Restitution
When it’s possible, a thoughtful expression of restitution demonstrates a heightened level of contrition on the part of the individual or organization.
Paying heed to this advice would have saved Martha Stewart considerable anguish.
“It was a serious lapse in judgment that allowed me to profit unfairly from a stock transaction using information not generally available to the investing public. I made a mistake and I apologize. I have no one to blame but myself and I accept full responsibility. To demonstrate my contrition, I am donating all profit from that transaction to the American Cancer Society.”
Instead, Martha Stewart chose words of denial and defiance. Had she embraced a strategy of apology, her reputation would be intact and she would not be facing criminal sanctions.
Of course, apology isn’t a panacea. Former Enron chairman Kenneth L. Lay can't simply pull up a seat beside Oprah, offer up a confession, and make investors, regulators, and prosecutors suddenly forget the criminality. But in many situations, in which essentially law-abiding companies have made out-of-character blunders, apology has great underutilized potential to help win public forgiveness.