What do you mean, you’re sorry?
An apology is defined as an expression of regret for a wrongdoing. Perhaps a better definition would be a statement in the form of an expression of regret for a wrongdoing. Not all apologies are created equal.
When someone commits wrongdoing, conceals it, and then is caught, does their apology mean the same thing as someone who confesses unprompted?
Yes, I did embezzle half a million dollars from my employer. I was under the impression that I could transfer funds from the company’s account to mine. If I have caused harm to my employer, I sincerely apologize.
Is it regret for the act or regret for getting caught? Is it contrition or pure self-interest? How the listener or reader interprets an apology is partly a function of the apologist’s past behaviour and how the regret is expressed.
This is particularly difficult for an organization. Its past behaviour as well as the tone and substance of its statement must align. A business that builds a reputation for selling unreliable products or neglecting employee safety will have difficulty having its apology considered sincere if its negligence causes harm.
Hoist on your own pétard
Organizations often invite scrutiny by advertising values that they claim define their culture. The interpretation of what those values mean can become controversial.
For example, among Harvard University’s values is: Respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others. However, it led to the school being ridiculed and condemned. The problem stemmed from an exchange between Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and then-president of Harvard Claudine Gay:
ELISE STEFANIK: … calling for the genocide of Jews violates Harvard’s code of conduct, correct?
CLAUDINE GAY: … it depends on the context.
Suggesting that calling for mass killing could, under some undefined circumstance, be consistent with Harvard’s value of respect for others only strengthened the suspicion that the University promotes a narrow, elitist political agenda.
Ms. Gay later apologized:
‘I got caught up in … an extended, combative exchange …’ Gay said. ‘I should have … return(ed) to my guiding truth, which is that … threats to our Jewish students have no place at Harvard’.
As a result of her testimony, and for other reasons, Ms. Gay is no longer the President of Harvard. However, her apology seems thoughtful and sincere. Effectively, she said that she responded to aggressive questioning by being defensive. In doing so, she was not prepared to concede anything to the questioner. And that led her to make an ill-considered statement. But the damage had been done to her reputation and Harvard’s – in front of a national audience.
Walk your talk
Like Harvard, companies advertise values that they claim guide their operations. When an organization falls short, it invites severe criticism. Are the values simply window dressing? Has the organization framed the values so ambiguously that it can’t be held accountable? Is the organization too incompetent to implement its values?
I worked for a company that heavily promoted its safety culture. Two years after I joined, an explosion and fire at a company facility killed 15 workers and injured 180. Within a week of leaving the company, 9 years later, there was another disaster that killed 11 workers and caused unprecedented environmental damage. Talking about safety was good public relations until reality struck. The apologies from the company, and other internal statements that were leaked to the press, evidenced a management team that appeared callous, self-involved, and incompetent.
What’s the best you can do?
In 2015 Maurice Schweitzer, Alison Wood Brooks, and Adam D. Galinsky
published an article in the Harvard Business Review entitled, The Organizational Apology. They set out 5 guidelines:
• The more serious the problem, the more senior the spokesperson
• The apology should exhibit candour, remorse, and a commitment to change
• A live statement is best
• Respond quickly
• Informal language and personal communication can help
On the face of it, these seem reasonable. However, read how BP Group paid a price for neglecting some of them and clumsily attempting to follow others.
The effect of any apology – personal or organizational – depends on the receiver’s perceptions and prejudices. For some, an apology will seem hollow if they already suspect the issuer’s integrity. The drafter of an apology for an organization should, in my view, aim at a mythical recipient who is unbiased and reasonable.
So, to sum up – acknowledge your error quickly, recognize the damage that has been caused, vow to do better, and express those thoughts as sincerely as possible.
Easy as that.
