How To Apologize To Your Boss: Tips & Templates
Messed up at work? Use our tips and templates for writing an authentic apology to your supervisor.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake at work, the prospect of apologizing to your boss can feel downright awkward. How do you admit fault without putting yourself in a compromising position? The best way to apologize to your boss professionally is by being sincere and committing to positive change. Here, find our tips and templates for writing an authentic apology to your supervisor.
Why Should You Apologize To Your Boss?
It may not feel intuitive to say you’re sorry after making a mistake at work. Many folks falsely equate apologizing with weakness, and appearing less-than-capable is probably the last impression you want to leave on your boss. But there are plenty of good reasons for owning up with a heartfelt apology.
A heartfelt apology builds trust. Of course, mistakes are bound to happen in the workplace – after all, you’re only human – but the way you handle the outcome makes a big difference. Saying you’re sorry demonstrates that you’re not only aware of the problem, but that you care deeply enough to try to rectify it.
It shows you're willing to take accountability for your mistakes. Your work ethic and skill set are just as important as accepting responsibility when things go wrong. Accountability is a sign of strong character that indicates to your supervisor that you’re reliable, trustworthy, and committed to turning around any questionable actions. That makes you exactly the kind of person they’ll want on their team.
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It can showcase your proactive approach to problem-solving. It’s one thing to be willing to make amends, it’s another to take action. So come up with a few possible solutions and list the steps you’ll take to make good on them when issuing your apology.
An apology preserves your integrity. When you apologize, you show your boss that you aren’t happy with your own behavior and that it won’t happen again. This sort of integrity shows that you own your mistakes, are sincere about making amends, and genuinely care about your boss’s feelings.
When Is An Apology Warranted?
Not every slip-up requires you to make amends. Consider these four factors when deciding if you need to speak up:
If you’ve violated your supervisor’s trust: If you can make amends with your boss after letting them down, do it. This is the vital first step to restoring a relationship that your actions may have impacted.
If your performance falls short: Perhaps you dropped the ball and forgot to schedule an important call or missed the deadline on a big project. Indeed, things happen, and human beings make mistakes. However, these types of errors can impact your co-workers, boss, or the office as a whole. An apology to the affected parties can go a long way in this scenario.
If you’re experiencing interpersonal issues with your boss: You and your boss likely have your own personalities and beliefs that don’t always align. Unfortunately, this can occasionally lead to a heated debate that can escalate and become personal. In these instances, you certainly want to offer an apology.
If there are hurt feelings involved: Even if what you did was unintentional, it’s always in your best interest to say you’re sorry if your actions caused any sort of emotional distress to your boss. Doing so shows that you care about your boss’s well-being outside a work context. Moreover, demonstrating that kind of care can signal to your boss that you are genuinely motivated to rectify the situation.
What Does A Good Apology Include?
There are some essential elements to include in any written apology to your boss. These five components are the bedrock of a meaningful and impactful apology.
Accept Responsibility
When you apologize to your boss, it’s crucial that you don’t blame others. Instead, center your role in the incident in question. For example, sharing that your co-worker forgot to send an email or one of your direct reports provided wrong information is a deflection of responsibility, which defeats the purpose of an apology.
Offer Insight
When you apologize, strike a balance between offering some context without writing a whole novel. While your boss might not want a play-by-play of the situation, generally explaining what happened can help. What made you go about doing this? Where did it go wrong, when did you realize it, and how can you avoid it again? The answers to these questions can help your boss better understand the “why” behind your actions.
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Express Your Regret
Avoid pushing the guilt elsewhere by dodging naturally-arising questions about how a certain scenario could have happened. Instead, express regret that it happened in the first place.
This is where you should consider going beyond a simple “I’m sorry.” Instead, go a step further and say something along the lines of, “I regret that my actions led to a less-than-desirable outcome.” Once shared, you can leave it at that. It’s better to apologize once and say it won’t happen again than to keep begging for forgiveness.
Share How You Plan To Move Forward
If there’s a way for you to fix the problem, share that in your apology. This helps demonstrate to your boss that you’re going to take a proactive role in ensuring this mistake doesn’t happen again. Most importantly, follow up. You’ll create more issues if you offer to take corrective action but don’t actually do so.
