I went camping with my wife in the Colorado Rockies over the weekend.
The campground was clean and pristine, particularly the public outhouses.
Anyone who’s frequented campgrounds that have no running water knows how disgusting the restrooms generally are.
The sign that hangs above the toilets in the two gender-neutral stalls reveals the answer to this mystery.
Unlike most public facilities that post signs with authoritarian commands like DO NOT PUT TRASH IN TOILETS!, this clever sign also explains the why behind the request: IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE.
Oh, …it also contains those two magic words mother taught us as kids: PLEASE and THANK YOU.
ON POINT – It’s astounding how people will comply with rules, policies, and requests even when no one is watching when
• the reasons, rationale, and resulting outcomes are provided, and
• they are being asked kindly and treated respectfully
(If the signs above the sink in your bathrooms read All Employees Must Wash Hands, it’s time to examine how you’re communicating with your people, both verbally and in written instruction, in all aspects of your business.)
