Questions to Pose in an Apology

3 Questions to Answer in an Apology 22 Jul 2019 --- Trust is not as fragile as people think — it can be rebuilt. And that process starts with a good apology. A strong apology can make or break a company when it’s facing a reputational crisis, according to Sandra J. Sucher, a professor at Harvard Business School, and Shalene Gupta, a research associate at Harvard Business School. When crafting a public apology, companies should answer three questions. The first is "Do we tell the truth?" Doing so can instill confidence in your audience, and lets them know you know what went wrong. The second is "On whose behalf are we acting?" The people who were harmed should feel like their needs are being addressed. Finally, "How do our actions benefit those who trust us?" Leaders must convince people that the company can truly fix the problem. Trust is not as fragile as people think — it's not black and white. Research shows that it's nuanced and multi-dimensional, that it waxes and wanes. And with an effective apology (and a lot of work), it can be regained. --------------------------------------------------------------------- At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect — would be better off. So we try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. We enlist the foremost experts in a wide range of topics, including career planning, strategy, leadership, work-life balance, negotiations, innovation, and managing teams. Harvard Business Review empowers professionals around the world to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review/ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices