This week’s challenge is about putting our ego and excuses away and learning how to really apologize. We all make mistakes and learning to really apologize will leave you and the other person feel better.
Think about the last time you apologized to someone. Did it go something like:
“I’m sorry, but you were….”
“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way…”
“I was just kidding, geez, sorry…”
This probably left you both aggravated and didn’t resolve anything.
Next time, try this framework:
“I’m sorry for….This is wrong because…In the future I will….Will you forgive me?
Basically you are acknowledging what you did wrong and why it was wrong. Plus what you wi do differently going forward and requesting forgiveness.
Now on to our challenges:
Easy: Think about a recent apology you made. Was it a good or bad apology using the example and framework above? What could you have said differently?
Medium: Practice your apologies with body language to match. That means not crossing your arms, not staring at the floor, etc. It means looking them in the eyes so they know you are sincere with hands by your sides relaxed.
Hard: Now it’s time to put it into practice. You can use the last apology you messed up and do a redo with the person. Or the next time you need up, use the framework above.