Just Keep Swimming ...

I am a big FISH fan, and I don't necessarily mean the ones with fins and scales (though they are tasty). If you're not familiar with the "FISH!" principles, here's the excerpt from Wikipedia.

On a visit to Seattle, Christensen observed how animated and happy the employees at Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market were in their work. They filled orders by flinging fish to each other, inciting laughter from the customers and compliments about their throwing/catching abilities, or commiseration if they missed. Employees would often invite customers to join the fun. The Pike Place employees gave their complete attention to each of their customers and ensured each had an enjoyable visit.
Christensen realized that not only were the workers making a routine errand fun for themselves and their customers, they also were selling tons of fish. He constructed the FISH! Philosophy from his observations of Pike Place employees, arriving at four key concepts:

• Play
• Make Their Day
• Be There (Often referred to as "Be Present" - This is more to do with giving your full attention to a task or individual.)
• CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE

You can pick up the book for a buck or two used, it's a short easy read and is the key to what's become a huge business model for teamwork and morale building. I really recommend it, especially if you're personally feeling down about your job.

I often hear these days how "Work isn't fun anymore." That it isn't like the old days, you can't pull pranks anymore, you can't joke with anyone anymore, everything is about the negative. I have to counter that with - is it really? Or is it perhaps ... just you?

You choose to be there, even if your circumstances dictate that for the time being you must work at a particular place, your just showing up is a choice. And if you must be there, then why not have some control over how your day is going to be? Don't get me wrong, I do not have rose-colored glasses and I did not drink the Kool Aid. I know full well both the good and the bad of the places I work. But again, if I must be there then there's no sense keeping it negative and making myself more miserable than circumstances dictate. Negative people are not only toxic, they're contagious.

Choose your attitude.   How you decide to approach your job will dictate your work environment, period. You're tired of having shitty days at work? Then find something to laugh about, lighten up, spend a few minutes being all about someone else - when they feel better you will too. If you can't change your work circumstances then step up and control your work environment.

I work several doubles a month and at my age it really kind of sucks. Yet even though I was wrung out and sweaty and already beat, I had a really good night last night. Yes, I went on jobs where stupidity was rampant and yes there was the same bullshit drama that goes on - but it was still a good night. Because the four of us on last night came to work because we had to, but enjoyed it because we wanted to. With the business of shift change over, the salsa music went on, Corinne and Lauren made dinner, we talked about memories from 9/11, finding humor in the scars. Then we watched bad movies in the dark like a bad episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000."

I'm home, and I'm still tired - but I don't feel that soul-crushing drain of when you're unhappy about what you do. Laugh, play, choose the way you're going to work - don't let someone else dictate how you should think. It will make you a better partner and a better clinician.

And before anyone even says it - yes I was not working somewhere where posting is enforced and you are cut off from the rest of the tour for a good chunk of the shift. I am very aware of what that has done to shred what was a powerful and exceptional dynamic. However the principle remains the same, it's just on a smaller scale. You can only control what happens in the back of your ambulance, don't let anyone take that away from you. If you have to come to work then you pick how you feel about it, I can't do that for you.

One of the oldest adages is "Laughter is the best medicine." Well considering that giving medicine is pretty much what we're supposed to be doing, then perhaps we as a profession are long overdue for some self-administration.

So thank you Corinne, not only for the meaty goodness but for being the undefeated champion at "Name That Hymn." And thank you Bill for remembering how to dance to Cuban Pete and making us watch Broadway musical numbers every week. And thank you Lauren for the smashed potatoes, putting up with all our teasing and freely admitting when you don't get the joke. See you all next week, same bat time, same bat channel. I think next week's theme should be "Eddie and The Cruisers."

I'll get off my rambling soap box now. I know I'm not shiny happy all the time, but choosing to find the fun in what I do certainly does help. We work with some remarkable people and getting to know them is half the fun.