Two words – extremely simple yet so difficult for so many people. “I’m sorry!” No matter the level you are in your company, understanding the importance of a simple and heart-felt apology cannot be understated. The higher up you go, the more important it is to understand the value of an apology. We all make mistakes. Yep, everyone. From the maintenance person to the CEO, EVERYONE at one time or another makes a mistake. It’s what happens AFTER someone makes a mistake that matters.
When people (especially leaders) refuse to admit to any weakness, mistake or error of judgment, their ability to be trusted by their people plummets. Worse yet are those individuals who not only don’t admit their mistakes and apologize, but actually look to place blame on someone else. This creates a culture of mistrust, fear and excuses. This does not make for a healthy organization. Especially when it originates with one of the organization’s leaders. It also sends a message that mistakes are something to be hidden; mistakes should be denied; mistakes will put an employee at risk of being fired.
We had a client organization recently that was in chaos over a leader’s unwillingness to admit a mistake and accept responsibility. The employees (the ones affected by the mistake), who were client facing workers, all admitted to a new-found lack of trust in the organization, and several expressed a desire to leave the company. Of course, this situation took up a significant amount of time to get the leader to understand what she had done, and even more time to work with the key employees to keep them on the team. We were able to work with management to resolve the situation and were very transparent with the employees about the specific resolution, but it will take some time to rebuild the trust the employees once had in the organization.
On the other hand, when a leader openly admits their mistakes, apologizes when necessary and encourages others to do the same, the organization actually becomes stronger. When mistakes are admitted quickly, corrective measures begin sooner, which usually minimizes the impact of that mistake. People won’t be working in an environment of fear, they will know that if they own their mistakes, they will be allowed the space to take corrective action and actually learn some valuable lessons. If they see their leader owning their mistakes, it opens the door for everyone to be honest. This is one of the best ways to build trust in an organization. Be vulnerable, admit it when you are wrong. Figure out how to make things right or ask help from others to help make it right.
It is really not that hard to just say, “I’m sorry.” They could be the most powerful two words you ever utter as a leader.
