Dear Reader,
Once you’ve identified an issue, the next step is to assess its potential impact and determine how to prioritise your response.
Not all issues are created equal, so it’s important to evaluate each one on its own merits.
Here’s how to assess and prioritise issues:
- Monitor the Issue: Stay on top of developments by gathering more data from both internal and external sources.
- Assess the Scope: What is the potential reach of the issue? Will it affect a small group or a large audience?
- Evaluate the Urgency: How time-sensitive is the issue? Can it wait for a day, or do you need to act immediately?
- Understand the Stakeholder Impact: Which stakeholders are most affected by the issue? How will it impact your relationship with them?
- Consider Reputation Risk: Will this issue harm your organisation’s reputation? What are the long-term consequences?
Prioritisation Matrix:
- High Impact & Urgent: Address immediately
- High Impact & Low Urgency: Plan a strategy and monitor
- Low Impact & Urgent: Handle with quick, tactical response
- Low Impact & Low Urgency: Monitor for changes
In our next email, we’ll discuss how to develop a response strategy that aligns with your overall communication objectives.
If you’d like templates or additional resources, reach out to us at academy@gocommunicators.com.
For more reading from this email series:
Email 1 – Understand the Basics: What is Issues Management?
Email 2 – How to Spot an Issue Before It Becomes a Crisis
Email 3 – Assessing Impact: How to Prioritise Issues in Real-Time
Email 4 – Crafting a Response: How to Handle an Issue with Precision
Email 5 – Evaluate and Evolve (Your Issues Management Process) for Future Success