弥补过失可能更加困难，因为这需要你低声下气，忍辱含垢。例如，你可以询问上司，如果你去见一下当时出席会议的高层，向他解释一下数字上出现混乱的原因，是否会有帮助。这样一来，“你的上司在他的上司眼中便不会显得如此愚蠢。如果他提出其他弥补损失的主意，也要甘心接受，”布鲁姆说道。

    第四步：如果你的上司想要发泄，只要听着即可。不论他说什么或用什么方式说，不要打断他或试图为自己的行为辩护。给对方机会告诉你，你造成的麻烦有多严重，以及他有多生气（伤心或失望），通常是道歉中“最困难的部分，但如果不这么做，对方就不会感觉到自己的情绪有人倾听。”

    然后，做一下深呼吸，因为你面对的是一位只要他愿意，就可以你解雇或降职的上司，所以要继续第五个步骤：“感谢您又给了我一次机会。”

    第六个步骤非常简单：永远不要做同样的事情。布鲁姆说道：“最后被解雇的那些人，都是因为没有从错误中汲取教训。”

    你没有说正常情况下，与上司的关系是否密切，但如果是这样的话，还要再提醒你一句。布鲁姆说道：“在许多公司中，等级逐渐变成了无形的存在，所有人似乎都或多或少实现了平等。但即便在学院气息浓厚的文化中，尽管同事之间友好随和，但在向地位高于你的人道歉时，也不能太过随意。只要你犯了错，等级便会立刻显露出其本来的面目。你必须尊重等级的存在。”

    同样，她说道：“道歉的时候不要开玩笑。幽默对于舒缓紧张很有帮助，但这会让对方很难判断你的歉意是否真诚。”

    当然，不要因此自责不已。布鲁姆说道，人无完人，“每个人都曾经历过道歉，只是没有人愿意说出来而已，”CEO有时也难免。只要你向对方表达了自己的后悔，便应该把此事抛在脑后，继续前行。运气好的话，你的上司也会这么做的。事情终会过去。

    反馈：你是否曾不得不向上司或同事道歉，或曾接受过别人的道歉？最后结果如何？欢迎评论。（财富中文网）

    译者：刘进龙/汪皓

    Making amends may be tougher and require that you swallow a few bites of humble pie. You might, for example, ask your boss whether it would help if you met with the senior manager who was at the meeting to explain the mix-up with the numbers, so “your boss doesn’t seem so clueless to his boss,” says Bloom. “Be open to any other idea he might have for repairing the damage.”

    The fourth step: If your boss wants to vent, just listen. No matter what he says or how he says it, don’t interrupt or try to defend your actions. Giving the other party a chance to tell you how badly you screwed up, and how angry (or hurt, or disappointed) they are “is often the hardest part” of any apology, “but the person you’ve wronged won’t feel they’ve been heard unless you do it,” Bloom says.

    Then, take a deep breath and, since this is someone who could probably fire or demote you if he wanted to, move on to Step Five: “Thank him for giving you another chance.”

    The sixth and last step is pretty simple: Don’t ever do the same thing again. Says Bloom, “The people who end up with pink slips are those who don’t learn from their mistakes.”

    You don’t say whether you normally have a chummy rapport with your boss but if so, a word of caution. “In lots of organizations, the hierarchy is invisible day to day, so everyone seems to be more or less equal,” says Bloom. “But even in a very collegial culture, where coworkers are friendly and casual, never apologize too casually to someone who outranks you. As soon as you’re in the wrong, the hierarchy snaps back into place. Respect it.”

    Likewise, she adds, “Never make a joke as part of an apology. Humor is great for relieving tension, but it makes it hard for people to tell how sincere you really are.”

    And, hey, try not to beat yourself up. Nobody’s perfect, and “everybody has an apology story, if they’re willing to tell it,” Bloom notes—including the occasional CEO. Once you’ve expressed your regret, put it behind you and move on. With any luck, your boss will, too. Eventually.

    Talkback:Have you ever had to apologize to a boss or coworker, or vice versa? How did it turn out? Leave a comment below.