Barbara Lax
CEO and founder of Little Green House, an innovative childcare group that supports the new generation of parents to combine career and family, and to provide solid roots for tomorrow’s citizens. She studied civil engineering and holds a master’s degree in numerical methods in engineering. Before launching her own business, she worked for a leading global manufacturer of construction and energy technology. She is widely recognized for her entrepreneurial success and received the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year award in 2017.
Interviewer
5 minute read
27 October 2020
Related Topics
ConsumerCOVID-19CPG companiesDisruptionEcosystemIndustry 4.0InnovationPosts in EnglishSmart factorySupply chainTechnology
As we emerge from the acute phase of the COVID-19 crisis, our journey towards a new normal begins. EY asked various thought leaders and decision makers to take stock and share their insights into what’s next. Barbara Lax, CEO and founder of Little Green House, discusses communication and connections in the crisis and explains how permanent shifts in family life are transforming her business model.
When did you realize the crisis would impact your business and how are you affected now?
Beside our daycare centers, we also have a school so were following developments closely when schools were ordered to close. We were in the middle of training for our team leaders at that time and couldn’t imagine that daycare could close as well. And then it did in some cantons. So we had this stressful situation of trying to deliver training and at the same time manage the crisis.
Now, some things have changed, but it depends on the canton. For example, in Geneva, staff have to work with a mask. This has a big impact on the children – language development, emotional connections, communication. It’s a rule so of course we follow it, but it’s problematic.
What challenges were you least prepared for?
We were not at all prepared to close down our sites. That has never been part of our risk management or a scenario we considered. To complicate matters, each canton had different guidelines. We closed earliest in Vaud, then a little later in Geneva, but in Zurich we stayed open the whole time. Initially, it was most stressful not knowing how to respond – what to tell our employees, what to tell the families.
How did the crisis change your way of working as CEO of Little Green House?
I think the biggest change has been in communication. Before, I used to feel everything had to be perfect and professional. But amid all the uncertainty, I realized people would rather hear something from me in my pajamas than nothing at all! I became much more open, sending weekly video messages to keep everyone’s spirits up and update people on the latest news. We also set up lots of zoom calls to stay in touch with teams and keep an eye out for staff members who might be struggling psychologically. I’d say the connection with my team actually got much stronger through the lockdown. And now when I visit sites, people recognize me as “that one from the videos”.
The connection with my team actually got much stronger through the lockdown.
Watch an extract from the interview
How did you communicate with parents during the crisis?
The teams had regular calls with families, to share what we knew, what we didn’t know, and to check in on how families were doing. It’s very difficult to work from home with little ones – we’re talking kids aged zero to six. A lot of parents told us that although they enjoyed the chance to connect more with their children, it wasn’t easy to manage. They wanted to be good parents, but also good employees. People were juggling the stress of being stuck home, working from home, looking after kids. That also puts a strain on relationships.
In Zurich we remained open for anyone that needed us. I believe that was a very good solution – it meant that people who needed childcare for the sake of their mental health had access to it, not just key workers as in some other cantons.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned?
As someone who’s not always super structured and organized, I wasn’t expecting myself to always have perfect solutions during this crisis. You have to adapt on a daily basis, so it’s helpful to not be a perfectionist. I’d say one big lesson learned was that as long as you communicate well and are very transparent, it’s fine to improvise and make changes.
What are you doing to prepare for a potential second wave?
Numbers are going up and we’re already seeing stricter measures coming in. I think there will be different types of measures taken as we move on and know more about the coronavirus and our own behavior. At Little Green House, we’re committed to following the official guidelines. We’re lucky in this sector that we’re key to society, so have benefited from extra government support. We keep risks as low as possible by avoiding unnecessary events.
More generally, I think it’s very important to observe the rules, and to trust that the people behind them are thinking and doing the right thing to the best of their knowledge. There needs to be a certain degree of tolerance as well – we all share a responsibility to behave like adults and influence those aspects that are under our control.
We all share a responsibility to behave like adults and influence those aspects that are under our control.
How has the crisis accelerated the transformation of your sector and your business model?
The new normal demands much more flexibility and agility. We need to be able to react very fast to all kinds of requirements from one day to the next. I think the last few months have been very good training and I really want to keep up this agility.
At Little Green House, we’ve seen a drop in our fill rates. I don’t think families are back to their normal rhythms yet, with parents still working partly from home. Looking ahead, we need to think about the size and location of our daycare centers. Where will people work and live, will they move to the countryside? How does this impact our offering and our way of working? Will parents want to book childcare days ad hoc? These questions were already there in the background but the crisis has been an accelerator. We are forced to think more disruptively and not just go with the flow – that’s a good thing.
We are forced to think more disruptively and not just go with the flow – that’s a good thing.
Would you agree that every crisis is an opportunity?
I think there have been a lot of positive developments from this crisis for me professionally and personally. I like doing meetings from home, commuting less. People have become more aware of what they consume. We have lots of fantastic new little shops and farmers’ markets. I’m passionate about the future, innovative ideas and I’m happy to see this being accelerated.
At the same time, we need to be aware of the problems these changes can create, the divide that can arise in society, the potential increase in the income gap. We should use the crisis as an opportunity to tackle those problems with a lot of hope and optimism.
Any last thoughts?
For me, it’s definitely helped to keep up optimism and hope that we will find a very positive new normal and to focus on that rather than trying to find everything that could have been done better.
More interviews and articles from the #EYnewnormal magazine
Our latest thinking
Here you’ll find the most relevant EY insights to help you navigate through the COVID-19 crisis – and beyond:
11 June 2021
IBOR Transition: Regulatory and industry-led market developments in May 2021
The transition from Interbank Offered Rates (IBOR) to Alternative Risk-Free Rates (RFRs) has an impact on all financial and non-financial institutions operating with the impacted floating reference rates. It affects a wide range of financial instruments on the derivative and cash markets.
10 June 2021
Entry into force of the revised Insurance Contract Act (VVG) on 1 January 2022 – overcoming challenges and exploiting opportunities
The Federal Council has decided that the revised Insurance Contract Act will enter into force on 1 January 2022. Insurance companies have until the end of this year to make the necessary adaptations, whereby careful assessment and implementation of the new requirements are fundamental.
17 May 2021
Valuation Market Essentials Switzerland Q1 2021
How did the market and M&A activity develop in the first quarter of 2021 considering high degree of uncertainty and strong volatility in the stock market in 2020?
7 May 2021
COVID-19 | Emissionsabgaberechtliche Aspekte bei Sanierungen
Aufgrund der aktuellen Situation geraten mehr und mehr Unternehmen in finanzielle Schieflage. Dies führt häufig zu Unterbilanzen und zur Notwendigkeit von Sanierungsmassnahmen i.S.v. Art. 725 OR.
Are you our next interview partner?
The New Normal Magazine is open for thought leaders and decision makers.
Contact us