But I Said I’m Sorry!

Does "I'm sorry" make it all better?

Having been at the PR agency for only a few days, I thought it would be useful to convene the marketing committee comprised of account executives from every department in order to formally meet everyone and get a better sense of current projects and initiatives.

Within 15 minutes of the start of the meeting, and in response to my question, “So tell me about some of the initiatives that have been successful at the agency,” one of the principals, Mike, remarked, “Wait, wait, wait! What the hell are we doing here? This committee has never accomplished a damn thing, and now I’m supposed to spend my precious time bringing our new director of marketing up to speed? Who’s to say if we provide him with the information that he’s even capable of delivering? He’s probably nothing more than the half wits who used to have his position!”

The silence in the room was deafening. I stared at the person facilitating the meeting who was also in charge of marketing as if to say, “How the hell are you going to handle this one?” No one said a word. No one came to my defense.

After what seemed like ten minutes of silence, I stood up and asked Mike if he would join me in the hall. A look of shock came over his face. He never expected to get called out on his rant.

In a stern yet diplomatic manner, I told Mike that his outburst was unprofessional and his comments toward me were unappreciated and unfounded. I explained that part of my role was to realign the marketing department with the agency’s business objectives. I told him that in order to make a positive change, I needed allies who were prepared to focus on the future, not the past.

Mike didn’t know what else to say other than, “I’m sorry!”

In retrospect, I wonder if “I’m sorry” was enough to repair the damage Mike had caused? Did other committee members discount his comments as “typical Mike,” or would I spend the remainder of my time at the firm repairing my reputation? Ultimately, does an apology clean the slate?

One aspect of a strong, personal brand is accountability. Regardless of the inherent risk or reward of the situation, I believe we as humans are responsible for our actions. When an error has occurred, it’s incumbent upon the offender to admit fault and take immediate and specific action to correct the error.

More often that not, we witness celebrities, politicians, sports figures, and others take the easier route of formulating elaborate excuses as to why they shouldn’t be held accountable for their impropriety. In the end, it’s their character that suffers.

In the words of J.C. Watts, “Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught.”

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