Validate Your Boss’s Feelings
You may not discuss feelings with your boss, per se, but it’s best to assume that some feelings got hurt along the way. It’s important to recognize this in your apology. Consider saying something along the lines of, “I know that this was upsetting,” “I’m aware that this has angered you,” or “I realize that I hurt your feelings, and I hope never to do so again.”
Sample Apology Templates
Any apology to your boss should be personalized and tailored to the situation at hand. That being said, you may need a little inspiration to kick-start your apology. The templates listed below can help you shape your apology to the situation at hand.
General Template For A Written Apology
General Template for Written Apology
Dear {formtext: name=first name; cols=8},
I would like to sincerely apologize for {formtext: name= explain mistake that you made; cols=25}. I know that I was supposed to {formtext: name=state your responsibility here ; cols=25}, and that {formtext: name= explain what went wrong ; cols=20}.
This all happened because {formtext: name= provide reason ; cols=15}. Although that’s not an excuse, I’m taking steps to rectify it and make sure it never happens again.
I am genuinely sorry for {formtext: name= the mistake; cols=10} , and I’m going to rectify this error moving forward. I regret that I didn’t {formtext: name=what you should’ve done in place of the mistake ; cols=38} . I hope that what I’m doing to make up for my errors will make up for my mistakes and rebuild your trust in me. Let me know what more I can do, and thank you for reading this apology.
Sincerely, {formtext: name=John; cols=8}
I would like to sincerely apologize for {formtext: name= explain mistake that you made; cols=25}. I know that I was supposed to {formtext: name=state your responsibility here ; cols=25}, and that {formtext: name= explain what went wrong ; cols=20}.
This all happened because {formtext: name= provide reason ; cols=15}. Although that’s not an excuse, I’m taking steps to rectify it and make sure it never happens again.
I am genuinely sorry for {formtext: name= the mistake; cols=10} , and I’m going to rectify this error moving forward. I regret that I didn’t {formtext: name=what you should’ve done in place of the mistake ; cols=38} . I hope that what I’m doing to make up for my errors will make up for my mistakes and rebuild your trust in me. Let me know what more I can do, and thank you for reading this apology.
Sincerely, {formtext: name=John; cols=8}
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Apology For Missing A Deadline Template
General Template for Written Apology
Dear {formtext: name=first name; cols=8},
I would like to sincerely apologize for missing the deadline on {formtext: name= description of responsibility; cols=22}. I know that I was supposed to submit {formtext: name= description of responsibility; cols=22} by{formtext: name= date; cols=8} and that I did not meet our agreed deadline.
This all happened because {formtext: name= I did not plan for enough time for the task; cols=35} . I’m taking steps to plan better for deadlines and make sure it never happens again.
I am [an adjective that expresses remorse, such as “regretful” or “sorry”] that I didn’t complete my responsibilities on time. I hope that my future actions make up for any past errors and rebuild your future trust in me. Let me know what more I can do, and thank you for reading this apology.
Sincerely, {formtext: name=John; cols=8}
I would like to sincerely apologize for missing the deadline on {formtext: name= description of responsibility; cols=22}. I know that I was supposed to submit {formtext: name= description of responsibility; cols=22} by{formtext: name= date; cols=8} and that I did not meet our agreed deadline.
This all happened because {formtext: name= I did not plan for enough time for the task; cols=35} . I’m taking steps to plan better for deadlines and make sure it never happens again.
I am [an adjective that expresses remorse, such as “regretful” or “sorry”] that I didn’t complete my responsibilities on time. I hope that my future actions make up for any past errors and rebuild your future trust in me. Let me know what more I can do, and thank you for reading this apology.
Sincerely, {formtext: name=John; cols=8}
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Apologize Professionally To Your Boss With Text Blaze Templates
Apologizing for your actions isn’t always easy, but it’s how you maintain a good working relationship with your boss. Text Blaze offers easy-to-use, fully customizable templates that help inform what you want to say in these critical communications to make writing any difficult email a little less stressful.
