This is Day #23 of 25 Days of Holiday Gifts for The Boss, a collaboration with Margi Bush of Wisdom Tree Coaching.
“I’m sorry you thought my tweet was racist” – Rosanne Barr
We’ve seen this in previous posts. It’s an example of a non-apologetic apology.
“I’m sorry you feel that way”
“I’m sorry for your perception of my intentions”
“I’m sorry I’m not sorry”
But if we’re looking at empathy, could it be that the words “I’m sorry” are useless?
Maybe.
Why not replace “I’m sorry” with a true apology? The dictionary defines apology as a regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure. It doesn’t require “I’m sorry” or anything like it. We simply acknowledge we screwed up and we work to make amends.
Empathy means we see things from another’s perspective. I wonder if this means apology is only done when we’ve examined our behavior from another’s point of view? Seems like a good start. Try it this week.