Career Is It Too Late Now To (Stop) Saying Sorry? The word "sorry" is now a standard – and regular - inclusion in the vocabulary of most women. Yet, instead of an all-out war on "sorry", here's a framework to question why you employ it and when to use it. By Jamila Rizvi Career The word "sorry" is now a standard – and regular - inclusion in the vocabulary of most women. Yet, instead of an all-out war on "sorry", here's a framework to question why you employ it and when to use it. By Jamila Rizvi Previous article The Classiest Spirits (For When You’re Over Wine) Next article The Career Investment That Paid Off Author Deborah Tannen calls it a conversation ritual. Originally conceived as an expression of sincere and significant repentance, the word “sorry” is now a standard – and regular – inclusion in the vocabulary of most women. Tannen writes that “sorry” has become an “automatic tip of the verbal hat to acknowledge that something regrettable has happened”. In modern language, saying sorry has become less about apologising and more about politeness and likeability. And in western cultures at least, women are significantly more likely to offer up a “sorry” than men.There are two key factors driving women to be more willing, more often, to offer an apology. Firstly, studies have shown women have a lower bar for error. Men have been socialised to have a higher threshold for what kind of error necessitates an apology to their colleagues. By contrast, women are more likely to perceive that they’ve done something worthy of saying sorry for. This is particularly true in workplaces where women are still relative newcomers in the context of history. career Best Of Future Women Diamond Meet the leaders: Erin Vincent By Odessa Blain Diamond Meet the leaders: Malini Raj By Odessa Blain Diamond Meet the leaders: Azmeena Hussain By Odessa Blain Diamond Meet the leaders: Shannan Dodson By Odessa Blain Diamond Meet the leaders: Elly Desmarchelier By Odessa Blain Equity A sneak peek inside the sold-out budget event By Odessa Blain Equity Inside the shared joke between Gallagher and Wong By Odessa Blain Leadership “Let’s lower the bar”: Why this CEO wants women to do a whole lot less By FW Your inbox just got smarter If you’re not a member, sign up to our newsletter to get the best of Future Women in your inbox.
