More than two years ago, I wrote the following, in a post entitled The art of the apology:
Sometimes, all someone wants to resolve a problem is an apology. It’s easy to dig your heals in and fight, especially when you are being accused of something as insidious as discrimination. Those fights will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Most times, those fights are necessary. Sometimes, though, a simple apology will suffice to restore the status quo…. The next time you are dealing with a sensitive situation with an employee, before shifting into battle mode stop and ask yourself whether a sincere apology will solve the problem. It may be one of the hardest, and best, decisions you will ever make.
Still need convincing? Watch the following video, and then let me know if you still think there is no value in swallowing your pride and simply saying, “I’m sorry.”