The Power of “We Got It Wrong”

Whether you are a leader or an organisation there are times when a real apology is

essential. All too often this can be delayed for reasons of ego, legal worries or concerns about perception, but often the lack of

apology or delay is far more damaging than coming out and admitting you got it wrong,

maybe very wrong.

http://www.workinconfidence.com

So what are the benefits of coming out quickly and publicly and

admitting “Sorry we were wrong” or “Sorry I was wrong”?

http://www.workinconfidence.com

4

Ability to listenIt demonstrates that you are not just about talking but that you see dialogue as a two way process and listening is equally important to you.

5

Desire to learnWhen you have made a mistake you spend time defending, spinning, sidestepping or shifting blame then people will be rightly skeptical about your desire or ability to learn from this or any other mistake

6

Demonstrate self-awarenessDefending a situation which is clearly wrong will rapidly establish you a reputation as lacking self-awareness.

7

Desire to do the right thingPeople are motivated by not wanting to suffer the same mistake themselves or they just want to know their suffering has not been in vain.

8

Reestablishes TrustIt’s impossible to trust an individual or organisation who you see trying to defend their mistakes rather than be honest about them.

9

Demonstrates humilitySimilar to trust few of us like working with people or organisations who are arrogant enough to always need to be seen to be right.

10

Chance to move onSorry can give a chance for closure and allow all parties to begin to move on – conversely lack of it can leave bitterness for a long time.

Read more content like this every week on our blog:

http://blog.workinconfidence.com

http://www.workinconfidence.com

At WorkInConfidence we are all about providing a way for staff to

reach out to you to raise ideas, issues and concerns in a safe

environment by providing their feedback anonymously.

http://www.workinconfidence.com

www.workinconfidence.comUnderstand your staff better to

unlock their true power and potential