Bring back issues management

Under Pressure 25 October 2022

Bring Back Issues Management

Daily communication or crisis, for many these are the only things that matter. But now more than ever we all need to get better at issues management. Living in chaos and uncertainty means that organisations are more likely to face problems. We all need to be prepared and ready to deal with them and to stop those reputational crises developing.

It is a subject I am passionate about which is why I wrote the book Everyday Communication Strategies that is published next week. I call it my prequel to my first book Crisis Communication Strategies. It addresses all those things that the communicator and business can do to stop problems developing into a full-blown crisis.

Issues management is not something that we just fall into, that we assume everyone can do, and that we ‘have a go’ at. We need to learn, plan and prepare so that we can do it effectively. I hope that the book will encourage people to think about what they currently do, how they can improve and what they need to do to build their own knowledge and experience.

I am grateful to all those who have supported me to write the book including the publishers Kogan Page. If you would like to get a copy of the book there is a 20% discount to readers of this newsletter. Just go to the Kogan Page website and use the discount code AMK20 or find it on Amazon.

Crisis Comms Exercise - DATE

If you were interested in the crisis communication exercise that was announced in the last edition of Under Pressure, the date has been set as 1 December 2022 at 1pm. The two-hour session which Amanda will be leading costs £50 and places are limited. Email amanda@amandacolemancomms.co.uk to secure a place.

When leaders are in chaos what next?

The current state of UK politics can be summed up in one word - chaos. I have had to write and rewrite this section of the newsletter as events have developed over past few days. But it is clear that effective communication is central to any issues, problems and crises. Could this situation have been avoided? I think so.

It starts with the need to listen to the advice of experts and of the public even if you are the Prime Minister. Then you need to be able to clearly explain your plans so that everyone can understand them, and they are relevant to all. It also needs you to be closely monitoring what happens to be ready to address concerns or issues that may arise.

Communicators have an important role to play and can hold a mirror up to organisations so they can really see what others see. I will be watching how things develop from this point under the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Digital Communication and Law Enforcement

The importance of building trust through digital communication channels is the focus of an event organised by the Secure Communities Forum. Amanda will be part of a panel considering the issues and what it means for law enforcement and public sector communicators across the world. You can find out more and register here.

In Brief:

• The United Nations Global Communication section has said that communication is more important than ever due to Covid, climate and conflict in the world. The departments work to tackle misinformation and disinformation was praised by the committee hearing the update but the communication team was urged to consider multilingualism in future communication. Read more here.

• Under Pressure is pleased to see that Kjell Braatas is publishing a new book. His work looking at humanitarian aspects of disasters is incredibly beneficial to communicators. The announcement came in Norwegian but we hope there will be an English version soon. Find out more here (and you may need Google Translate.)

• Researchers from the University of Guelph have found that inconsistencies in crisis communication during Covid-19 led to an erosion of public trust among some Canadians. Read more about the research here.

• Financial Management website has useful advice for bosses concerned about how they will manage a cyber crisis. Read more here.

• And finally, you may have spotted Amanda on Sky News’ The Great Debate on Monday 17 October. She was putting the case for small businesses at the difficult financial time. Find out more here.

Diary Dates:

• Thursday 10 and Friday 11 November - Amanda is running a crisis communication masterclass as part of the Westco Academy. Find out more here.

• Amanda will be running the PRCA webinar on Developing Engaging Content in the Public Sector on 15 November. If you are looking for some inspiration, find out more here.

• On 15 November Amanda will be speaking about crisis communication and major incidents at an online conference. Find out more about the session here