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How hard is it to apologize effectively?
By Lauren | May 6, 2008
Recently, an acquaintance asked me about my new book, The Art of The Apology. She was surprised to learn that there was enough to say about apologies to provide content for even a short book. She wondered, “is apologizing really that difficult?”
Yes … but only if you want your apology to be effective.
Apologizing is one of many life skills that we all think we have, but don’t necessarily execute as well as we think. If you want proof of that, just remember any apology you’ve heard from a celebrity or politician in the past few months. Even with help from high-priced spin doctors and publicists, it’s rare for public figures to deliver apologies that fully satisfy their critics, restore the faith of their constituents, and repair damage to their public images. If it was easy to make an effective apology, it would happen a lot more often.
An effective apology is one that restores good feeling and heals damaged relationships. Making an effective apology takes careful thought, mental clarity, well-chosen words and, above all else, sincerity. Is there enough for a book there? You bet.
Topics: Apologies |