Apology Draft

Draft public apologies and corrections when the brand needs to address a mistake, misstep, or controversy. An apology done right can strengthen trust. An apology done wrong makes everything worse.

Purpose

Every brand will eventually need to apologize. The difference between a trust-building apology and a reputation-damaging one comes down to three things: accountability, specificity, and action. This skill ensures all three are present.

When to Use

• Brand posted something with a factual error
• Brand posted something that offended part of the audience
• Product/service failure affecting customers
• Founder made a statement needing contextualization

Inputs Required

• What happened (full context)
• Who was affected
• Severity assessment
• Founder's willingness to engage

Quick Reference

Procedure

1. Assess severity using the Quick Reference table.
2. For medium+ severity: Gather full context, identify specific harm. Draft involves founder.
3. Draft the apology:
   • Minor: 1-2 sentences acknowledging error + correct info + self-aware note
   • Medium: Acknowledge specific mistake → acknowledge impact → apologize directly → state what you'll do differently
   • Serious: State exactly what happened → full unconditional apology → concrete actions → timeline
4. Avoid apology-killing language:
   • "We're sorry if anyone was offended" (conditional = not an apology)
   • "Mistakes were made" (passive voice = no accountability)
   • "This is not who we are" (if you did it, it is)
5. Founder review required for medium+ severity. Legal review for serious/crisis.
6. Prepare monitoring plan: replies to apology, follow-up if needed.

Output Format

# Apology Draft: [Situation]

## Situation Summary
**What happened:** [Specific description]
**Severity:** [Minor / Medium / Serious / Crisis]
**Who was affected:** [People, groups, customers]

## Draft Apology
**Platform:** [Primary platform]

[Full apology text, formatted exactly as it should appear]

## Language Audit
- [ ] Uses "I'm sorry" or "We apologize" (not conditional "if")
- [ ] Acknowledges specific impact
- [ ] No defensive/explanatory language
- [ ] Includes concrete action, not just words

## Review Gate
**Founder review required:** [Yes / No]
**Legal review recommended:** [Yes / No]
**Deadline for posting:** [Timeframe]

## Post-Apology Monitoring
- Monitor for [N] hours
- Watch for: [Continued criticism / Acceptance / New info]

Done Criteria

The skill is complete when:

1. Severity is accurately assessed
2. Apology includes specific impact acknowledgment
3. No conditional or passive language exists
4. Concrete actions follow the apology
5. Founder and/or legal review gates are set for anything above "minor"

Pitfalls

• Apologizing for things that don't need it (legitimizes bad-faith criticism)
• The non-apology apology (sounds like apology but takes no responsibility)
• Over-apologizing (10 paragraphs for a typo)
• Over-explaining (more words = more chances to make it worse)
• Not following through on promised action

Verification

Strip it down to: "I [did X]. It caused [Y]. I'm sorry. I will [do Z]." If that core is missing, rewrite. Would you accept this apology if directed at you?