Finally, the apology demonstrates a determination to close the book on what has not worked and to actually take advantage of the current situation. By communicating in an open and honest fashion, leaders can turn a crisis into an opportunity.
Of course, even if apologies from leaders are becoming more common, they’re not always equally effective. How is it, for instance, that the former mayor of San Francisco can apologize for having an affair with his chief of staff’s wife and go on to be re-elected with historically high margins, while a dynamic and effective Governor Spitzer is forced from office?
The answer usually comes down to the what, the when or the how. In some cases, the nature of the underlying misconduct—say, an inappropriate relationship with a staffer versus one with a member of an escort service. In other cases, the authenticity of the apology (or how good the leader is at sounding authentic, at least) can make all the difference. Finally, the timing of an apology can make or break the response to it. If it appears immediately sincere rather than made after weeks of consulting with lawyers, it helps. If it isn’t made until someone has effectively been forced to say “uncle”—see Tiger Woods—it doesn’t.
But even if you get the what, the when and the how right, you can still go wrong. The best apologies share other key characteristics. The decision to express regret comes from the top. The admission of guilt consists of more than just words; it’s followed up with genuine, tangible actions that mean something to the customers, citizens or fans who were affected.
Finally, the apology itself is clear and unambiguous, and only has to be made once. The public “gets it” that to err is indeed human. People tend to be very forgiving of a mistake, especially when an apology is given and full responsibility is taken. However, fair warning to those who fumble the apology the first time, or make a series of mistakes. If that happens, the public will not be forgiving. Generally speaking, you get just one bite at the apology apple.
Christopher Lehane, who served as a lawyer and spokesperson in the Clinton White House, is a partner in the crisis communication firm of Fabiani & Lehane and is the co-writer of “Knife Fight”, a forthcoming film on damange control.
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