You must have heard a lot about them. Some of you might also be using their services. They are just impressive, stunning and perfect. They are Mumbai Dabbawalas. The kind of dedication they show towards their work is just unparalleled. Here are some wonderful facts about the magnificent team called Dabbawalas (the last one is amazing):
Equal share:
Every dabbawala holds an equal share in the Dabbawala trust. They are not “employees” but “entrepreneurs”.
No hierarchy:
Dabbawala gang has no hierarchy. It is a “flat organisation”. But still there are team leaders for every 25-30 Dabbawalas. They are chosen by the team and for the team.
Code of conduct:
Mumbai Dabbawalas have a very strict code of conduct. Everyone follows it with utmost sincerity.
Volumes:
Yes, indeed it is that huge!
The code:
Imagine Mumbai. The distance one dabba would travel from home to the office. Still, it gets delivered to the right person. That’s amazing code system!
Communication:
Dabbawalas communicate by putting a simple note in the dabbas. So, in case they want to convey any message about the price changes or anything else, they just put a note.
On time delivery:
You would get the dabba on the exact time, come what may! So, even if it is a bad traffic jam or raining hard, no worries. You will get your lunch, on time!
Six sigma:
The dabbawala group has achieved the standards of six sigma management. That means 1 defect in a million (for Dabbawalas it’s 16 million). Well, that’s something no company in the world has attained yet.
No breaks:
The team of 5000 extraordinary Mumbai Dabbawalas works 365 days in a year. No breaks from work! No breaks and happily working!
Go green:
you would see no dabbawala using a motor vehicle. They will always be either on a cart or a bicycle.
Share my food:
Dabbawalas have started an initiative called “Share my food”. So, the leftovers are fed to the hungry children. For this, the person has to stick a sticker which says “share” on it. In the process of transporting the dabbas, they would filter out the dabbas with the sticker and the volunteers would feed the hungry children on the street.
None is a qualified professional. But they have delivered lectures in IIM-A and Harvard. They are a case study for the management grads. Well, they are truly an inspiration to the gen-next. Hats-off!
