At
some point, every company makes a mistake that requires an apology—to
an individual; a group of customers, employees, or business partners; or
the public at large. And more often than not, companies and their
leaders
fail to apologize effectively, if at all, which can severely damage
their reputations and their relationships with stakeholders. Companies
need clearer guidelines for determining whether a mistake merits an
apology and, when it does, for crafting and delivering
an effective message. In this article, the authors present their
framework—the apology formula—to help companies navigate the tricky
terrain. Leaders should ask themselves four questions: • Was there a
violation? • Was it core to our promise or mission? • How
will the public react? • Are we committed to change? As a general rule,
the more central to the mission of the company the violation is and the
more people it affects, the more important it is that the apology be
pitch-perfect. Once a company decides that an
apology is necessary, it needs to carefully consider the who, what,
where, when, and how of executing it. For core violations, the “who” has
to be senior leaders, the “what” has to show a tremendous commitment to
change, the “where” has to be high profile,
the “when” has to be fast, and the “how” must be deeply sincere and
demonstrate empathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]