Make Their Day

When I started in my last CISO role, I inherited a team of outstanding individuals who were somewhat typecast as “the people who say No!” One of my goals was to flip that reputation - to being colleagues who could have constructive conflict when needed, but would always be a partner to solve problems. One of the steps we took as a team was to learn from the Pike Place Fish Market’s FISH! Philosophy – and one of the four pillars of Fish! is “Make Their Day.”

Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market became world famous and a tourist attraction (Yes, a fish market!) for their fun and engaging way of doing business. Notably throwing the fish. The employees at the market banded together in the mid-1990’s to commit to four principles of their jobs:

• Choose Your Attitude: Actively make a choice to be positive

• Be There: Be fully present and engaged in interactions with each person

• Play: Inject fun and creativity into your work

• Make Their Day

Their approach, named the “Fish! Philosophy,” was documented in books (including, “Fish!” by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen), a video, and training programs.

"Make Their Day" encourages team members to actively look for ways to positively impact someone else's day, even with small gestures, to create a more positive experience and trust. Some of the elements of Make Their Day include:

• Listening, putting yourself in the other person’s shoes, and considering their needs

• Looking for opportunities to help them, even with small acts

• Surprising them by doing something extra – above and beyond what they expected

At the fish market they do this by providing great service, making people laugh, and making a visit to their market an unforgettable experience. How can an information security team Make Their Day?

• Dig in to solve security problems that help other teams meet their goals

• Be true partners who share “ownership” of business initiatives – meaning make it your business to help deliver

• Publicly acknowledge other people and teams’ contributions and successes, big or small, in team meetings or communications

• Make people laugh - use humor and relatable examples to make security more understandable

• Go the extra mile to resolve problems, even if they are not directly related to cybersecurity

• Instead of saying "no" look for ways to say "yes, here is how we can do that safely”

Our team found that Make Their Day became part of our culture, and going above and beyond to solve problems gained us trust and support. By consistently applying these principles, any cybersecurity team can create a positive work environment, stronger relationships with other departments, and a better security posture for the organization. It takes a commitment of effort, but the return can be greater. How can you Make Their Day?