When faced with a crisis, your first instinct may not be to offer up an apology but to find a discrete way to distance yourself or your organization from the problem. Avoiding the difficult truth almost always leads to more pain and damage down the road, thereby extending the life of the crisis.
Once you’ve gathered all the facts and it’s clear that fault can be linked back to your organization, a sincere apology is always smarter than a cover up. Everyone makes mistakes—even doctors. Presently, 25 states have apology laws that protect doctors from having their words used against them in court. In fact, University of Michigan Healthy System has found that when doctors take responsibility for their mistakes and offer their patients an apology before ever being sued results in a “remarkable savings in money, time and feelings.”
Regardless of whether you practice medicine, a timely apology offered with sincerity and the promise of corrective action can greatly reduce the scope and longevity of a crisis.
Well Spoken Apologies
E! News host Giuliana Rancic protected her career and wholesome reputation by promptly apologizing to Disney star Zendaya after making offensive remarks regarding the young actress' hairstyle.
Once you’ve gathered all the facts and it’s clear that fault can be linked back to your organization, a sincere apology is always smarter than a cover up. Everyone makes mistakes—even doctors. Presently, 25 states have apology laws that protect doctors from having their words used against them in court. In fact, University of Michigan Healthy System has found that when doctors take responsibility for their mistakes and offer their patients an apology before ever being sued results in a “remarkable savings in money, time and feelings.”
Regardless of whether you practice medicine, a timely apology offered with sincerity and the promise of corrective action can greatly reduce the scope and longevity of a crisis.
Well Spoken Apologies
E! News host Giuliana Rancic protected her career and wholesome reputation by promptly apologizing to Disney star Zendaya after making offensive remarks regarding the young actress' hairstyle.
Embattled GM CEO Mary Barra embarked on a necessary apology tour when it was found faulty ignition switches caused numerous deaths.