I'm sure that among the readers of The Lean Blog there there is nothing but support for the lean principles of developing and respecting people. However, even with the best of intentions, consistently abiding by these principles, particularly in fast paced, intense environments is not always easy. Inevitably, in our quest to continuously improve ourselves and our interactions with others, we sometimes find ourselves owing someone an apology.
Here are 5 tips from Dr. Mark Goulston to make those apologies really mean something.
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Look the person in the eye and do the following:
Step 1: Say what you did wrong.
Step 2: Acknowledge how it hurt, disappointed, or upset them.
Step 3: Admit you were wrong to do it and apologize.
Step 4: Say what you are going to do to correct your mistake and make
sure it doesn't happen again.
Step 5: Ask how you can make it up to them and then do it.
I found these tips in my inbox today from a Ferrazzi Greenlight tip of the week. You can register here: www.ferrazzigreenlight.com. Keith Ferrazzi is the author of “Never Eat Alone”, a book about connecting and building relationships.
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Let’s work together to build a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety. If you're a leader looking to create lasting change—not just projects—I help organizations:
- Engage people at all levels in sustainable improvement
- Shift from fear of mistakes to learning from them
- Apply Lean thinking in practical, people-centered ways
Interested in coaching or a keynote talk? Let’s start a conversation.
