Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Apologize at Work
Apologizing too often can be a problem, but sometimes people hesitate to say “sorry” because they are afraid they will be considered weak. You want to be seen as strong, especially in a business environment. But apologizing is helpful in the workplace: it inspires empathy and builds trust.
The Harvard Business School (HBS) has conducted research on how unnecessary apologies are perceived. These are mostly unnecessary apologies. HBS has defined this as “expressing regret over an unwanted circumstance for which the apologetic is clearly not responsible.”
You might think that an unnecessary apology would be considered weak and unreliable, but in fact, the researchers found the opposite:
Using multiple methodologies in four studies, we document that over-apologizing increases trust based on goodwill and behavior. The relationship between excessive apology and trust is mediated by the perception of empathic concern. In a behavioral confidence-based laboratory study, people were more likely to pass money on to fellow Confederates who apologized too much than to those who did not … Excessive apology is a powerful and easy-to-use tool of social influence. Even in the absence of guilt, people can build trust and sympathy by saying, “I’m sorry,” even if they just “regret” the rain.
For me, the takeaway here is not to apologize too much, but to not be afraid of apologies in the first place. Most likely, it will be appreciated and beneficial to society. For the full study, click on the link below.
Sorry for the rain! Apologizing Excessively Shows Empathy and Builds Trust | Harvard Business School via Muse