Managing to Make a Difference

Chapter 10Forgive

What happens when you are on the other side of an apology, in the position to forgive someone who has wronged you in some way? For a manager, the opportunity to forgive most commonly arises when an employee has screwed up. She has done something you, as her manager, perceive to be mistaken, wrong, or otherwise unacceptable. Assume that this mistake is not trivial. It causes a significant problem in the business, and maybe it even hurts you personally. The following example involves possibly the biggest screw-up of Larry's professional career.

Larry Embarrasses His Boss

My boss and mentor at that time was Phil Lombardi, VP of HR for Hyatt Hotels. He gave me the assignment to create a video training program for employees, which he would present at the company's annual general managers meeting. I hired outside experts to write, direct, and produce this video and the accompanying training materials.

When Phil presented the program, the general managers universally hated it. To a person, they stated emphatically that they would not implement this program in their hotels. When I recovered from the shock, at the earliest opportunity, I tendered my resignation to Phil. He told me he had just tendered his resignation to the president. The president did not accept Phil's resignation and Phil did not accept mine. He forgave me, and he never mentioned it again.

Forgiveness does not require you to forget the act or deny that it was wrong. It involves letting go of ...