When We're Late, I'm Sorry for Not Responding.

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

CNN's Jarrett Bellini talks to Amy B. about being concise in your emails and questions. She says she doesn't start an email with sorry for not responding sooner, because it stops a conversation cold. Instead of saying I'm sorry for the delay or whatever, he suggests apologizing for replying "a little bit late" The pair also talk about how they use their time more effectively when working together.

Lots of us have heard the advice that we should stop apologizing so much, especially at work. But do women really say “sorry” too often? And will it actually help our careers if we stop? We turn to two experts for insight.

Karina Schumann, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, summarizes the findings from her study “Why Women Apologize More Than Men.” Then we talk with Sally Helgesen, an executive coach and a coauthor of the book How Women Rise. She explains that saying “sorry” is only one form of the minimizing language women use at the office and shares advice on how to break the habit.

Our HBR reading list:

“Why Women Apologize More Than Men: Gender Differences in Thresholds for Perceiving Offensive Behavior,” by Karina Schumann and Michael Rosee

“The Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why,” by Deborah Tannen

How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job, by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.