Are you an apologizer? Do you keep saying “I’m sorry” for no reason? Quick, effective fixes from my experience coaching lawyers: (1) Realize that this behavior undermines your credibility and authority. (2) Count the number of times you say “I’m sorry” in one day. Why did you say it? Was it necessary? How did it make you look? What would you do next time? (3) Ask friends to call you on it every time. Have them ask you what you are sorry for. (4) If you tend to respond to people’s comments during stressful situations with an automatic “I’m sorry”, substitute “I see” instead. Both are only fillers. It’s a patch if you can’t quit cold turkey. (5) If you have a colleague who is addicted to “I’m sorry”, tell them to stop apologizing for things that need no apology. Tell them it undermines their credibility. If they never thought of it this way, this feedback can work like a charm. (Note: first ask for and get their permission to give feedback.)
Key to quitting: realize that this behavior undermines your credibility and authority!
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