97

CHAPTER 6restitution

Restitution, the fourth dimension of effective apology, is the practical attempt to restore the relationship to what it was before you broke it. Effective apology is more than just words. For serious breaches, the offender must demonstrate a concrete expression of contrition. In other words, it must have some element of action. That element is restitution.

Restitution should be a critical part of every apology. Without restitution, it becomes more difficult for offended parties to accept an apology, however well crafted. How could they? The relationship remains unbalanced. The offender continues to benefit to the disadvantage of the victim. It is no wonder that victims and judges alike pay careful attention to what an ...

Get Effective Apology now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.