Sorry not sorry

Who remembers the song 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word' by Elton John? I may be showing my age a little, but I think the song is timeless - especially for a romantic like me!

Yet for women, sorry seems all too easy to say.

How many times have you started a conversation saying 'Sorry to bother you' or spoken up in a meeting with 'sorry, can you repeat that'? In reality, you've done nothing you need to apologise for.

Have you noticed that men are far less likely to apologise?

Why is this?

Girls are often raised to value empathy over strength (which is seen as a more masculine trait). We worry about causing offence or hurting someone's feelings, so we cushion our actions with an apology.

What's wrong with apologising anyway?

Over time over using sorry can sap your confidence and can lessen the power of the words when you've actually made a mistake

What can you do instead?

Try saying 'thank you' in place of sorry.

• Thank you for waiting.
• Thanks for pointing that out (if you've made an error). I'll get that fixed up now.

Simply and kindly speak your mind when there is a pause.

• Is now a good time for a question?
• I missed that, would you please repeat that last part?

What about you. Do you find you use sorry too often? Have you tried to change your language? Share some of the successes you have had in the comments below.