How do you make an effective apology?

To properly view this site, javascript must be enabled and Flash version 9 or higher must be installed.
Get the latest Flash player
  • Why do children whine?

    In this video, parenting expert Dr.

  • Children Listening - Being Parent Deaf

    In this video Patti Cancellier, Certified Parent Educator and Education Coordinator for the Parent Encouragement Program, offers simple ways parents can encourage their children to listen to them and do what needs to be done, without constantly repeating, reminding or yelling.

  • Children Listening - Authoritative Parenting

    In this video Patti Cancellier, Certified Parent Educator and Education Coordinator for the Parent Encouragement Program, offers simple ways parents can encourage their children to listen to them and do what needs to be done, without constantly repeating, reminding or yelling.

  • How to Get Children to Listen

    In this video Patti Cancellier, Certified Parent Educator and Education Coordinator for the Parent Encouragement Program, offers simple ways parents can encourage their children to listen to them and do what needs to be done, without constantly repeating, reminding or yelling.

  • Understanding Why Children Don't Listen

    In this video Patti Cancellier, Certified Parent Educator and Education Coordinator for the Parent Encouragement Program, offers simple ways parents can encourage their children to listen to them and do what needs to be done, without constantly repeating, reminding or yelling.

  • Children Listening - Making Them Hear You

    In this video Patti Cancellier, Certified Parent Educator and Education Coordinator for the Parent Encouragement Program, offers simple ways parents can encourage their children to listen to them and do what needs to be done, without constantly repeating, reminding or yelling.

  • Children Listening - Being Consistent

    In this video Patti Cancellier, Certified Parent Educator and Education Coordinator for the Parent Encouragement Program, offers simple ways parents can encourage their children to listen to them and do what needs to be done, without constantly repeating, reminding or yelling.

  • Children Listening - Offering Choices

    In this video Patti Cancellier, Certified Parent Educator and Education Coordinator for the Parent Encouragement Program, offers simple ways parents can encourage their children to listen to them and do what needs to be done, without constantly repeating, reminding or yelling.

  • How do preschool-aged children understand death?

    In this video, parenting educator Dr.

  • Dealing with Whining Children as a Parent

    In this video, parenting expert Dr.

<span>An experienced family-law attorney, John Spiegel has devoted his practice exclusively to family mediation since 1996. John is a graduate of Yale Law School and has been active as a mediation trainer and presenter in Maryland and nationally. He served in 2003 and 2004 as President of the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution (MCDR), a statewide ADR practitioners’ organization, and in 2005 – 2008 as President of the Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable, an interdisciplinary professional organization. John has published articles on mediation and law reform issues and has lobbied on behalf of these issues before the Maryland General Assembly. In 2001, he received recognition as a Certified Mediator from MCDR. The father of four children, John views mediation as a continuation of his legal work on behalf of children and families.</span>

How do you make an effective apology?

 

This expert: 76,569 views

This series: 39,479 views

Print

Transcripts

Host: How do you make an effective apology?

John Spiegel: Apologies are such an important part of life, its such a valuable skill and I think not well understood in our society. For example, in business, negotiations in losses and so on, lawyers will tell their clients, Dont apologize, dont acknowledge blame because it could end up costing you a lot of money. So, people dont and in a certain way, our whole society has gotten oriented that way. Yet, there are many situations, many hurts for which only an apology can solve the problem.

I had found that there are three key steps that are necessary for a good apology. The first is that the person making the apology has the unambiguously acknowledge error. They have to be willing to say I did this in such and it was not the thing I should have done, I did not handle that situation well. The second part is that it has to be visible to the person who is hearing the apology that the person making the apology is genuinely troubled by their own behavior. There has to be that sense, that its really heart felt and sincere.

The third part of a good apology is that you have to stick around and see what that person will say in response. For example, they may say once they hear you apologizing, they may let you have it and say, This is how I felt and I can't believe you did that and that is just shameful. Or they maybe upset and if you can stay relaxed and stay present up and not get defensive and not allow yourself to fall back into defending the thing that you said out not to defend, that will make a huge difference.

Other Videos