Sunday Setup

02.02.2025 — Whisking Whiskers One Mo ‘Gin*

Frequent Flying Feline

It's probably safe to say that anyone who's ever flown on a commercial airline has, at one time or another, experienced a nightmare trip. Who among us doesn't have a "trip from hell" story about delays, cancellations, O.J. Simpson-like airport runs, missed flights, talkative neighbors, lost luggage, bumped flights, or my favorite, a cranky baby two rows back that managed to drown out the airplane engines and pierce those top-shelf noise cancellation headphones you just bought?

But, even if all of that happened to you on the same trip, it doesn't top what happened to an 8 year-old cat last month.

Mittens, a Maine Coon cat, logged 4,500 miles in 24 hours when she unexpectedly made three trips between Christchurch, New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia. The mishap ensued when a baggage handler failed to unload her cage because it was obscured by a wheelchair in the cargo hold. Fortunately Mittens eventually made it safely to her final destination, but after 24 hours in the dark with no in-flight movie or bathroom breaks, that poor cat's gonna need a therapy cat.

Ooops!

Raise your hand if you've never made a mistake. Obviously I can't see you right now, but there should be no hands raised.

No one likes to make mistakes — especially perfectionists — but everyone makes them. They're as much a part of life as colonoscopies after 50.

Although I feel bad for Mittens, the cat, I can also empathize with Taylor, the baggage handler. A seemingly innocuous mistake — failing to confirm that all baggage destined for Melbourne had been removed — caused a chain of events that impacted more than just Mittens:

• Mitten's family undoubtedly experienced anxiety as they worried about her health and safety

• Air New Zealand's Customer Service team had to reassure that worried family that everything possible would be done to safely return Mittens

• Public Relations had to manage the company's reputation while fielding questions about how this could happen

• The animal transport company had to work with the airline to arrange another trip to Melbourne for Mittens, and

• Someone in Accounting had to reimburse all travel costs to make things right

All because Taylor didn't move that wheelchair!

Not all workplace mistakes involve critical failures, yet post-incident investigations can sometimes feel like witch hunts focused solely on identifying a scapegoat. That’s unfortunate because mistakes can teach us more than our successes when viewed as growth opportunities.

The next time you, a colleague, or a direct report makes a mistake, regardless of how far the ripples flow throughout the organization, try to reflect on the potential lessons to be learned as you seek to understand the "how's" and "why's" of the matter. Doing so could lead to the implementation of new procedures that prove to be more efficient, cost-effective, and cat friendly.

* "One Mo 'Gin" is a Southern colloquialism that combines the words "one more time" and "again."