<div><p><span>Timeliness is crucial for workplace apologies. </span><span>Tensions</span><span> can easily escalate to the point of making work unbearable for one or more parties. </span></p><p>Once you recognize that you owe an apology, do your best to make it as soon as possible, and try to turn the interaction into a constructive conversation. </p></div>

Resentments Build

<div><p><span>In some situations, an apology can equate to an admission of guilt. If there are any concerns about the repercussions of an apology, you may want to consult with your legal department before making it.<br></span></p></div><div></div><div><p>However, if you messed up and the results are catastrophic, it's important to own the mistake and accept the consequences. If you try and shift the blame, someone else might pay, and others may lose respect for you. </p></div>

Consider Legal Entanglements

<div><p><span>If you are wrongly blamed for a mistake, make your case and speak up for yourself. <br></span></p><p><span>You may be tempted to cover for others, and while helping someone else out of a tough spot may seem noble, this could eventually evolve into someone using you as a doormat, or escaping responsibility for repeated mistakes.</span></p></div><div><h2></h2></div>

Don't Assume Fault that Isn't Yours

<div><p>Some business people employ underhanded or downright illegal tactics in their work. If you are pressured to do the same and refuse, there is no need to apologize. <b>Your personal integrity is more important than smoothing over a stressful situation.</b></p></div>

Don't Compromise Personal Values

<div>
<p><a href="https://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/the-many-benefits-of-being-a-vulnerable-transparent-leader.html">Transparency</a> is an important quality in effective employees. One of the most important aspects of transparency is acknowledging when you messed up, and attempting to fix it. Many people struggle with apologies - either giving them or receiving them - both inside and outside the business world. While personal disagreements outside work can often resolve one way or another over time, <a href="https://www.inc.com/john-brandon/48-all-time-best-quotes-on-facing-workplace-conflicts.html">disputes in the workplace</a> have the potential to snowball into serious issues that affect more than just the participants of the original disagreement.</p>
<p>You should make every effort to handle these situations quickly, especially if you were the one who stepped out of line. When it's time to <a href="https://www.inc.com/the-muse/5-apology-templates-to-use-at-work.html">make an apology</a>, seek an agreeable time to meet with the affected party or parties, and be cordial and professional. Let the other party know that you recognize the fault lies with you and you want to correct the misstep and help repair the damage. It's vital that you convey sincerity and a willingness to help fix any damage you may have caused, otherwise your apology may ring hollow to them and make things worse.</p>
<p>Timeliness is crucial for workplace apologies. Sometimes it's awkward admitting fault for something that might have been an honest mistake, or someone taking something far harder than you may have expected. Other times, it may take direct confrontation for you to realize that you even hurt someone else at all. Regardless of the situation, once you recognize that you owe someone an apology, it's vital to offer it as soon as possible.</p>
<p>In the workplace, tensions can easily escalate to the point of making work unbearable for one or more parties. Once you recognize that you owe an apology, do your best to make it as soon as possible, and try to turn the interaction into a constructive conversation. Depending on what went wrong, your apology could turn into an opportunity for all parties involved to grow.</p>
<p><strong>Consider Legal Entanglements</strong> </p>
<p>In some situations, an apology can equate to an admission of guilt. In some organizations, this can end a career or worse. Office politics are a very real concern in just about any workplace, so if there are any concerns about the repercussions of an apology, you may want to consult with your legal department before making it.</p>
<p>However, if you messed up and the results are catastrophic, it's important to own the mistake and accept the consequences. You might be tempted to shift blame if an opportunity presents itself, but this rarely works out in your favor. More often than not, if it does work out for you, someone else might pay, and others may lose respect for you. However, if someone else had a hand in the mistake that was made, they should accept their fair share of the consequences too.</p>
<p><strong>Don't Assume Fault that Isn't Yours</strong> </p>
<p>Many people instinctively apologize for things they shouldn't or needn't apologize for as an automatic response. Again, doing so at the wrong time could potentially cost you your job. If you are wrongly blamed for a mistake, it's crucial to make your case and speak up for yourself. However, it's important that you don't avoid blame by throwing someone else under the bus. You may be tempted to cover for others, and while helping someone else out of a tough spot may seem noble, this could eventually evolve into someone using you as a doormat, or escaping responsibility for repeated mistakes.</p>
<p><strong>Don't Compromise Personal Values</strong> </p>
<p>Another time when you shouldn't apologize is when doing so would <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/when-you-shouldnt-apologize-at-work-2016-5/#-2">compromise your personal morality</a>. Unfortunately, some businesspeople employ underhanded or downright illegal tactics in their work. If you are pressured to do the same and refuse, there is no need to apologize. Your personal integrity is more important than smoothing over a stressful situation.</p>
<p>In any situation warranting an apology, the guilty party will typically know when he or she has wronged someone else. If not, it may take some prodding from others to let them know where they went wrong. Every situation is different, and if you find yourself in such a scenario, own your faults and make the effort to prevent the same issue happening again in the future. Some people take things more personally and seriously than others, so your apology may wind up being essentially ineffective. However, following these tips will increase the odds of it getting through to the other party effectively.</p>
<p>The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.</p>
</div>

Transparency is an important quality in effective employees. One of the most important aspects of transparency is acknowledging when you messed up, and attempting to fix it. Many people struggle with apologies - either giving them or receiving them - both inside and outside the business world.

The Art of Saying Sorry: How to Make Your Apology as Effective as Possible

Resentments Build

Consider Legal Entanglements

Don't Assume Fault that Isn't Yours

Don't Compromise Personal Values

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