Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Management lessons from a diaper room.

"So ein Mensch gluchlich ist, hat ein anderer dafur gesorgt."






















Happiness is to be found in small places. In Germany for example, in a baby diaper room, a tiny space in the restrooms of a JET gasoline station along the highway from Koln to Belgium. A toilet lady turned 'her' diaper room in a cozy, baby friendly environment with some curtains, dolls, pictures on the wall, flowers, oils, and all sorts of tissues with nice scents. Centrally she hung a German proverb saying: "When someone is happy, somebody else made him that way." A management lesson never to forget. On top of that, the toilet lady turned out to be a master marketeer subtly selling herself. Although you were not obliged to pay some money leaving the restroom, I never saw bigger tips coming her way from the mothers using this diaper room.