5 Better Things to Say Instead of

'I'm Sorry' At Work

“Good catch – thanks for picking that up!”
“Appreciate you highlighting that – let me change it.”
“Thanks for flagging – I’ll update it now.”
“That must have been an oversight – thank you for noticing.”
“Thanks for pointing that out – is there anything else I missed?”

The next time you feel compelled to say “I’m sorry” at work, consider whether one of the
following five statements might better capture your true meaning. 

You want to say:

“I’m so sorry I’m late in getting this to you.”
Instead, say:
“Thank you for patience as I finalize this project; I’m excited to hear your
thoughts once I’ve submitted it to you on X date.”

By switching from “I’m sorry” to “thank you,” your show of gratitude gives the other party
something in response for the inconvenience you fear you’ve caused. It also allows you to retain
ownership of the situation while pointing toward a soon-to-be-had solution — which is certainly
preferable to an empty “sorry.”

You want to say:

“I’m sorry to bother you.” 
Instead, say:
“I know how busy you are, but I’d love your feedback on something. Is now a
good time?”

We’re all busy, and it’s good to be mindful of that. But being busy doesn’t mean that speaking to
you isn’t also a related function of this person’s job, and that needing their help is something you
should feel sorry for. Acknowledge the fact you’re asking to use up some of their time without
the apologetic preamble. 
 You want to say:
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t prepared for that presentation.”
Instead, say:
“That didn’t go the direction I’d planned. Here’s how I’ll fix it.”

A cut-to-the-chase solution is always preferable to a drawn out “I really messed that one up”
apology. Starting to see a pattern here?

You want to say:

“I’m sorry, but I disagree.”
Instead, say:
“That’s an interesting perspective. Here’s how I was thinking of it.”

Having a difference in viewpoints isn’t something either party should feel the need to apologize
for. Period. When you use the above language free of “I’m sorry,” you reinforce the idea that
more than one perspective can be valid at a time, and that’s likelier to yield better outcomes. 

You want to say:

“I heard about what happened, and I’m sorry.” 
Instead, say:
“That must have been so hard to navigate. I’m here to help if you need
anything, including by doing X thing.”

If something bad has happened in a colleague’s personal life, try switching from a place of
sympathy (a la “I’m sorry) to a place of empathy when showing your concern. It’ll make for a
more meaningful exchange and strengthen your connection to them.