It is a question that obsesses brands, organisations and individuals in the public eye – when you have done something wrong, how do you apologise for it?
In fact, there will always be those who – either within an organisation or around a high profile figure – will caution against issuing explicit apologies. At one end of the spectrum, it could be that legal counsel advises strongly that an apology will admit culpability and lead to financial loss. Or there may simply be a divergence of views on whether or not there is actually anything to apologise for.
Regardless, once the decision to apologise has been made, how best to go about it?
This issue was recently illustrated vividly by Japanese politician Ryutaro Nonomura, who broke down in tears and wailed when questioned by journalists about allegations that he had claimed expenses for personal travel. The video quickly went viral and was seen by many as a bad example of an attempted public apology. Subsequently Nonomura resigned.
However, the first thing that you notice about his public performance is that it is not an apology. It is an emotional outburst in response to being asked to explain and defend himself, but he does not actually apologise.
So how do you make a good public apology? There are three elements.
1) Express regret in a genuine way. That means not hiding behind evasive language such as "I'm sorry if some people might have been offended by how some of my remarks were reported in some quarters". You would not apologise to a loved one like that, so why would that type of response cut any ice with the wider public?
2) React to the situation for which you are apologising. That means putting right whatever you have done wrong as quickly as possible. Again, with bad apologies you often hear people express regret but then not provide any follow-up detail on how things have changed since the thing they are apologising for happened.
3) Reassure people that you will not do again whatever it is that you are apologising for. In other words, you need to stress that you have learnt your lesson.
That's the message, but what about the medium? What was striking about Ryutaro Nonomura's performance was that it took the form of a three-hour press conference. This is why cultural sensitivity in external communications is key. In Japan and south-east Asia, press conferences are very common ways for institutions to explain and apologise. In the US, by contrast, it is common to deliver a set-piece speech at a podium, but then leave the stage and allow a spokesperson to field questions. Whereas in Europe (especially in the UK) you are more likely to see journalists doorstep someone who is being expected to apologise.
Therefore, when thinking about how to deliver a public apology, you have to think about the format in which you will choose (or be forced) to do it. Certainly in the UK, it is worth being prepared to walk out of your front door and apologise to the media scrum, which means drafting a statement in advance that can be issued to media as soon as you have finished talking.
In addition, in making an effective apology it is crucial to align all of your communications channels. That means ensuring, for example, that even if your website has been changed to display an apology, you ensure your Twitter feed is not sending out pre-programmed, frivolous tweets, and that you have not just uploaded pictures of you larking around to Instagram.
So, what is a good example of a public apology? I would suggest that the resignation of General Eric Shinseki as US veterans affairs secretary was a good case study. Why? Because he expressed regret at what had happened on his watch, rather than trying to brush it off; he reacted to the situation with substantive change (standing down after having already begun reforming his department); and he was at pains to reassure people that mistakes would not be repeated (and that him stepping down was a part of that).
He remembered the three R's – regret, react, reassure.
Chris Calland is a reputation management expert at Hanover Communications. You can follow him on Twitter @cncalland
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