How to Issue a Great Apology - Tim Donnelly

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So you messed up. Big. How do you explain your company's misstep to the public? Just say it: "I'm sorry."

MAKE IT BETTER. Sometimes, telling your customers "I'm sorry" is the best way to remedy a failure. And how you say it matters.

JCPenney landed at the center of a firestorm earlier this month over a shirt it was selling to girls, bearing the slogan: "I'm too pretty to do my homework so my brother has to do it for me."

Internet commenters registered rage at what they saw as a sexist shirt promoting girls' looks over their brains by tweeting, e-mailing, and signing online petitions. The pressure forced JCPenney to pull the shirt immediately. But the company did get credit for acting quickly and issuing an apology statement right away.

"We agree that the 'Too Pretty' T-shirt does not deliver an appropriate message, and we have immediately discontinued its sale," the statement says. "We would like to apologize to our customers."

Knowing how, when, and why to issue a smart apology can be the difference between a public-relations hiccup that can be smoothed over. and a flap that could end up dragging your company into the muck. While the long-term effects on JCPenney aren't yet clear, observers say the honest and sincere apology may have saved its reputation. What's the trick? Experts share these tips on crafting the perfect apology.

When Apologizing, Make Sure You Use the Right Words

Some people are averse to issuing apologies or even using the word "sorry" because they worry about implicating themselves in guilt or malfeasance. But experts say erring on the side of caution and issuing a prompt apology can save you headaches down the road. 

"As long as someone apologizes well, it doesn't mean they're taking responsibility," says Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, founder and business-writing specialist at Syntax Training who has worked with REI, Microsoft, and Russell Investments. "The really important thing to recognize about apologies is that they are a very smart thing to issue. In order for the client or perspective customer to get over the bad feelings, we have to issue the apology. It helps the other person release their anger about it."

Most experts agree that an apology letter should open with a salutation and a warm greeting, which helps you soften up the recipient, says Julie Miller, founder and president of Business Writing That Counts and author of a book by the same name.

Then, you should acknowledge the issue you're responding to straight on without hedging too much. Gaertner-Johnston says you need to include the words "apologize," "sorry," or "regret" at some point to really hammer the point of the message home.

"You have to have those words so it can be an apology," she says.

The most important thing is to own up to own up to the mistake. Caryn Starr-Gates, a business writing professional with StarrGates Business Communication, says you can acknowledge the issue getting into the gritty details of what went wrong.

"What does matter is coming clean, being a grown up. You're taking the blame for what happened and you want to know how to make it better."

"What does matter is coming clean, being a grown up," she says. "You're taking the blame for what happened and you want to know how to make it better."

Make any Apology Personal

The format of the apology depends on the relationship you have with the client or customer, but most apologies are issued via writing, whether it is in an e-mail, a formal letter, or a message on a company website.

This is not the time for form letters, re-used templates or pre-recorded messages, Miller says. You should be personalizing it as much as possible to describe the exact nature of the incident.

"That way, the recipient will not feel like a nameless, faceless cog in the wheel but rather, will appreciate that someone took the time to find out what happened," she says. "This ties in directly with the precept to be authentic and sincere."

You can engage the recipient further by asking them to accept your apology. Some companies even go an extra step and follow up an apology letter with a phone call or e-mail to check back.

Get the Timing Right for Your Statement

If you feel like an apology is due, the worst thing you can do is to wait too long and let your customers get angrier—and tell friends about it. Experts say you should be sending out an apology as close to the incident as possible to minimize damage, much like JCPenney, which acted within a day once the controversy arose.

"That way the bad feelings won't be able to foment or go viral in any way," Gaertner-Johnston says.

Even if you aren't fielding complaints about the incident, be proactive by issuing a statement right away, Starr-Gates says. The statement is usually best when it comes from the responsible party at your company, or, if they were let go due to the incident, the person's supervisor.

"You still come across as a concerned person," Starr-Gates says. "This is people with whom you are doing business in some way. You want to leave them gratified that they're doing business with you."

In the cases were someone requests and apology that you don't agree is deserved, you're left with two options, says Paul Lima, a business writing trainer who has written several books on business writing.

"You have a decision to make: take the high road and smooth over the bump in the relationship, or hold your ground, defend your action and understand that problems will probably persist," he says.

Talk Openly About any Corrective Action

Whatever form your apology takes, you need to end it on a positive note by telling the recipient what corrective action you will take. It could be something as simple as promising better communication or something as elaborate as free airline miles.

Avoid putting the blame on the other person: for instance, don't say, "You didn't confirm the meeting," but instead say, "Sorry for the confusion over the meeting."

"That does not help them to move on," Gaertner-Johnston says. "It was just a backward apology that was really lame."

Talking about what corrective action you plan on taking lets the customer know you are aware of their concerns and want to improve.

Of course, even the best, timeliest apologies might be nothing more than a learning experience for next time.

"You have to be willing to accept the other person may not forgive you," Starr-Gates says. "Ask how you can make it better."

