There
are apologies and there are apologies.
As more and more
organizations and their leaders in our society come under scrutiny for
misdeeds, bad decisions, criminal acts, they are finding that the act of
apology is a critical piece in moving through a crisis and regaining the
reputation they once had.
Reputation management is
what organizations must do if they are to continue their existence. Public
trust and public will can build or destroy those reputations. It does not
matter if you are a celebrity or a small non-profit, your survival depends
greatly on the Court of Public Opinion. Famed financier Warren Buffet once said
that it can take twenty or more years to build a solid reputation. But it only
takes twenty minutes to destroy it!
Apologies to the public
for any transgression are, therefore, critical. It might be for statements made
by employees or leaders, or it might be for actions or decisions made by
corporate entities. Reading or watching the news these days will identify at
least three per week from around the world.
Celebrity X apologizes
for racist remarks. Company Y apologizes for a decision which led to marketing
unsafe products. Nonprofit group K apologizes for not properly supervising an
employee who has since been charged with crimes against the non-profit’s
clients. We see it in our newspapers weekly.,
But apologies can be
tricky things. The aim is to be transparent and reassure the public that the
individual or organization has learned from its errors and is taking steps to
rectify the situation.
However, too often, many
apologies actually do the reverse. They are what I would call ‘defensive’
apologies, as in “I’m sorry you took offense at...” The message here is, you’re the one with the
problem, not us. You are too sensitive. Our actions were justifiable but we’re
sorry you feel differently. It’s a common response. We see it on a personal
level all the time; an acknowledgement that the other person is upset but the
apologizer is also defending and excusing their actions.
So it is truly refreshing
when I see an apology that is just that: A heartfelt, deeply contrite apology
that clearly indicates the organization acknowledges its failings, apologizes
for the hurts to known victims, sets out a plan for restoration and change in behaviour,
sets out plans for restitution and opens the doors for other unknown victims to
receive help.
One of the best examples
I have seen is the response this week of the Board of Directors of Ravi
Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) after repeated accusations against
the Christian evangelist and apologist that was brought to the Board’s
attention over the past few years by a number of women.
My comments here are not
about the accusations themselves. The Board’s response deals with that.
I just want to commend
the members for dealing with this issue and apologizing in such a profound and
deeply humbling way. I get that it is hard to grapple with such things,
especially when accusations are made against your organization’s leader whom
you admire, support and respect. It is hard to hear negatives. Every fibre in
your being rejects what you are hearing or reading. So when truth emerges, the
realities can be a shock.
It takes real leadership
to acknowledge the harsh realities and especially your own failings in the
process.
I commend that RZIM Board
for its forthright and very humble response.
THAT is an apology!
To read the full apology by the RZIM
Board, click here: https://www.rzim.org/read/rzim-updates/board-statement
