Just Not Sorry App Alerts Women to Stop Saying Sorry At Work

A language screening app called, “Just Not Sorry ,” is now available on Google Chrome for download. As of today, the volume of download indicates that more than 25k are using the app. Since it was launched in Dec. 28, by a software development consultancy firm called Cyrus Innovations led by Tami Reiss, a number of pros and cons have been raised regarding its efficiency, as well as suggestions on what can be added to the current self-sabotaging terminologies that women are prone to use at work, particularly in e-mail correspondence.

Reiss relays how her team came up with the idea of having this kind of app through a post on Medium. She highlighted a discussion that transpired at a luncheon meeting with her women colleagues.  She observes that all of them “soften their speech” when situations calling for directness and leadership require otherwise. She adds that women become prey to a cultural communication pattern that undermines women’s idea. Even when women occupy positions that speak their worth, still confidence is far from what is normally conveyed.

To make the world be more conscious of this, the “Just Not Sorry” app was made available. If ever a supporter of the app enables this Chrome extension, trigger words such as us "just," "actually," "sorry," "apologize," "I think," "I'm no expert," are highlighted in red as if they are typos. Words like these are considered to weaken one’s authority. This accentuates the significance of language when it comes to mood control. Women, in general (and as can be confirmed by one’s daily observation of interactions that transpire in any setting),   use more indirect, self-negating words and self-effacing phrases when speaking as well as in writing that can lead others to misinterpret them.

Earlier reports indicated almost 200% of the indicated figure who already downloaded the app. What could this indicate? Does it really help to have it added in on your Chrome extensions’ list?

There are varied views on this. Some says that it did help them, others say it doesn’t help much.

Those who have been using the app say that they start to notice when they use the undermining words while texting and talking, notes Reiss. According to her, the early app adaptors found people that have started using it get a lot more mindful of the words that they use.

The world might brush this aside. Most might not even notice. We may even think that it is just the way things are.

Barbara Ellen has a very interesting take on this. She notes that there are women who carry the people-pleasing gene up to the point that it harms them instead. She reminds us “that women can also be superb, hyper-intuitive people-readers and managers – fielding skills and qualities that burn bright in the workplace.” Thus, she concludes that we can just let the quality of our work do the talking. We need to show ownership. I agree. There is no apology necessary.