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Elements of a great apology
As we move through our life, we are bound to make mistakes. We say things we don’t mean, we do things on accident, or we forget about the impact of our actions. While there are many steps that we may need to take to make things right again, typically the first one is universal, we provide an apology. Its important that we draw the distinction that the apology and righting the wrongs are two different parts of the process. So lets look at both of these to understand the power of apologies and how you can use them in your life.
As we mentioned earlier, almost all apologies start with some version of “I’m sorry.” When you say that you are sorry, you are signaling that you are admitting that you are wrong. This is hard to do, and it happens very frequently that we can say we were wrong, but not actually do anything about it. Sometimes, the follow up isn’t necessary because what you are apologizing for isn’t something that needs follow up. The apology is all that is needed.
Following an apology is the corrective action. Corrective action is very important for an apology. Typically, saying “I am sorry” is enough if its a small mistake that happens once. But if this a large mistake or it is recurring, just an apology won’t be enough. The first step is to take accountability and responsibility. Own up to your mistake and outline how you will prevent it from happening in the…
