We’ve heard a few apologies (of sorts) in January already, and as sorry seems to be the hardest word – Elton and Blue said it, so... – it may be worth reviewing each, seeing how an apology comes across, alongside reminders of infamous apologising examples.
Whatever organisation we work for, whatever we do, whoever we speak with, there will come a time when an apology is required.
No one is perfect (hubris blog in the offing, FYI). Apologising is part of communicating as an adult human, and so we should be aware of how different approaches to the ‘Sorry’ can result in markedly different reactions from the audience(s).
Ovo energy’s CEO Stephen fitzpatrick
Stephen Fitzpatrick from Ovo said advice issued to customers was unhelpful and upsetting (PA) / PA Media. See more in the Evening Standard piece.
After a poorly-worded section of a well-intentioned blog post, which advised customers to “cuddle pets and eat porridge to stay warm”, Ovo Energy’s CEO stepped up and apologised.
There may be a junior copywriter who probably took the brunt, internally. They were possibly – we’ve all been there – under pressure to turn something around quickly, and come up with ten tips. Which can feel like a lot. It is a lot.
Was it a mistake? Was it filler? Either way, the brief should have considered the audience, as should the sub, and the approvers. Buck doesn’t stop with who last edited the Google Doc.
Ovo apologised: In a statement to the BBC, Ovo Energy said it recognised the content of the blog was "poorly judged and unhelpful".
"We are embarrassed and sincerely apologise," the supplier added."We understand how difficult the situation will be for many of our customers this year."
Quick apology, hands up. Fair cop, Guv.
As @nigel_ingldew says, that looks sincere to me.
And they go one further. The following day, Ovo Energy CEO Stephen Fitzpatrick did the media rounds (BBC Breakfast and Radio 4 Today):
The boss of Ovo Energy has blamed a "bad day" for ridiculous advice to customers on how to stay warm amid soaring bills.
Stephen Fitzpatrick told the BBC he felt "really embarrassed" about the 10-point plan, which included "doing a few star jumps" and cuddling pets.
Ovo apologised on Tuesday, and Mr Fitzpatrick went on BBC TV and radio on Wednesday to repeat how sorry he was.
"We're a large company and somebody had a bad day," he said.
So, that’s one way to go. Acknowledge, acceptance with a good attitude.
Boris Johnson
I’m still fuming to be honest. Trying to distance my professional self from my personal feelings, and give some unbiased judgement. I mean, I don’t know if I can do that. Some things are too embedded in one’s values.
*[EDIT: Since writing this last night, Thurs 13 Jan, and posting the following morning, ANOTHER two parties have been uncovered. Seems Dominic Cummings wasn’t bluffing with “more to come”… Two parties, the night before Prince Phillips funeral and the striking image of the Queen sat alone, with damage to Boris’ son’s swing and a colleague sent out with a suitcase to buy more booze among the claims. More here.]*
Back to the apology from BJ. As the New York Times calls it, the “self-abasing apology” – see full video clip from the PMQs below – fell short in a lot of people’s eyes, with a lot of references to ‘we’. The fact of the matter is that Boris denied knowing about parties, yet he attended one.
The only thing that angers me is the defence coming from the word party. Anyway, not enough time or blood pressure to go into that, right now.
As succinctly quoted in The Week, another Tory MP told The Guardian: “I’ve not seen such a half-arsed apology since my child apologised for spilling all the milk.”
Other (in)famous apologies
Videos below: 1) Bill Clinton after being pretty blunt in his “I did not, have sexual relations” speech, then apologising for… being caught? and 2) the Oscars Moonlight/La La Land debacle from 2017.
Further reading:
Did you know the average Brit says sorry eight times a day?! That, and more reasons why we say sorry so much here.
Why a sincere apology? “By owning our mistakes, we have the chance to rebuild trust, validate experiences and heal wounds. But when we refuse to take ownership, we ignore the consequences of our actions and lessen the safety of the relationship, and ultimately, deepen the hurt.”
So, who can we expect an apology from next? Novak Djokovic, perhaps?
Bear in mind there is a lot that happens BEFORE the apology – it is the moral and ethical actions in hiding, ignoring or covering up that has possibly the greatest impact.
Let me know what you think, and sorry about the rambling… dammit, I’m too British!