How To Apologize

When it comes to apologizing too many people still get it wrong - not just public figures but in every day professional and personal scenarios, people do not seem to know how to apologize properly. There's sometimes an unwillingness to accept fault or apologies are either poorly worded or worded insensitively   According to the dictionary an apology is "a regretful acknowledgement of an offence or failure" - this is one definition that starts with the acknowledgement of something wrong being done which has caused hurt/pain/offence or upset. Whether it's an individual or a brand which needs to provide an apology it's crucial that there is some form of atonement and the first step towards this is through an effective apology.

In this video I cover some of the key steps necessary in order to apologize properly.

A few key points to always remember when apologizing:

• Do not centre yourself in the apology - always centre the people/person who you have hurt/offended.

• Be specific - say what it is that you are apologizing for and be clear about this.

• Be honest - own up to everything surrounding the context of whatever it is that you did and what you are doing now to address/improve

• Be patient and humble - there's a sense that when you apologize the people or person you are saying sorry to should forgive you immediately but it is not up to you to put a timeline on their forgiveness. They may never forget what you have done and it may take time for them to forgive you but you cannot dictate if and when they should forgive you.