A clumsy bad apology is worse than no apology at all because the clumsiness just reinforces the original offense the apology was meant to defuse. Luckily, 90 percent of all bad apologies suffer from seven pitfalls I call the Seven Deadly Sins of Apology. Avoid these and all parties will […] Read more
Even a perfect apology doesn’t vaccinate a company against fallout from corporate misbehavior. Two weeks after Equifax chairman and CEO Richard F. Smith apologized for a data breach that compromised the private financial information of 143 million people, the stock has plummeted 30%, two executives have been forced out, Congress […] Read more
As the pace of pace of apologies by business people responding to accusations of sexual misconduct accelerates, the apologies are not keeping up. One reason is that too many apologizers burden their apologies with explanations. Celebrity chef Mario Batali runs a restaurant empire worth about $250 million. Recently accused of […] Read more
Even a perfect corporate apology doesn’t vaccinate a company against fallout from corporate misbehavior. Two weeks after Equifax chairman and CEO Richard F. Smith apologized for a data breach that compromised the private financial information of 143 million people, the stock has plummeted 30 percent, two executives have been forced […] Read more
Let’s consider the question another way. Is there such a thing as an insincere waiter? An inattentive waiter, sure. An incompetent waiter, all too often. Even a surly waiter, on thankfully rare occasions. But if your meal is delivered accurately, politely, in a timely manner, do you ever speculate if […] Read more
Recently two high profile companies experienced high-visibility failures. Travis Kalanick, the founder and CEO of the ride sharing firm Uber, issued an apology following a belligerent conversation he had with an Uber driver. Also, Pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC), the accounting firm working with the Oscars award ceremony, mishandled the distribution of envelopes […] Read more
Benjamin Golden, the ex Taco Bell marketing manager, was all over the news as the Uber passenger caught on camera attacking his driver. He was drunk and claims to have no memory of the incident. Now he has offered an apology. Now comes the classic evasion of responsibility: the old […] Read more
Is there any offense that’s so terrible that no apology can be its equal? This is one of the most common questions I hear as I talk about effective apology. We now have an offense that tests the question. It’s the case of Barry Freundel, a once-influential Orthodox rabbi in Washington, D.C. […] Read more
Some people dismiss an apology as “just words.” A gesture without substance. But the following are also “just words.” Or are they something more? Minister: By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you married. Jury: We, the jury, find the defendant guilty. Judge: I hereby sentence you to […] Read more
It’s more and more obvious that the entertainer Bill Cosby has conducted his private life in a shameful and criminal manner for many decades. As of this writing, over a dozen women have come forward with allegations that are remarkably similar. Some of the women complained decades ago that Bill […] Read more