When do you say "I'm sorry?" For many of us, "I'm sorry" is our meaningless default response when we've inconvenienced a colleague. The better response is to recognize what they did for us, and say "Thank you" instead. Try "Thanks for your flexibility" instead of "I'm sorry I'm late because (insert lame excuse here)." Try "Thank you for your patience" instead of "I'm sorry I missed that deadline (more flimsy excuses here)." A good followup is stating how you'll make sure that specific behavior doesn't happen again. This change in vocabulary does something powerful: it shifts the focus away from you and toward the person who had to accommodate you. Of course, if a situation warrants a genuine apology, saying "I'm sorry" is only the first step toward reconciliation, not the end point. …see more