Apology
The Extraordinary Gift of Apology
This month we explore the power of apology not only to mend a broken communication but to create a deeper relationship. An apology as a “value-added” phenomenon. We might think of apologizing as the right thing to do to get us back to ground zero with that relationship. However, a well-formed and authentic “I am sorry” can move a tepid relationship miles forward. It can make a friend of an acquaintance and it can lift a stranger’s day. It would be good to collect experiences of apologizing or receiving an apology. Please send me your stories. I would love to hear from you. Reader comments will appear in future newsletters and contribute to everyone.
Sincerely,
Eileen L Epperson
“The Extraordinary Gift of Apology”
Teaching Youth to Make Apologies Using Restorative Justice Principles
Making effective apologies is a necessary skill. Yet few of us know how to do it and most of us fail to teach our children how to do it. Many of us think we can simply say, “I’m sorry,” or “Please forgive me,” and that is a sufficient apology. But often we need to do more. Restorative justice principles provide ideal questions to ask others and ourselves when we need to make an apology.
Integrating spirituality and law--Letter to the Editor, NC Lawyers Weekly
Published March 2, 2009.
Integrating Spirituality and the Practice of Law
Dear Lawyers Weekly,
The Power of Apology
When we were children, we often heard our parents say something to the effect of “Just tell me the truth and I won’t be angry.” And as parents ourselves, how many times have we said something similar to our own children?
Bond University posts Dispute Resolution Newsletter
Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (http://www.bond.edu.au) has posted their most recent newsletter at
http://tinyurl.com/dnb48p
There is a particularly interesting article by John Potter. "This article discusses implementation of TLC Vision Corporation's patient advocacy program for patients that suffered negative effects from refractive surgery."
Should you advise your clients to apologize when they make a mistake?
A lawyer friend, Sharif, spent Thanksgiving Day of 2004 in the hospital. He went there for emergency surgery to remove his appendix. A few hours after the surgery, Sharif found himself in a pool of blood. Nurses tried to be super-professional in the midst of the emergency but Sharif said he could tell they were in a panic and he thought he was going to die. The quick diagnosis was internal bleeding (although Sharif said it looked very external to him!) He was taken back into surgery and the two little holes from the laparoscopic surgery became a five inch incision.