Fahima worked in housekeeping at Missouri Baptist Medical Center and spoke very little English. She was recognized with a small plastic fish for cleaning the nurses’ lounge. That moment captures the meaning of Make Their Day.
Hilda, the nurse manager, describes the moment in the “One Little Fish” video. When Fahima received the fish, she cried, and she and the nurse hugged. Fahima came to understand that she was part of a team.
The fish was small, but the recognition mattered because someone had noticed Fahima’s work. That is the heart of Make Their Day, one of the four practices of the FISH! Philosophy. A day does not always need a large surprise or an expensive reward. Often, a person needs to feel seen, appreciated, included, or helped at the right moment.
What does Make Their Day mean?
Make Their Day means finding simple ways to serve or delight people in a meaningful, memorable way. You do it because contributing to someone else’s life is part of the person you want to be, not because you expect a favor, a sale, or praise in return.
The practice begins with attention. You notice the person in front of you, consider what might help, and choose to make a positive difference. That could mean writing a thank-you note, encouraging a colleague, helping a customer with an unexpected need, or celebrating a success that might otherwise pass without notice.
Every interaction is a chance to make a positive impact.
The FISH! Philosophy describes Make Their Day as a way to create great memories by engaging people and including them in the experience. At Pike Place Fish Market, the fishmongers did this with customers through playful exchanges, invitations to join in, and personal attention. The goal was to help people leave in a better mood than when they arrived, rather than simply to perform for a crowd.
That difference matters. Performing for people can be about getting attention for yourself. Making someone’s day puts the attention on the other person. You ask, “What would help this person feel welcomed, supported, or valued right now?”
The practice also gives meaning to the person who serves. In the FISH! film, a fishmonger explains that he began to see his work differently when he realized he was serving people and making them happy. His job had become more than a task. It had become a way to improve someone else’s day.
Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report found that employees who enjoy their work, feel that it improves other people’s lives, and believe they have choices in what they do report stronger wellbeing and higher engagement. Making someone else’s day can help the recipient, but it can also give purpose to the person who takes action.
How can co-workers make each other’s day?
Co-workers make each other’s day when they notice effort, share support, and help one another feel that their work matters. This does not require a formal recognition program. It starts with paying attention to what people contribute every day.
If a colleague stays late to help solve a problem, tell them specifically what their help made possible. If someone handles a difficult conversation with patience, point that out. When someone learns a complex process, encourage them instead of assuming they know how much progress they have made.
A general “good job” may feel pleasant for a moment, but specific attention carries more weight. “Thank you for staying with that customer until the issue was resolved” tells a co-worker that you saw the effort behind the result. “The way you welcomed that new student helped them settle in” connects the action to its effect.
A thank-you note can make this recognition last longer. It might be a handwritten card, a message at the end of a shift, or a short note left where a colleague will find it. The format matters less than the care behind the words.
Another useful habit is to catch co-workers doing good things. Look for the helpful action that happens between formal milestones: the person who restocks supplies before anyone asks, checks on a teammate after a hard conversation, explains a task to someone new, or notices that a customer needs extra help.
Encouragement matters, too. A colleague may be capable and still need someone to say, “I believe you can handle this,” or “Your idea is worth trying.” Encouragement helps people bring their effort and creativity to the work, even when a plan may need to change.
Co-workers can also make each other’s day across departments. Imagine an IT technician who fixes a salesperson’s laptop before a big call, stays long enough to make sure the presentation opens, and wishes the salesperson luck. Neither department may measure that moment, but both people leave feeling better about where they work.
The FISH! Philosophy connects Make Their Day with Be There because you cannot respond to what you have not noticed. Choose Your Attitude can shape how you respond, and Play can add energy when it fits the people and situation. But Make Their Day stays focused on the difference your action makes for someone else.
How do you Make Their Day for a customer or the people you serve?
Customers, patients, students, residents, and community members often remember how an interaction made them feel. They may not remember every detail of the transaction, but they remember whether someone paid attention, made the process easier, or treated them like a person rather than a number.
Start by looking for the need behind the request. A customer may ask where to find an item, but perhaps what they really need is help choosing between two options. A patient may need information, but may also need reassurance that someone will return with an answer. A student may ask for help with an assignment while needing encouragement that they can learn the material.
The extra step is often what turns ordinary service into memorable service. You might walk someone to the right location instead of pointing across the room. You might gather the information a customer needs before transferring them to another department. You might prepare a simple guide for a family that has received confusing instructions. You might remember a returning customer’s preference and use it to make the next visit easier.
In customer service, Make Their Day does not mean giving away the store or promising something you cannot provide. It means looking for a useful way to help within your role. A clear explanation, a warm welcome, a thoughtful suggestion, or a follow-up call can be more meaningful than a discount.
The fishmongers at Pike Place learned to include customers in the energy of the market. They did not treat every person in exactly the same way. They watched reactions and adjusted their approach. Making someone’s day requires that same awareness. An action that delights one person may make another uncomfortable.
This matters in healthcare and education, where people may be tired, worried, embarrassed, or overwhelmed. A smile, kind word, or thoughtful response can help someone leave in a better mood, so meet the person where they are instead of relying on a fixed script. Service can create value before a sale takes place.
How can leaders Make Their Day for the people they lead?
Leaders make their day by helping people feel trusted, heard, and recognized. A leader’s attention can change how a person understands their role, especially when the work happens behind the scenes.
Spend time with people where the work takes place. Ask what they are seeing, what gets in the way, and what would make the work better. When someone offers an idea, explain what will happen next. If the idea cannot be used, explain why. Giving people a voice shows that their knowledge matters.
