Being a bit behind on my reading, I’ve just had a chance to finish April’s edition of Chief Executive Magazine. Despite my lack of timeliness, I couldn’t resist making comment on an article called “Want Better Performance? Say you’re Sorry” by John Kador.
My well thought out, enlightening commentary on this is article is a great big “Duh”.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not making fun of the writing, John Kador, or the even the content of the article; I think it is very well done and the evidence provided to back the theory that CEOs willing to apologize for mistakes are more effective, is both sound and illuminating. Overall, it’s a great article.
However, I marvel at the fact this is something that comes as a surprise to today’s CEOs (although I believe it wholeheartedly based upon many execs I know).
It makes me ponder a whole host of things; How did we get to the point where apologizing is almost unheard of anymore? Who’s fault is it that we are in this quandry? What can we do to change it?
It also strikes me as ironic that I have never met a CEO who wouldn’t like their employees to be more “accountable”, yet apologizing for mistakes at the top is completely taboo.
I know, I know, the lawyers and our generally letigious society drive this behavior, right? ”Don’t admit to anything or you’re just setting yourself up for a lawsuit”.
Yet, more and more of this type of data is hitting the press; When an organization, a CEO, a Politician or just your run of the mill human being, apologizes sincerely for a mistake - they are generally forgiven by their by customers etc… It is being proven that the number of lawsuits actually goes down after an effective apology.
Who’d a thunk it? Most customers, clients, constituents etc… don’t really expect perfection, they just want common decency, accountability and humble behavior when a mistake is made. Maybe business is still just as simple as “people working with people” afterall.
Mike Frommelt