By David Hegg
Remember when you were a child and acted disrespectfully to your Grammy? Remember when you stole that packet of gum from the corner market? Remember when you sassed your mother or got caught lying to your fifth-grade teacher? And do you remember what your parents did in every case? They insisted that you admit your behavior, apologize to those you wronged, and promise never to repeat that behavior. You had to say “sorry” to your Grammy, humbly return the gum to the store manager, apologize to your mother, and admit your duplicity to your teacher.
Why? In civil society, wrongdoing needs to be corrected, and the heart of the wrongdoer must be confronted and cleansed. They need to admit their transgression, apologize for it without excuse, state their intention never to engage in that behavior again, and promise to think and act honorably. In other words, they need to repent!
When met with forgiveness, repentance restores relationships and, more importantly, trust. But it must be a complete admission of guilt, not a minimal, excuse-laden attempt to rationalize some or all of the offense.
There is an old saying: “Don’t cut your leg off an inch at a time!” In business, it........