Recognition should connect to the contribution. Instead of saying, “You are a star,” say, “You noticed that the family did not understand the instructions, and you took time to walk them through each step. That helped them feel prepared.” Specific praise helps people see how their choices support the team’s purpose.
Recognition also needs to fit the person receiving it. Some people prefer a private conversation or one-on-one message, while others enjoy public appreciation. Leaders should learn those preferences instead of assuming that one form works for everyone. They should also notice who has not been recognized and make sure no one is left out over time, because people who hear appreciation for others but never receive it can begin to feel that they do not matter.
Leaders can recognize work across shifts, too. An overnight crew may stock shelves, prepare rooms, or solve problems that the day shift sees but the crew never does. A leader can thank them with a note or another personal gesture so they know their work has been noticed.
A larger celebration can fit when it matches the achievement and the person. Once a month at Ranken Jordan Hospital, the FISH! board honors one employee who has lived the practices. The Big Fish recipient gets the parking space closest to the front door for the next month, and their picture is displayed by the reception desk so employees and visitors know who is being honored.
Can you Make Their Day outside work?
A sincere thank-you can make a stranger’s day.
Make Their Day belongs at home and in the wider community as much as it belongs at work. Family members, friends, neighbors, service workers, and strangers all experience moments when a small act can help them feel less invisible.
At home, you might take care of a task that usually belongs to someone else, leave a note of appreciation, or ask a family member about something they care about and give them your full attention. You might celebrate a child’s effort instead of focusing only on the result, or call someone who has been carrying a difficult responsibility.
With strangers, the action may be simple: hold a door, return a shopping cart, thank a bus driver, offer clear directions, or give a sincere compliment about a person’s clothing or hairstyle when you genuinely like it. These moments work because they recognize a choice the person made and help them feel noticed.
Gratitude and awareness make this practice easier. The more you notice the people who help, serve, teach, clean, deliver, repair, and care for others, the more chances you see to express appreciation.
Does Make Their Day have to be a big gesture?
No, because most days are made by small, specific acts.
A large gesture can be memorable, but it may also be difficult to repeat or may place too much attention on the person making it. A timely thank-you, a helpful introduction, a sincere compliment, or an extra moment of listening often lands better because it responds to what is happening right now.
The small plastic fish given to Fahima mattered because it carried a clear message: someone had seen her work and valued her place on the team. The object was simple, but the attention was specific.
Larger gestures fit when they serve the person being celebrated, not the image of the organization. Before planning one, consider whether the person enjoys public attention, whether the action respects their boundaries, and whether the celebration connects to a real contribution.
What is Make Their Day not?
Make Their Day is not people-pleasing. You do not have to agree with every request or avoid every difficult conversation. You can serve someone while setting a necessary boundary. Sometimes the most helpful action is a clear explanation, a safe choice, or a respectful “Here is what I can do.”
It is not giving away the store. Customer service still needs sound judgment, fair policies, and responsible decisions. Look for ways to help without making promises you cannot keep or creating problems for someone else.
It is not generic recognition. “Great work, everyone” may be appropriate after a team effort, but it does not replace noticing the details. Specific, sincere attention helps people understand that they were truly seen.
Make Their Day is also not about forcing fun. The FISH! Philosophy encourages engagement, but people have different needs and boundaries. Invite people into an experience rather than demanding that they perform happiness. A warm conversation, a useful solution, or a moment of appreciation may be the right way to make someone’s day.
Ten Make Their Day ideas a team could try this month
- Begin a shift by inviting people to share one helpful action they noticed the day before.
- Invite co-workers to write a specific thank-you note when someone’s effort stands out.
- Ask each team member what kind of recognition feels meaningful to them.
- Keep a shared record of customer compliments and pass them to the people involved.
- Choose one process that frustrates customers and make it easier.
- Celebrate a small success before moving on to the next target.
- Invite a customer, patient, student, or colleague to share what helped them most.
- Thank the people whose behind-the-scenes work keeps the team moving.
- Pair new employees with a colleague who can encourage them during their first month.
- End one team meeting by asking, “Whose day did we make better this week?”
Tracking Make Their Day through quotas or checklists can make the practice feel forced. These ideas work best as invitations to notice people and respond with care, not as requirements to complete.
How do I know what would help someone?
Pay attention and ask when you are unsure. Notice what the person says, what they are trying to do, and what seems to be making the moment harder. A useful question such as “What would make this easier?” can lead to a better action than guessing.
What if my attempt does not work?
Learn from the response and adjust. Make Their Day is not about creating a perfect moment every time. Respect the person’s reaction, avoid taking it personally, and choose a different way to support them next time.
How can I begin if my workplace feels disconnected?
Start with one person and one specific action. Thank a colleague for a real contribution, help a customer with an extra step, or ask a team member what would improve their day. Small acts become part of a culture when people repeat them and notice their effect.
Put Make Their Day into practice this week
Make Their Day begins with a simple question: Who could use a little more attention, support, or appreciation from me today? Look for the person who helped without being asked, the customer who needs extra guidance, the teammate whose effort went unseen, or the family member carrying more than others realize. Then take one useful action and make it specific.
The FISH! Philosophy is a way of being, built around four simple practices that help individuals, and the organizations they make up, become more engaged in their work. When teams choose to notice people and contribute to their experience, everyday work can become more meaningful for everyone involved.
Want to see Make Their Day in action with your team? Try the FISH! Philosophy upgraded trial, which gives your team 30 days of access to the FISH! film and its digital guides. You can watch the story together, explore the four practices, and start practicing Make Their Day as a team.
