Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes involve our work.

Maybe you didn’t meet the deadline, messed up a project, or did something wrong; whatever the reason, it’s necessary to properly apologize if you want to maintain a good working relationship.

So, how do you make an apology letter that will actually make things better?

Here are a few examples, as shared by experts:

At some point in your career, you may find yourself making a mistake in the workplace that could have been avoided. It’s best to address these situations head-on and apologize to your management or boss.

Begin your letter with your sincerest apology

It is best to be as precise and detailed as possible about the incident, showing that you are fully aware that your behavior was unacceptable. 

Take full responsibility for your part in the incident

Be sure to own up to whatever has happened and not make any excuses or place the blame on another person. 

Related: Why Do We Blame Others for Our Failures, Mistakes, and Problems?

Explain how you will improve

Tell your boss that this incident will never happen again and explain to them the specific change you will make to ensure it. 

Invite their opinion and apologize in person

Explain that you are remorseful of your actions and are willing to hear any personal feedback regarding the situation. Additionally, explain that you would like to find a time to speak with them in person to apologize.

Ultimately, mistakes happen, but addressing them with an apology letter is a good way to ensure there is no lingering animosity at your place of work. It will show your commitment to improving and being a better team member of the company.

Apologizing is a tricky business. Sometimes, you know something is amiss but cannot exactly put your finger on it. Or you make a mistake that is called to your attention. Or worse, you are called out in public. Now, you need to apologize, but apologies are really tricky. 

Admitting fault makes us vulnerable. Being embarrassed makes us mad. When we make a mistake at work, the stakes can be even higher, especially if we want to stay employed. 

But the recipe for an effective apology at work is not that different from any other apology when we want to recover a relationship and even rebuild it with more trust and deeper understanding. 

Here are a few things to focus on: 

Be empathetic and honest

There is no point in apologizing if you cannot see from your boss’s point of view that a mistake was made. Get out of your head and into theirs. 

What is the problem with what you said or did? If you are unclear, seek clarification, perhaps from a trusted coworker, friend, or professional coach. Be honest about the role you played in the situation.

Focus on your impact, not your intentions

If you disagree with your boss that what you did was wrong, apologize anyway. Yes, this is true whether you are in a disagreement with a boss or a friend, or a lover. 

Apologize with humility that your impact was out of balance with your intentions. Focus on the fact that your intentions are less important than your impact. The mistake lies in the impact. 

Focus on your impact, not your intentions. Asking questions about your impact and apologizing for your (even if unintended but real) impact will go a long way in healing any relationship. 

Approaching an apology from this perspective will show that you are willing to learn and grow. You will be grounded in humility, which makes staying mad at you more difficult. 

Related: How to Be More Humble

Stand in your dignity

Honesty brings dignity. Always be as honest as possible while still using discretion. Remember, there is nothing inherently wrong with making a mistake. 

“To err is human.” How we deal with our errors is what defines who we are. As you discern what is true about the situation, remember that facts and feelings are different. They both matter, but usually, when teasing out mistakes and apologies, feelings matter first. 

Attend to your feelings before trying to attend to the people’s feelings. If you feel defensive or angry about your boss’s reaction to something you did, take the time to cool down. 

Center yourself. Be clear about what outcome you want. Do you want to reconcile or run? If you want to reconcile, then own your role in the problem. Start with that. 

Finally, apologies should never be transactional. If you apologize, expecting one in return, you will almost always end up feeling disappointed and frustrated. 

While writing an apology is a great first step, you should be ready and willing to have an open conversation about the incident. 

Use the actual words of an apology

You can say, “I apologize,” or “I am sorry.” Or my personal favorite, “I am sorry, I messed up.“ 

Note the phrase, “I am sorry you feel bad“—that is not an apology. Instead, say, “I’m sorry I messed up the interaction with that customer.“

Keep the message clear of “buts” and excuses

To sound professional and speak with integrity, you must keep your message clear and free of the “buts.” So don’t say, “I’m sorry, but I had to take that phone call during the meeting. It was really important.“

Be careful of making excuses

If the person is calm and rational, they will immediately ask you why. If they are emotional, angry, and upset, they are not ready to hear and discuss it now and may not care. But you have left an opening to talk about it later.

Ensure your body language send the same message as your words

Show your regret. As I said, people will complain until they see you get their pain. Some people will not fully accept an apology unless they know you have suffered too. I don’t mean that meanly—just know that pain for pain can make a conflict disappear. 

Take the heat and listen to their pain

This is the most challenging part. After you say you’re sorry, you need to stop and listen to hear the person share their pain and anger.

Related: 50+ Reasons Why Listening Is Important

Take action and repair the damage

To be complete, an apology must correct the injury. If you said something in writing to a client or customer or vendor, or fellow team member, fix it by asking the boss if they would like you to share in person on the phone or email an apology admitting your mistake. 

