Apology - The Canary in the Mine of Local Government Organizations

This Sunday New York Times' front-page feature on how doctors are recognizing the value (ethical and financial) of apologizing provides a good opportunity to bring up again what I consider to be one of the most important topics in local government ethics.

I wrote about apology in local government in July 2006, and then in March 2007 followed it up with an entry on the very topic covered in Sunday's Times, showing how it applied equally to government officials.

The lack of true apology from members of a government organization is a dead canary in a mine. An organization without true apologies is one where officials put themselves ahead of the good of the community, where people think in terms of getting away with mistakes and misconduct. Such an organization is closed and without ethical leadership. It is an organization consisting of people who either do not respect the dignity of others, or are too afraid to speak up.

But it also important to learn how to apologize and how to recognize true apologies. If you haven't already read my earlier entries on apology, please take a look at them.