Some people apologize when they've done something wrong- this is good.

Others apologize all of the time. You can spot them when they say things like,

Sorry to bother you...
Sorry to interrupt...
I'm sorry did I get you at a bad time...
Sorry to call you...

This latter group, those who practice "the apology reflex", have a problem on their hands. They are either not convinced of their own value or feel guilty for achieving success. I've worked with folks like this and not surprisingly, they rarely get promoted.

On the other end of the spectrum are those who never apologize- they don't get promoted either.

So what should you do to minimize the number of times that you apologize? One simple tactic can help you with this: inventory your language. Do you find yourself apologizing often for simple, innocent things? When you recognize this trait, take a breath and hold it in. Chin up, just do what you were going to do but this time, without an apology.

You've got this!