LNB #015: Say You're Sorry!

You screwed up. It happens. Now, how to you go about cleaning it up while maintaining great relationships with customers, vendors, suppliers, partners and employees?

Screwing up, in itself, is less impactful than trying to "step over" a mistake or broken biz promise. This has lingering effects on our relationships and our ability to focus (tap dancing around a broken deadline can reduce your ability to do your best work).
Triune Brain:

• Reptilian brain: oldest portion. Designed for survival and reproduction
• Limbic brain: designed for feeling and emoting
• Cortex: newest portion. The highest thinking part of the brain

How to Get an Apology Done:

• Acknowledge what happened (tell the truth)
• Acknowledge the impact on them
• Explain what happened (only if you know what you needed to fix)
• Explain that you're willing to make it right
• Make an offer to make it right
• Ask if this fits the bill and does, in fact, make it right (Note: shut up and listen.
• Don't put your reptilian brain on "speakerphone."
• Ask them if they will accept your apology.

Read Seth Godin's The Big Moo: Stop Trying to Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkablefor ideas on how to remarkabilisize (I didn't make this up) your business.

Listen to NPR's Marketplace report, "Prescription for Doctors: Admit Your Mistakes."

Duration: 30:33 File size: 7.33 MB