A heartfelt apology soothes both sides and undoes the awkwardness or damage of whatever you’re apologizing for. A genuine “I’m sorry,” however, has several components.
Acknowledge
Use the word “I.” Own up to your mistake from the get-go: “I’m so sorry for …” Avoid dumbing down the apology with passive euphemisms such as “mistakes were made” or “things went wrong.” Never try to joke away or otherwise brush off what you’ve done. At the same time, don’t go overboard; phrases like “I’m so terrible” only make everyone feel more awkward.
Whatever you do, don’t try to shift the blame. The exception to this is if you’ve made a heartfelt apology and the situation makes it critical—such as at work—to tell the apology recipient the whole story….