Subscribe to my Feed
Apologies
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Why General McChrystal couldn’t effectively apologize
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010Let’s take a break from the Gulf oil spill to look at a mess that’s been brewing here in Washington. Seems that General Stanley McChrystal has been relieved of his duty as top commander in Afghanistan since word leaked out that he and his aides had been downright derisive about their civilian bosses in [...]
Why hasn’t Hearst Corp. helped Helen Thomas apologize?
Thursday, June 10th, 2010Helen Thomas used to be one of the most powerful people in Washington. The grande dame of the White House press corps played a starring role in five decades of Presidential press conferences. She was smart, tough, and articulate, and a worthy challenger to ten different Administrations - until she made some appalling [...]
Now we know why BP hasn’t apologized
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010For the past several days, I’ve wondered why British Petroleum’s CEO, Tony Hayward, has skipped the crucial words “we’re sorry” when discussing the oil leak that’s pouring into the Gulf of Mexico after one of his company’s offshore drilling platforms exploded. It seemed odd because Hayward had already said that BP would pay for [...]
Can we please stop pointing fingers and just mop up the oil???
Monday, May 3rd, 2010As the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to grow, it’s hard not to indulge in a lot of useless finger-pointing. The Obama Administration, under fire for failing to move faster to contain the spill, is blaming British Petroleum. BP CEO Tony Hayward has promised that the company will pay all [...]
Disclose and empathize
Friday, April 16th, 2010Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, let’s talk about something doctors are learning and business has yet to figure out. When something goes wrong and you injure a client or customer, empathy can be your best defense.
Doctors work hard to do a good job, but even the best doctors [...]
Tiger’s Apology, Part II
Monday, April 5th, 2010Tiger Woods said some pretty remarkable things earlier today. For the first time since his carefully-orchestrated public apology earlier this year, Woods took questions from the press at a conference so packed with reporters that media outlets were asked to send no more than one reporter each. He handled himself pretty well, and [...]
Kraft’s apology to Parliament deserves a thumbs-down
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010No, we’re not talking about Tiger Woods today. (He’s apologized, and now he’s announced his intent to return to golf. You decide how that announcement affects your assessment of his much-publicized apology last month. Enough already.)
Instead, let’s focus on what has to be one of the worst corporate apologies I’ve ever seen. [...]
Mr. Toyoda, just tell us what went wrong
Thursday, February 25th, 2010Today’s Congressional hearings about Toyota’s safety problems were deeply disappointing to those of us who hoped that the company would put its ongoing troubles to rest. Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda, appeared in person to apologize to American consumers for the quality control issues that have dogged his company. It was a defining moment [...]
Even Tiger Woods is only human
Monday, February 22nd, 2010It’s been an interesting few days, as I’ve found myself discussing Tiger Woods’ apology with interviewers from across the U.S., Canada and Europe. More than a few people have criticized the apology as being too “scripted” or dissed Woods’ delivery as too “wooden.” A handful of angry critics have refused to accept the apology [...]
Tiger gets an A- from me … but maybe not from the media
Saturday, February 20th, 2010Tiger Woods did a lot of things right when he finally delivered his much-anticipated apology. He said a straightforward “I’m sorry” to his family, his fans, the children who idolize him, his PGA peers and his sponsors. He took responsibility for his actions, expressed appreciation to everyone who has supported him in the [...]
« Previous Entries Next Entries »