Sometimes apologies in business are expressions of sympathy – and sometimes they are admissions of guilt. Sometimes apologies are absolutely necessary – and sometimes they should be avoided. So how do we know when to issue an apology in a professional context and when should we avoid doing so?
Tips for Apologizing
First of all, check to see if your organization has policies on official apologies. Although some experts warn that companies should avoid apologies because they can be seen as admissions of guilt, many U. S. states have laws on the books that protect organizations from apologies that are simple expressions of sympathy. In fact, some authorities are more “forgiving” in situations where organizations do acknowledge the negative impact that a decision has made on others.
Otherwise, make sure that if you do write an apology, it is sincere. And that it is delivered through the right channels, by the right people in your organization.
More Tips
You may want to begin by reading “7 Tips On How To Apologize In The Business World” posted on CBS MoneyWatch. In this article, Tom Searcy, suggests that we don’t apologize nearly enough in business situations. He believes that apologies “take the energy out of conflicts,” which may be true. However, if the apology is just a strategy to throw the recipient off guard, then it could easily make the situation worse. There is a fine line between an expression of sympathy and a condescending “sorry you feel that way.”
Real World Apologies
Below are some examples of “real world” apologies – both successful and unsuccessful.
Apology 1: Netflix Fail
In the fall of 2011, Netflix was in the news for all the wrong reasons. First, CEO Reed Hastings decided to split the business into two unwieldy entities, requiring customers to work harder at accessing their memberships and services. Then he raised prices. The move was met with huge negative backlash: a million customers walked out the door.
Then, under pressure, Hastings caved. Soon after, he issued a video apology.
Apology 2: Jetblue is Very Very Sorry
In February of 2007, an ice storm slammed the East Coast, severely disrupting air traffic. JetBlue came under fire for its many customer service missteps while people were stuck in airports and on planes, and for not applying common sense to make their passengers more comfortable during a horrible situation (in one story, a girl urinated in her seat during a ground delay due to flight attendants’ strict enforcement of an FAA regulation requiring passengers to stay seated.)
Many consider this a model corporate apology: Jetblue Apology
Apology 3: Colgan Air Disaster. Sorry/Not Sorry.
This excerpt is from a letter written by Colgan Air executives after the airing of a Frontline TV special about Colgan Air #3407, which crashed in Buffalo in 2009, killing all on board. In the final analysis, the NTSB and the Frontline TV special placed blame for the crash squarely on pilot error and Colgan Air management blunders.
But Colgan Air executives weren’t having it. What do you think of Colgan Air after reading this “apology”?: letter_colgan_air_safety
Apology 4: A Real Apology – And A Shot In the Arm for Penn State’s Battered Reputation.
Fall 2011 was the worst of times at Penn State. The Sandusky scandal and subsequent firings of Joe Paterno, Graham Spanier and other top executives drew a national media storm down on University Park. Massive news trucks and vans clogged College Avenue; Reporters and cameras swarmed the campus.
Things went from bad to worse as Joe Paterno lay dying of cancer just after Christmas, when Onward State editor Devon Edwards announced Paterno’s death via Twitter – prematurely. Onward State, student-run and relatively new at the time, would not normally be a source for national news, but with all eyes on Penn State, the news was picked up and traveled fast.
Edwards issued an apology and resigned. But, in a surprising turn, Kim Bhasin of Business Insider picked up his apology and wrote this admiring article about the character of the Penn State undergrad who stood up and took responsibility for his mistake: “Hey CEOs, THIS is the Right Way to Apologize.”
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