What Do Hot Tubs and HR Have in Common?

When my kids were about 9 and 11, I was a single mom on a tight budget. Our big vacation each year was the same, and we loved it: one Denver Broncos game and one night in a nice hotel. That year, the Broncos were playing the Cleveland Browns, and we were beyond excited.

We checked into a nice Denver hotel and decided to enjoy the pool and hot tub before dinner. As we walked in, a kids' soccer team was just leaving with their coach, laughing, giggling, and tossing a soccer ball around. I remember thinking, Thank goodness they're heading out. Now we can relax.

I played with my kids in the pool for a while, then decided it was time for the hot tub. It was a beautiful sunken tub, tiled from edge to bottom. I lifted one foot to step in…

…and the other foot went right out from under me.

Into the hot tub I went. If you've ever seen Fred Flintstone trying to get his feet under him, that was me. I bobbed up. I went down. I swallowed water. I bobbed up again and saw my kids staring at me, frozen, with no idea what to do.

And then the back door opened.

In walked the Cleveland Browns football team, pushing a luggage cart. Every time I bobbed up, there they were, looking at me. Down I went. Up I came. Still there. Still looking.

What I didn't know was that our giggling soccer friends had taken a bar of soap and rubbed it all around the edge of the hot tub, and even on the bottom. They were hoping to catch someone slipping. They caught me.

In that moment, I was convinced I was going to drown in a hot tub while my children and an NFL team looked on. Finally, I got my feet under me, found the handrail, and pulled myself out. I have never been so embarrassed.

My kids still tell this story every chance they get. And over the years, I've realized it taught me something about work.

We all slip

Every one of us slips at some point. A missed deadline, a hard conversation that goes sideways, a new role that's harder than expected. Sometimes it's a small stumble. Sometimes we fall all the way in and can't find our footing.

And here's the part I think about most: I didn't slip because I was careless. I slipped because someone had soaped the floor. In our workplaces, employees sometimes struggle because of conditions they didn't create: unclear expectations, missing training, broken processes, or a culture where people are afraid to ask for help. Before we judge the fall, it's worth checking the floor.

Do your employees need rescuing?

When I was going under, my kids didn't know what to do. Plenty of employees are in that same spot: they see a coworker struggling and don't know whether to step in. Others are the ones bobbing up and down, too embarrassed to wave for help.

As HR professionals and leaders, our job is to:

• Be patient. People learn and grow by making mistakes, and those are often the hardest lessons.

• Make it safe to ask for help. No one should feel they have to struggle silently while everyone watches.

• Point to the handrail. Coaching, resources, and clear guidance help people find their footing on their own.

• Fix the slippery spots. When the same slip keeps happening, look at the system, not just the person.

You made it

Here's how my story ended. Dripping, mortified, and with my dignity somewhere at the bottom of that hot tub, I walked my kids to the elevator. One of the HUGE Browns players stepped in with us, reached over, ruffled my hair, and said, "That was a rough one, kid, but you made it."

That's what I want for every employee who slips. Not judgment. Not an audience. Someone who stands beside them and says, "That was a rough one, but you made it."

Let's find the patience to stand with our people through the slips and the falls, and to celebrate when they climb back out.

What's the "hot tub moment" that taught you the most at work? I'd love to hear it.