Kevin & Raeanne Woycenko (CMS-CanPacific) FISH Comments:

FISH PHILOSOPHY and CMS

The book was really enjoyable and it really makes you think about the current working conditions at many of our client’s clubs as well as our own business.  We think the philosophies may be easier to adopt into the club atmosphere than our own consulting business as we are not working directly with people (other than by phone) most of our work day as they are in the clubs.

However, we do feel that the awareness and learning of the philosophies are important so we can concentrate on applying them as much as possible. 

Here are some ways we feel we could adopt the FISH philosophies for our business:

PLAY-  Considering it is only the two of us at work each day, WE try to lighten things up and break up the task focus by taking a few breaks for a quick game of pool… sounds rather insignificant but it gets us up and out of our desks and takes the focus off of business for 15 minutes which allows us to get back to work more refreshed. We also will do small things like a “high-five” after something has been accomplished or done well.

Play with our clients currently is more involved when we see them in person… we like to go out for a dinner or a round of golf to get to know them outside of the work environment. I think we could get a little more creative in how we can add play into the day-to-day operations when we are not with them at their clubs… funny emails (tastefully chosen)…..   we’re still looking for further ideas for this philosophy.

MAKE THEIR DAY- Although much of our contact on a day-to-day basis is by phone, the way we can “make their day” for some of our clients is by giving them a call or an email card, etc on their birthday, or for a special event such as a wedding, birth, club anniversary, etc.  The clients like to feel that our relationship with them goes beyond “just business”.   Even small things like recognition of a job well done for hitting their monthly target or for a creative idea they’ve come up with …. All to make them feel better about what they’re doing. They like to have a sounding board and someone to give them a pat on the back for their efforts. This helps to “make their day”.

We feel this is a very important part of client retention.

We also like to incorporate some fun - which “makes their day” by organizing special events such as our annual client golf tournament and bar-b-q where we have fun prizes for different categories, not all for the best golfer!!  This year we will have a club awards ceremony and  give awards for categories such as club growth, service, etc.

Overall, on a daily basis we need to concentrate on making our clients feel special and that they are truly the “purpose of our work not an interruption of it” (who did that quote come from?!)

BE THERE-  We believe that we can adopt this philosophy simply by being more attentive to our clients whether that be by phone or in person.  Being more conscious of giving all your attention and focus to the person you are working with at that time and not allowing yourself to be distracted by other things.  We think that one way to do this is to stress the importance of setting up phone appointments rather than randomly calling in as much as they currently do. It is difficult to concentrate and complete tasks with calls coming in when you are working on something completely different at the time.

Even though it is something they may view as being less flexible, it will increase the quality of their time spent with us. When we meet in person, we will keep our cell phone turned off so all attention is given to that individual.

We need to “improve the quality of life on the planet, one engagement at a time” - from Fish Tales.  Another recommendation from this book is “when you are in an open area, try not to look past the person with whom you are speaking”…. this is a great piece of advice and one I personally know I need to work on…. It’s easy to get distracted with lots of “things” going on around you.

CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE- This is certainly the driving force behind all the other philosophies in our opinion. Every day we must be more aware of how our attitudes affect not only ourselves but others.  We believe spending a few minutes every morning to remind ourselves of this will serve everyone well.

I keep my favorite quote on my desk to review each day:

“Ability is what you’re CAPABLE of doing,

Motivation determines WHAT you do,

Attitude determines HOW WELL you do it!!”    -Lou Holtz

Attitudes are contagious, we need to be sure we are spreading only positive attitudes…. this is a work in progress!! Time for a quick game of pool…..

Raeanne and Kevin