If the damage isn’t obvious, ask, “What can I do to make it up to you?” There may be nothing concrete you can do, but the offer must be sincere: 

Decide what you can do and tell the person. “The next meeting, I will wait and listen when you speak and not interrupt and criticize my teammate publicly and know I will be more aware going forward.“

Try to avoid the word “try.” The statement, “I’ll try not to be late,” says lame. It will make you sound like a teenager. If you don’t know what to do, if there is nothing concrete for you, or you’re not sure what you thought of is enough, ask, “What can I do to make this up to you?“

Following these steps can soften a hurt, prevent you from carrying a burden of guilt, and can go a long way to living your life in integrity. 

Be specific, so they know you’re taking this seriously

Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes those happen at work. But what happens when that mistake is a material one? Maybe you missed an important deadline or were rude to a customer or colleague. 

You know you were in the wrong, but how do you repair the damage that might be done? One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is one that’s totally in your control—an apology. 

A genuine apology can go a long way, especially when it’s your boss that you need to mend fences with. These conversations aren’t always comfortable but can go a long way in rebuilding your credibility and your relationship with your manager. 

Here are some tips to make sure that it’s effective:

Acknowledge your mistake

First, it’s essential to let your boss know that you understand what went wrong. Acknowledge what happened—don’t try to make excuses or blame someone else. Keep it short and to the point.

Related: How to Write an Email to Your Boss About a Problem

Recognize the impact

Even if you had the best intentions, ultimately, the impact of the mistake is what you’re left to deal with. 

If you can, suggest a remedy

Sometimes, there’s an opportunity to set things right. Maybe it’s reshipping an order, correcting a report, or fixing a schedule. If that’s the case, then offer up a solution and volunteer to do it. 

If that’s not the case, maybe the customer you got upset with has already left, or an order’s been canceled—you should move on.

Learn from it

Your boss must know you understand what went wrong so it won’t happen again. Mention what you’ll do differently in the future to avoid this happening, and be specific so they know you’re taking this seriously.

Since this can be a complicated conversation, writing out what you want to say ahead of time is beneficial. 

Apologizing can be complicated and uncomfortable, but doing it well can go a long way to ensure a mistake doesn’t impact your work or credibility in the long term.

Discuss key factors behind your decision

Acknowledgment is the first step

So you have messed up…now what?

Everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes it is hard to know what to do when you cause an error in the workplace. 

Reflect on the situation from all perspectives

Keeping a formal tone is critical

When writing an apology letter to a supervisor or manager, it’s important to remain professional and succinct. Even if you have a great relationship with them, keeping a more formal tone is critical, as written documentation is often kept on record. 

Before writing your letter, it’s also best to try to have an in-person discussion about what happened, so you both have a chance to process things and feel comfortable moving forward. 

A video or phone call is always a great substitute if you work remotely and an in-person conversation isn’t possible. Mention in your discussion that you’ll follow up with a formal note to close the loop.

State the facts and keep it brief

Begin by apologizing for your actions. Taking responsibility for your mistakes is crucial and showing that you’re genuinely sorry for what you did. Let your boss know that you understand the gravity of the situation and the impact your actions had on the company.

Explain the situation surrounding the incident—no need to go into a long, drawn-out explanation of what happened. Just state the facts and keep it brief.

If there’s anything you can do to rectify the situation, offer it up

This shows that you’re not just sorry for what happened but also willing to take action to prevent it from happening again.

Assure your boss that it won’t happen again. No one wants to work with people making the same mistake repeatedly. So reassure your boss that you’ve learned from your mistake and it won’t happen again.

Lastly, thank your boss for their time. Show appreciation for your boss taking the time to address the issue. This shows that you understand the importance of their role in the company and that you value their time.

Recognize your wrongdoing and understand why it’s questionable

My perspective comes from my experience as someone who has written such letters and an employer who received them.

Being the boss

As a boss, your employees might act out in certain situations, depending on what they have done, but acting with your permission can be a valuable characteristic in an employee. 

The employees who seek approval after the fact, rather than permission, are likely the employees who will do well. 

The lawyer who acts without permission to resolve a case can be more valuable than one who won’t act without permission; the latter could equally lose you a case.

What I seek from the former is a recognition of their wrongdoing and an understanding of why their actions are perceived as questionable. The attorney needs to recognize they are representing a firm, a certain ethical code, and their apology should reflect this to me.

Being the employee

With this in mind, again, depending on what you have done, try not to be so self-deprecating. 

If you haven’t broken any serious rules or violated your contract, if you feel your decision was justified, then you should state your case. However, never undermine your boss or show a lack of respect for the necessary systems and hierarchy in place.

They need to know you are sorry for risking your relationship with them and the company and that you are aware of your duty to represent the company your boss is a major part of. 

Showing you understand your actions could have reflected badly on your boss is likely what they want to understand. Taking care to write the actual letter can show this.

Remember that it’s not just a “get out of jail free” card

Before we dive in, let’s get one thing straight: An apology letter to your boss is not an excuse. It’s not a “get out of jail free” card to be used whenever you feel like you made a mistake. 

