The Challenge of Cultural Differences

Or, the complexities of the rest room

Cultural differences can be quite challenging - it's so easy to get into painful misunderstandings and even conflicts. This sign I ran into recently is a beautiful example. I can't help but feel that this is so very wrong!

Maybe foremost in my mind is the idea of presuming to tell grow-ups how to use a toilet? Isn't that rather arrogant? Insulting even? Assuming not only that there is only one correct way to use a toilet, but also that your way is the only way?

How about the lack of empathy to simply ask why? That might lead to some interesting insights.

Lets start with the squatting technique. For most people in the West a sitting toilet is normal, but did you know that this is not a natural way to go to the toilet? Sitting actually increases your chance of getting haemorrhoids and other complications. The sitting position can actually inhibit the necessary reflexes that are necessary to do your business. In fact, there are special footrests on the market designed to raise your knees to approximate a squatting position to resolve this issue - introducing the squatty-potty!

So just imagine how someone who's squatted for all their life feels when confronted with a "toilet throne" - as they are often referred to in other countries!

Next the toilet paper in the basket. Did you know that in lots of countries the piping is such that if you put anything like toilet paper down the toilet, this will lead to major clogging? Imagine you've been brought up with an acute knowledge of the consequences of this action - not just financial but the embarrassment! - how effective do you think this sign would be?

And finally, cleaning up after you. In many countries people are brought up to avoid touching stuff in the toilet, to avoid diseases. In fact, only 20 years ago I got this same advice in the Netherlands to avoid Hepatitis B in Kenya. Knowing this, and adding the not unreasonable assumption that anyone who has actually used the brush must have made a pretty impressive mess, easily makes the idea of voluntarily getting near, let alone actually touching the toilet brush pretty repulsive.

Oh, and the one thing that is not quite obvious is the actual reason for the need to clean up. Many people find toilet paper a ridiculous method for cleaning up - ever notice how effective a tissue is at cleaning a kid’s face covered with chocolate? I’ll let the implications sink in.

A better method is using water. But our toilets are not designed to facilitate that. Faced with this conundrum, people get creative, which often leads to the mess. I worked at a company once where the cleaners got so desperate that they locked the toilets! That’s when I found out that people were literally trying to squat over the sink to clean up!

These challenges also lead to some pretty cool innovations. My favourite is the watering can, one of those with a long neck, effective at reaching into the depths and providing a steady stream of water where you need it. Yes, I’ll let that one sink in too. I bet you will never look at someone walking around with a watering can the same way ever again.

With all this in mind, I guess the only way to have people follow the rules described in the sign would be to have some kind of toilet police? With toilet checks after every individual toilet visit. Cameras would of course be out of the question. Perhaps also some kind of fine? Potty training for adults?

Let’s instead learn to be a bit more understanding, a bit more curious, more respectful. Let’s have conversations! Who knows, we may actually even learn something? Like for example - my favourite - the awesome bumgun!

Incidentally, this whole example also illustrates the difference between the closed and the growth mindsets. With the sign in the closed mindset side - this is the way things are done and don’t you dare think of deviating. There’s a few of the Scrum Values in there too, and I guess I would call the idea of figuring out the problem first - individuals over processes - without trying to force people into a standard solution, an example of an Agile approach.