WorkLife: The secrets of a great apology

Worklife with Adam Grant

TED

Management, Worklife Podcast, Worklife With Adam Grant, Work Life Balance, Ted Talks, Podcast About Work Life, Ted Adam Grant, Adam Grant Podcasts, Ted Podcasts, Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist, Business

4.8 • 9.4K Ratings

🗓️ 27 May 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When you mess up, a sincere apology can make all the difference. But making things right takes more than a simple “I’m sorry.” In this episode, Adam takes us from the pre-kindergarten classroom to Formula One’s race track to investigate what it takes to make amends, right wrongs, and repair relationships.

Guests: pre-K teacher Kath Konecky; management professor Beth Polin; Formula One executive Mark Gallagher.

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Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest:

Kath Konecky (Website: ps321.org/our-school/staff/)

Beth Polin (Website: eku.edu/personnel/dr-beth-polin/)

Mark Gallagher (Website: mark-gallagher.com/)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, TED Podcast listeners. It's Elise Hugh here from TED Talks Daily. Thanks for making our
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0:10.8	even better. We put together a quick survey and we'd love to hear from you. It only takes a few
0:16.9	minutes but it helps us shape our shows and get to know you, our listeners, way better.
0:22.2	Head to the episode description to find the link. Thank you again for listening and for taking
0:27.1	the time to help our shows.
0:32.1	Hi, I'm Delvin, colleague at As a Hayes. And there are a few things that are always on my family's
0:37.2	shopping list. Luckily, loads of them are that are always on my family's shopping list.
0:37.9	Luckily, loads of them are now on rollback. That's right, Delwyn. We're rolling back a 900-mill
0:42.4	carton of Tropicana orange juice from £3.7 to £2.36. And a 48 pack of personal non-bio washing
0:49.3	capsules from £10.98 to £8. Now that's good honest value.
0:55.4	That's ASDA price.
0:57.5	Selected stores subject to availability.
0:59.0	Tropicana ends 23rd July.
1:00.7	May exclude ASDA Express and small stores.
1:02.2	See ASDA.com slash small stores.
1:03.9	Breaking up is never easy.
1:06.6	But saying goodbye to your old clunky work tools,
1:08.1	well, that's easy.
1:09.4	Just repeat after me.
1:10.8	It's not me. It's not me.
1:12.5	It's definitely you.
	...

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