Apologizing is not easy. If there is any principle to refer to, it is the principle of effective communication.

Whether the boss should apologize is the only answer-of course! However, many bosses may not realize that apologizing is also a science. If you can express your apologies sincerely, timely and appropriately, it will not only reflect your personal accomplishment, but also play a certain role in your subordinates. Pretending not to care or taking a tough line of insisting on not apologizing will not only help maintain the prestige of being a boss, but also have the opposite effect. If you still make excuses, you will only be despised.

Bottom line: bosses don't have to avoid mistakes. On the contrary, they can understand the essence of leadership by apologizing frankly and correcting it immediately.

So, how do you apologize?

How to open the first sentence

Apologize needs to be timely. Just like the principle of communication feedback, whether it is timely or not, the effect will be very different. If some objective factors make it inappropriate to apologize now, then it is not appropriate to delay for too long, not more than a week at the latest. Otherwise, once the resentment in the other person's heart is deep, your apology effect will be greatly reduced. But if both sides are angry, the effect of an immediate apology is not much better. It is the best choice to calm down and apologize.

Usually, the first sentence is the hardest to say when apologizing. You can try to use this sentence: "What happened just now was that I had a bad attitude and made you feel wronged. I sincerely apologize to you ... "Your apology has several elements: first, you should be brave enough to admit your mistakes and make no excuses; Second, identify with each other's emotions, because identification will play a role in alleviating "pain"; Third, after sincerely apologizing, try to remedy it.

At the same time, the attitude of the boss is very important. If you have an attitude of "I have apologized to you, what else do you want", then subordinates will be more disgusted with the boss's behavior and think, "Why are you pretending here?" Attitude determines the effect of apology, even if it is just a "I'm sorry ..."

How to choose an apology method

In the choice of apology methods, we should adopt different ways according to the causes of the mistakes, the scope and severity involved. For example, if mistakes have a certain impact on work, it is more appropriate to apologize in public places such as meetings. This not only helps to express the boss's working attitude of seeking truth from facts, but also helps to strengthen values and make up for and promote the progress of the work.

For some personal frictions, such as some misunderstandings caused by improper attitudes, improper words and poor communication, we can communicate by phone or email, or face-to-face communication in private will also have good results. Especially for low-key and introverted bosses, in private space, the two sides can communicate in a relatively calm state. This will not publicize and amplify the grievances between superiors and subordinates in public, but will also nourish the personal feelings between superiors and subordinates.

Apologizing is sometimes not only a sign of admitting mistakes, but also a kind of respect for each other's feelings. Even if the boss has no substantive mistakes, but only makes the other party feel hit or has other negative effects, the boss should undertake the obligation to appease the employees' emotions. After all, this is also an opportunity to enhance communication and understanding with employees.

Beware of the "sequela" of apology

It is true that after the boss made a mistake, everyone has a different attitude towards him. Some subordinates will be open-minded and considerate, believe that the boss will be introspective, and will feel superior because the boss owes himself an apology; And some subordinates will be very depressed, deliberately make things big, and even make unreasonable demands.

Therefore, the boss should never take an apology as a tried-and-true medicine, which may have side effects. On the contrary, some subordinates may be very determined, deliberately threatening and talking about conditions. At this time, I was afraid that my boss would fly into a rage and regret why I had to apologize to him. Therefore, apologizing also needs to grasp the "degree", and the main points should not be too self-blaming and exaggerated. In fact, the reason why there are subordinates who are "unreasonable" is probably that the boss's attitude "encourages" his arrogance.

So the supervisor's apology can be short and powerful, and the next focus is on your solution. Where the boss puts the focus of things, your subordinates will be led by your nose.

A misunderstanding in an apology

Myth 1: Apologizing is detrimental to prestige. In fact, a frank apology and immediate correction are the essence of leadership. Prestige is not built by avoiding mistakes, but by bravely taking on and effectively solving problems.

Myth 2: Employees need benefits, and apologies are flashy. Employees usually pay more attention to material benefits. Even if the boss doesn't apologize, he will be satisfied as long as he can think of him in the promotion and salary increase. But the fact is that with the improvement of employees' ability and the demand for respect and recognition, material will no longer be a single incentive, and the boss's leadership ability will directly affect employees' loyalty. Apologize or not is only a small aspect of leadership.

Myth 3: Apology has nothing to do with leadership style. On the contrary, what kind of leadership style will determine what kind of apology you are suitable for. Cheerful, humorous and approachable bosses can apologize in a more direct way, and subordinates are usually easy to accept; A reserved and steady boss is more suitable for a private apology, and a sense of tacit understanding will make subordinates more useful.

"Only suitable, no best", this sentence also applies to apology. We don't have to dwell on the title of "boss" No matter who made the mistake, the most important thing is to correct it in time and not to make the same mistake again. After breaking through the psychological barrier and saying "I'm sorry", it is more difficult to show "I'm sorry" in the subsequent actions.

After apologizing, it still needs continuous improvement.

Even if an apology is appropriate, it is only the beginning. In the next time, the boss must focus on quietly rebuilding his reputation and regaining the trust of employees. The only secret is time. The boss should not rush for success, but should do the work well.

In other words, the boss should spend a lot of time interacting with employees, so that the good relationship that was taken for granted before can be restored. Moreover, the boss needs to show his sincerity to win back the hearts of employees with daily actions (not words). In the time when their leaders are questioned because of mistakes, subordinates are still in the "observation period" for the boss's behavior, and employees will also examine the boss's behavior. Any similar mistake will make the boss's apology and efforts worthless.

Therefore, it is important for the boss not to make repetitive mistakes.

In fact, it is easy for subordinates to understand and let go when they see the efforts and changes of their superiors. They know that people who correct their mistakes and constantly improve themselves are often more trustworthy than bosses who have never made mistakes and never learned lessons. Sometimes, the boss should forget his role properly. He is just a mortal who makes mistakes. This is the boss of grounding gas. Don't worry about his mistakes, actively improve and perfect his leadership ability.

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