I’ve been working on my apologies lately. Apologies can be powerful in helping all involved move forward if done well and can perpetuate harm if done poorly. At a recent restorative justice training I attended we discussed their keys to an effective apology. Here are the four key components to an apology outlined by David Karp.
- What happened – “I spilled the milk.”
- My role. “I spilled the milk.”
- What I won’t do. “I won’t spill the milk again.”
- What I will do. “From now on, I will use two hands when I grab the milk.”
There are plenty of opportunities to observe and evaluate celebrity apologies for these components. Then you can practice and evaluate your own apologies. I think we all have plenty of opportunities.
