Learn to apologize for fun and profit

Sometimes I have mental mash-ups where disparate ideas merge in my head. My latest mash-up combined a Fortune magazine article with a conversation I had with a friend, Hal, who has been working with a life coach to identify what he loves to do that can also earn an income. The Fortune article correlated the likelihood of apologizing with salary. It quoted a study that said "a person's willingness to apologize was an almost perfect predictor of their place on the income ladder" and extrapolated that apologizing "now and then is an indicator of strong people skills, essential for moving up in almost any organization." My idea was to teach people apologizing through-you guessed it-e-learning.

I imagined the course. I would use video to depict scenarios in which problems occur and an apology is offered. Since the study showed that the highest earners apologized more regardless of whether they believed they were at fault or not, the videos would have to include a wide variety of situations. Students could decide whether the apology was delivered effectively for the situation. And to encourage reflection, students could be further asked what they would do in the same situation. Then there would be additional scenarios and a coach would discuss student responses, offering feedback by phone or email. Students would be asked to try out their skills in real-life situations and report back to their coach.

I don't know what the course would cost to develop, although producing video and providing coaching can be expensive. But the cost might be insignificant compared to the resulting earnings, not to mention family harmony.

An online pearl merchant commissioned this study because it noticed that "a growing number of customers, when asked the reason for their pearl purchases, replied that the baubles were given as an apology, usually to a wife or girlfriend." I might contact the merchant to see if they want to sponsor this course. Either that or the AMA, the American Management Association, since this could aid in better leadership and workplace skills, or perhaps the other AMA, the American Medical Association, since there has been a lot of interest in the role of apology in reducing medical malpractice.

Here we are quickly approaching New Year's Eve, a time when so many make resolutions. I'll bet "I'll lose weight" (how many calories can I save by giving up Caramel Frappuccinos?) surpasses "I'll earn more money" at the top of the list. What about resolving to take a course to learn to say "I'm sorry"?