‘Mistakes were made’ is not an apology, it’s an evasion of responsibility
As the latest scandal to engulf a large organisation rolls on – in this case the Commonwealth Bank of Australia – Tony Jaques, an issues and crisis management expert looks at how (and why) so many business leaders get the apology so wrong.
Facing one of the worst scandals to hit a major financial institution for a long time, Commonwealth Bank CEO Ian Narev admitted “mistakes were made”. It’s no genuine apology, and seems more than somewhat inadequate given the allegation that his bank was used to wash dirty money for criminal gangs and possibly even terrorists.
CommBank CEO Ian Narev
Issuing a non-apology during an issue or crisis can sometimes be more damaging to reputation and recovery than no apology at all, and “mistakes were made” seems to be a current favourite.
For any organisation or individual seriously trying to manage an issue or crisis, this is a pale imitation of a genuine explanation. In fact social commentator Mark Memmot has called it the “king of non-apologies”.
This is not a “mistake” it a culture problem. There has been problem after problem with Comm Bank and that come from its culture which the leader creates. In this case it’s a culture of Greed. Ian Narev should go to prison for this.