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As the year draws to a close, it is timely to step back and assess how ready your organisation is to respond to an issue.
As we have seen in recent times – particularly in the cyber-security space with vulnerabilities in infrastructure and technical failures leading to shutdowns, cyber-attacks and ransoms –organisations large and small need to be clear about how they will respond and communicate if an issue escalates into a crisis.
It’s a big call but hear this. Most crises would never happen if organisations took time out to invest in issues management planning. Whilst it doesn’t supersede your risk management process – specifically your crisis management plan or disaster and emergency management plans – issues management planning does establish a foundation which can potentially anticipate or block an issue or crisis developing.
It also empowers an organisation with tools and processes to better manage relationships with stakeholders in the lead up to, and during an issue.
Key benefits of issues management planning:
1. Empowers an organisation to recognise a potential issue before it becomes an issue or crisis.
Developing robust ‘early warning systems’ that can help identify issues and equip you with the information you need for critical decision making.
This may include investing in regular media monitoring and analysis with both traditional and social media. Tapping into cultural deficiencies within your organisation which may be leading to business process breakdowns that are impacting customers or stakeholders. Tracking industry issues and scanning for trends which are affecting your business.
2. Clarifies the day-to-day triggers that can turn an issue into a crisis.
For an issue or incident to become a crisis, a trigger must be reached. Clearly mapping out potential issues and illustrating the triggers and thresholds that can turn each issue into a crisis is invaluable preemptive work.
3. Helps assess and map out risks.
Evaluating the likelihood that potential issues may turn into crises and how damaging they may be; rating those risks on a scale of least to most likely and impactful; and prioritising the risks that fall within the high end of that scale.
4. Clarifies what steps need to be taken if faced with an escalating issue.
Developing a clear issue management documentation process and media response protocol for executive and management teams, including defining roles and responsibilities, media engagement guidelines, and communications and stakeholder checklists.
So, what’s it going to be in 2023?
Daymark is ready to respond and provide immediate support to any business faced with a crisis. We can assist with communicating to key stakeholders through multiple platforms; brief, train and support media spokespeople; and even set up a crisis room if required.
We would prefer however to be conducting an issues management planning workshop and offer your organisation peace of mind that it is well prepared to respond to an issue publicly, and in a timely and appropriate manner. Or better still, prevent an issue or crisis arising entirely.
