In deciding to make a public statement about his use of human growth hormone, New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte did the right thing — and the hard thing. Given his apparently more forthright approach to dealing with his situation than that of friend and teammate Roger Clemens, Pettitte went into his apology with a well-deserved halo effect. But by the end of his statement and interview, his halo had slipped off and rolled away. In fact, to call his statement an apology is to mischaracterize it. It was a self-protective string of explaining, backpatting, and minimizing — with a small, wan apology tucked in. Pettitte’s is an approach we can learn much from, however, in what not to do.
Lessons from Andy Pettitte: How Not To Apologize
In deciding to make a public statement about his use of human growth hormone, New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte did the right thing — and the hard thing. Given his apparently more forthright approach to dealing with his situation than that of friend and teammate Roger Clemens, Pettitte went into his apology with a […]
February 21, 2008
New!
HBR Learning
Writing Skills Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Writing Skills. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Capture your audience's attention with smarter emails, Slacks, memos, and reports.
Learn More & See All Courses
New!
HBR Learning
Writing Skills Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Writing Skills. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Capture your audience's attention with smarter emails, Slacks, memos, and reports.