I call my husband at least once a day while I'm at the office. Recently, he had stayed home with my son who was wasn’t feeling well and I was calling to check on them both. Just after I said goodbye and was about to end the call, I heard him say, “Stop putting coconut oil on the dog!”

Immediately, I started laughing uncontrollably. I know my son well. He is one part mischievous and one part curious to experiment with things he sees online. Recipes, for example, have been hit and miss. This time, he thought that coconut oil (and quite a bit of it), would give the dog smooth fur, soft skin, and a great smell.

I had pretty much forgotten about it until arriving home late from an event. As soon as I saw my dog, I remembered my husband’s funny line. Let’s just say, my dog smelled like a pina colada, had slicked back hair, and everything he touched with his body was left oily, including my hand and my slacks.

Action couldn’t wait. My son had to fix it. I stayed in the bathroom while he jumped in the shower with the dog and followed the directions on the dog shampoo to lather, rinse and repeat. I shook my head and laughed, as only a mother can do. Once the dog was dried and finished his zoomies around the house, my son and I talked about why that wasn’t the best idea and why he shouldn’t do it again.

Which brings me to the employment lesson here as it’s my week to write for the RKW newsletter.

Sometimes people make mistakes at work -- both employees and managers. What might be a good idea in theory doesn’t always pan out. The marketing plan, the sales call, the new product idea, etc. Managers need to own up to the mistake if it was their idea, and doing it publicly is a way to demonstrate transparency and humility and build trust with the team. And if an employee makes a mistake, they too should also immediately come clean. Talk about it, analyze the faux-pas, work through the issue and be honest. That only helps people learn, builds trust, demonstrates accountability across the organization and at all levels, and helps the business grow the right way.

And take it from me, go easy on the coconut oil on the dog! If you need guidance on navigating the employer/employee relationship, reach out to an RKW lawyer.