how one can say “that’s not OK” at work
A reader writes:
Is there a professionally acceptable option to push again when somebody apologizes for inflicting issues at work?
For instance, this morning, my colleague slept by way of a gathering we had scheduled. Since I’m on the west coast (we’re a distant group), this assembly required me to get up at 5 am. She messaged me two hours later saying, “Whoops, I completely spaced on this assembly. Sorry!” My regular response can be to say one thing like, “It’s okay! When can we reschedule?” However … it’s not okay! Not simply because I awakened early, however as a result of I used to be unprepared for my subsequent assembly consequently.
This has occurred in different conditions, with each folks extra senior and extra junior than me, and I by no means know how one can reply when somebody apologizes for one thing that induced actual inconvenience (significantly when that apology appears insincere/like they don’t perceive the hurt achieved). Is there a response aside from “it’s okay!” to an apology?
I reply this query over at Inc. at the moment, the place I’m revisiting letters which were buried within the archives right here from years in the past (and typically updating/increasing my solutions to them). You can learn it right here.