Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina had some apologizing to do after shouting out “You lie” to President Obama during his healthcare reform speech to the joint session of Congress on Wednesday night. I listened to the speech on the radio, and I couldn’t distinguish what Rep. Wilson said, but I figured it wasn’t nice since a chorus of booing quickly followed. According to the New York Times, Wilson left the building immediately after the speech and released a public statement of apology soon after.

While this is a worst-case scenario for having to make a professional apology, there are fundamental principles on how to go about it. Holly Weeks, for The Harvard Business School, stresses that these types of apologies must be handled with special care since they can make or break a professional relationship.