Let's face it; we all screw up from time to time. We are human beings. It's part of what we do. Knowing how to show remorse and make amends is a very important skill to have. It allows the non-believer to get past a perceived slight and, more importantly, the opportunity to reflect on what caused you to upset another person.
Email is a great medium for this. Although it's a little less personal than a face-to-face conversation, you can clearly and directly put your thoughts together and reduce the need to be spontaneous. This makes it ideal for atoning for any sins you have committed.
Asking for forgiveness is an important skill; especially when using email as a professional Email like a pro Email like a pro There are many factors that impact email efficiency – not just writing emails, but setting up inboxes, managing emails, knowing when to check emails and more. Increasing email efficiency means… Read More. How to say sorry, how to say sorry – 8 online gift services to keep you out of the doghouse How to say sad – 8 online gift services to keep you out of the doghouse Contrary to popular belief, I am not a perfect man . I screwed up. I have caused long-term plans to fail. I have been to the dog house once or twice. In situations like this, I've found that… Read more with an email 7 email efficiency tips to get more email done, faster 7 email tips to get more email done, Faster Life is all about communication, and without it, nothing gets done. Email is a communication tool designed to make your life easier. Instead of typing a letter or trying to catch someone out, it's still real.
The opening
When you start writing your apology, you should think about how you address the email address. How you open an apology email to your best friend is completely different from how you open an email to your boss.
For the purposes of this article, we'll imagine that you're a designer working in the creative industry and you haven't done a crucial piece of work in a timely manner. Your boss – let's call him Robert Stephenson – is incredibly angry and is threatening to fire you.
You really can't afford to lose this job, so you write your boss a sincere email. How to tell if someone is lying in email or online? How can I tell if someone is in email or online? Email and online correspondence are great mediums for liars. After all, you don't need to see the person lying to them. Body language doesn't matter, and no one can notice the easy… Read more by letting him know how remorseful you are and how you fix things. Since Robert is a person of authority, you would describe him as "sweet." Designate..
Depending on your relationship with the recipient, it may make sense to use a more informal greeting, e.g. "hey" or "hi". Although only a small part of the email exists, it is absolutely important to get this bit right. This is where you show that you have considered the email audience.
Identify the problem
An apology is worthless if it doesn't identify a problem. Let's face it; you screwed up and you're making amends now. You need to make it unmistakably clear that you know you understand what went wrong without deflecting blame.
I know I missed a deadline, but it's not really my fault because I was working with [colleague] on a project and he was taking up too much time. I've also had computer issues, and IT hasn't looked at my machine yet. It's not really my fault.
The above, while completely factually correct, does not show that you are acknowledging it is your own responsibility. This is much better:
I know I missed a deadline. The project I was working on was important, and I know you put a lot of trust in me by giving me the responsibility to complete it to satisfaction. I understand that not meeting the deadline has caused our project to be delayed and that it reflects poorly on me and our team.
The apology
Here is the real meat of the apology. You must show sincere remorse, and you must avoid deflecting responsibility. Use clear, declarative sentences. Write simply and honestly. Remember, you are trying to express regret.
I want to say how incredibly sorry I am for not fulfilling my obligations and completing my work on time. There is no excuse I could make to justify not fulfilling my obligations.
Fixing things
Depending on the reason you apologize, you may need to make amends. This is an action that will reduce the likelihood of the same mistake happening again. This step is crucial because it shows that you like to move forward and have thought about how to do so.
If it goes further, I will make sure that if there is a risk of missing my deadlines, I either talk to you or put in extra hours outside of office hours. I promise this will never happen again and I will make sure it does not happen again.
Wrap things up
This is where you wrap things up. Use the appropriate tone and register to thank the audience for reading your apology email. You can invite them to discuss the content further and send them your best wishes.
Thank you for reading my email. If you would like to talk about it further, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Warm regards,
[your name]