In fact, it should be used sparingly and only when you have genuinely messed up at work.

Maybe you made an honest mistake that impacted your team or company in a negative way. Perhaps you let your emotions get the best of you and acted unprofessionally. If you find yourself in such a situation, an apology letter to your boss is necessary. 

It’s not uncommon to send your supervisor an apology letter. As a business owner, I have received many apology letters, some of which are so thoughtfully written that they have really impressed me. 

Employees will inevitably make mistakes of some form, whether it is misconduct or damage to the organization.

Avoid using a template you found online

Apology letters should be personalized and not taken off the web. While some of my staff take their time to compose an elaborate and sincere apology letter, others use the same templates and writing styles.

Keep the letter brief without adding any extraneous information, and be sure to express your regret thoroughly by including some of the feelings that represent your guilt. 

Your apology letter shouldn’t be entirely dismal; it should also include a commitment to your manager that you will work harder and take precautions to avoid making the same mistakes again.

Here is what one of my employees wrote in his apology letter: “I can assure you that I have taken all necessary steps to ensure that the same mistake is not repeated.” 

He added, “It is essential to me that you continue to have full confidence in me and trust in my ability to always honor my commitments.” 

This demonstrated how much my employee respects me and feels the importance of maintaining my trust. Additionally, make sure to avoid being redundant as it may exemplify your apology letter as unprofessional.

Show an acute sense of self-awareness and awareness of the whole situation

Do not just apologize. Show that you understand the trouble you caused and its impact. 

For example, suppose you made an error on a mass email. In that case, you can acknowledge that this may have affected your boss’s reputation and the company. 

Furthermore, you should express what you have learned from the situation and what you plan to do to avoid the same occurrence from happening again. Showing actionable steps, you plan to take will give your boss hope for fixing the situation. 

For instance, describing how you plan to triple-check your emails going forward before sending them will show a newfound sense of urgency and thoroughness in your work. 

If you cannot reveal any practical solutions to improve things, it will be harder for your boss to believe you are sorry. Sorry is not enough. 

You must show an acute sense of self-awareness and awareness of the situation as a whole. When writing your apology letter, take this opportunity to show how much better you will be. 

Use polite and genuine language

Your connection with your supervisor may influence the tone and formality of your apology letter, but no matter how official you write, remember to be kind and sincere. 

Your boss will be more likely to believe what you say if you come across as sincere, restoring their faith in you as an employee.

Respect can heighten the letter’s seriousness and show that you are aware of the gravity and implications of the circumstance. By using the right words, you can make your boss or manager forgive you for what you did and enable the two of you to carry on working together.

As a business professional with 25+ years of experience, I have had my share of experiences where I needed to apologize to my boss. Though this isn’t always a comfortable thing to do, it’s often a necessary step at one’s place of employment. 

Even though apologies are often needed, many still wonder how you write an apology letter to your boss.

Be factual

Though everyone is entitled to their opinions, when it comes to a job, more often than not, it’s the facts that matter. 

Keep your tone factual when writing about what happened without interjecting your feelings about what happened. Your boss can come to you for more details, should they be needed.

Own up to your faults and mistakes

The proverb “To err is human; to forgive, divine” has merit. 

If you made a mistake, as we all do, and this is what you are apologizing for, then take responsibility. And hopefully, forgiving is precisely what your boss will do if you admit to your error.

Apologize sooner rather than later

Don’t wait until the issue has escalated to decide that it’s time to give an apology. Time could be of the essence, and apologizing now instead of waiting could make the difference between your apology being accepted and rejected.

A mistake does not define you. Regardless of what you are apologizing for, a mistake you make or an act you need to apologize for does not define you. 

After all, we are all human, and we all make mistakes. The best thing to do is to learn from our mistakes and apologize when necessary.

It’s not always what you did or said but how you handle a situation that people remember. And when you handle a situation with class and apologize when necessary, even if the apology is to your boss, you will more likely than not be forgiven.

Write your letter of apology as soon as feasible

Avoid delays. If you postpone your apology, it is possible that you may miss some crucial points or look careless. 

The objective is to notice your mistake and promptly fix any difficulties that may develop as a result. If you’re fortunate, just a few coworkers will see your error. 

There may, however, be unexpected effects that your supervisor will need to react to and handle with caution. An apology and an offer of assistance may help you preserve your career.

You want to claim your misstep entirely and assume the fault

Abstain from rationalizing or accusing others. When the peruser sees that you have acknowledged what you have done and are inferable from it completely, they will see you as a genuine person.

When you are relating the episode, you don’t have to retell the whole story—yet simply the part paving the way to it and telling them how your activities hurt them. 

You will likewise get the valuable chance to explain why you did what you did, whether deliberate or accidental. Yet, try not to point fingers.

For example, you are an editor who made a mistake in sending out a well-written draft. You can say, “I’m extremely sorry for my actions, and I’m ready to take full responsibility.” 

Continue with what happened, and state that you’ll fix everything yourself, all you need is a chance.

Frequently Asked Questions