Tim Donnelly is a freelance writer and managing editor of Brokelyn.com. His work has appeared in Billboard, The Atlantic, Thought Catalog, and The New York Post. @TimDonnelly 

via inc.com

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Leadership and Innovation: 'One time, at CEO fantasy band camp'

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Forget Maui. When execs want to unwind, some are heading to band camp, where they form acts and trade hot licks. They also, apparently, come home with new management skills.

By Pete Gerstenzang, contributor

FORTUNE -- If you've watched any of the highly charged, heavily edited episodes of "Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp" on VH1, you're not really getting the complete picture. You may be imagining that the camp is primarily peopled with combative, longhaired, chain wallet-wearing dudes, who look like they should be roadying for the Allman Brothers.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. But these five-day camp programs hosted in several locations across the country -- where "civilians" get to jam with their rock heroes -- are now fairly filled with CEOs, CMOs, and execs of all stripes.

Forget Maui. When upper-management wants to unwind, some of them are heading to band camp, where they form acts and trade hot licks with artists like Ozzy's (as in, Osbourne) lead guitarist. And, perhaps surprisingly, they return to their companies with new management skills.

"I've been an attorney for 30 years and now have my own firm," says Frank Pawlak, 58. "I've been involved in a variety of court cases, such as unlawful discrimination and employee wage compensation. It's wonderful work, but stressful. Going to The Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp is the best remedy for this I know."

Pawlak, who has attended the camp twice, says he's not sure what's more impressive about the rock getaways, which average $6,000 for the week, or $8,000 if you choose the recording studio package: whether it's the way it makes you a better musician, or how it sharpens your skills so you can become a more intuitive manager.

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"Certainly, by playing with guys like Warren Haynes [of The Allmans], your skill level rises and you become more confident on your instrument," says Pawlak, who plays guitar. "I mean, try to imagine the best guitar teachers in the world, showing you how to play a riff they invented. But, if you pay attention to the group interaction, you also come away from Fantasy Camp as an improved executive."

While more and more camp attendees are executives, says Pawlak, they still have various temperaments and come from different fields. And getting along with each other in such a closed environment is imperative, he claims.

"When you're thrust into a band situation with, say, an oil baron and a software CEO, you have lots of disparate personalities," says Pawlak. "You all have to figure out quickly how to work well together, so your 'presentation' goes smoothly. I know we did. And after playing our three-song gig at The Whiskey, at camp's end? Let's just say I've newfound interactive skills. And they're still paying off in how I run things in my business life."

Pete Krainik, 54, founder of The CMO Club, a program that brings chief marketing officers together so that they can "become better at what they do," says he was feeling "excited but worried" about forming a band and playing live at his Rock 'N' Fantasy Camp experience this past February.

"I'm a keyboard player, but I hadn't played in a band in 30 years. Still, I knew this was the place to play. Especially since Teddy Zig Zag [who has played with Guns 'N' Roses] would be there. If you're going to brush up on your chops, he's the guy to learn from."

MORE: Meet the mastermind behind the Yankees roster

As exciting as Krainik says his twice-monthly CMO Summits are, it was hard to top this experience. "You feel like a groupie for a few hours meeting your heroes," he says, "but pretty soon, the novelty wears off and you get down to business. And as wonderful as it was working on my keyboard technique, I learned so much about being a better CMO. The week paid for itself."

For Krainik, guitarist Steve Stevens' breakdown of "White Wedding," the Billy Idol song on which he plays, speaks volumes about what he learned from his time at band camp.

"Each section of the song was analyzed, so we could all understand how to make the song have more impact," says Krainik. "And even though I was there to learn about rock, I also began to think about brands. I wondered, 'How often do we take apart the brand or campaign we're working on and figure out the best way to reassemble it so we can really reach our customers?' That was an 'aha' moment for me."

Andy Roberts, 47, a senior project manager at telecommunications firm NTT America, claims he may have learned more about human psychology during his recent week at 'camp' than at college.

MORE: Harvard MBAs to sell classmates' admissions essays

"There are about 65 people of different ages and backgrounds at the camp," Roberts says. "You need to learn to be reasonable and considerate with all of them, but especially with the people in your band. My group played Black Label Society's song 'Stillborn' on our final night. As you can imagine, we all had to really be patient with each other when we learned that song. It's pretty complicated."

David Fishof, the founder of this rock-themed camp is pleased, but unsurprised, to hear such praise. And the camp is even making its way to offices.

"There's no question that we're seeing more executives at these camps," says Fishof. "But we're also doing one-day corporate camps, where I go to, say, GE with a rock star, like Lita Ford or Mark Hudson. We'll 'crash' a sales meeting with Mark and say to everybody, 'Okay, here's the guy who wrote the lyrics to 'Livin' On The Edge.' And we get the folks from GE to re-write the lyrics to describe what it's like working at GE. We get someone to do the choreography. We have them perform the song that night."

Fantasy band camp is not just good for these execs' management acumen; it can also, apparently, soothe the soul. Fishof relates a story in which a Morgan Stanley (MS) staffer was sent back to camp by his therapist for some R&R. "'Do yourself a favor,'" the therapist reportedly told the exec. "'Stop coming here. Go rock out.'"

Posted in: Band camp, David Fishof, management training, Music, Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp

via management.fortune.cnn.com