incorporate Being There into your life & club or organization? Don't answer your cell phone while you are in a meeting or conversation with other people. During conversations, clear your mind of everything but the topic at hand– don't start thinking about what you're going to say next– LISTEN! Don't look past the person with whom you are talking. Use the person's name as often as you can (without it getting weird– people's favorite words are their own names). Always be honest about how much time you have to discuss a topic. Turn off your cell phone, Instant Messenger..& the list goes on- so you can give the person you're interacting with your undivided attention. Back to the top of this section... Make Their Day What does it mean to Make Their Day? Find someone that needs a helping hand, a word of support, a surprise gift, a good ear, a hello, a smile, or a thank you. Make a commitment to focus on engaging others in a variety of ways to lift their mood & attitude. There are always opportunities to make someone's day– take them! Just imagine what a great place it would be if you just made one person's day, each day... Benefits of Making Their Day… Creates a ripple effect– it's contagious! Makes personal connections. Makes people feel special, like they matter, all warm & fuzzy inside. Makes you & your group feel good. Creates a group that people want to keep coming to again. How can you incorporate Make Their Day into your life & club or organization? It can be effortless or planned out– a simple hello to a recognition event. Use goofy awards– smarty pants award, superstar award, tater-tot award, be creative & think off something fun! Share positive things about each of your group members– write them notes letting them know what you appreciate about them. Have fun & invite others to join in. Commit Random acts of Kindness. React to each person as an individual. Write someone a thank you note. Celebrate other people's successes. Give a sincere compliment. Volunteer to participate in Service-Learning. Back to the top of this section... Back to Advisor's Corner... Go back to The Basics: Hook, Line & Sinker... Continue to Resources: Your Tackle Box ...