We are often asked about the difference between Issues Management and Crisis Management.
Rockford Gray’s team of experts see a crisis as an immediate situation: People are hurt. Customers are affected. Work or production has been affected. An issue has the potential to become all of those things, but it isn’t yet.
Crisis Communication: Immediate Response
For example, perhaps employees are talking about a walk-out, but there is room to avert a strike. In construction, the project is set back by an unexpected trench collapse, but no one has been hurt. In the food and beverage industry, you have been notified of traces of Listeria at the plant, but the FDA hasn’t ordered/issued a recall or warning. In government, your director has been called to testify before a committee hearing. It is potentially unnerving but not a crisis.
A crisis demands immediate attention from your communication team.
A crisis management team is the equivalent of Emergency Department doctors. They usually include one or two skilled practitioners to gather facts and provide an immediate response. The overall goal is to triage the situation by anticipating threats.
Issues require a longer-term strategy and management. This is when you need to bring on a team of specialists.
Issues Management: Long-term Management
First, there is the team leader. This person keeps the big picture in mind and keeps the training moving toward an agreed-upon goal. They look out on the horizon to anticipate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. They are proactive and protective. They contemplate strategies and prepare the team for the long road ahead. The team leader brings in those best suited to help develop a communication plan, identify key audiences, synthesize information and craft statements.
The leader will want to bring in team members with deep experience and skills. They know the landscape, identify key audiences and engage surrogates to influence those audiences. They research information, get things moving, navigate the political landscape, tread through legal issues or regulations, and communicate clearly.
Next are the specialists, such as social media strategists who literally have their finger on the pulse of public sentiment and can forecast strategy.
Also, on the team are website developers who can work with social media strategists to modify the client’s digital property, and public relations specialists to spot good stories that haven’t been shared and determine how best to tell them.
Sound issues management is an investment in your reputation. Not only can Issues Management help to avert a crisis, but it can also create opportunities. Difficult times create opportunities for transparency, change and growth.
About the author: Jennifer Miller is a seasoned media trainer and public speaking coach with over 15 years of journalism experience, including seven at CBS News. Known for her disarming style and challenging questions, she reported on major events like the Olympics, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina. Her firsthand understanding of how reporters think makes her an exceptional crisis management counselor. At Rockford Gray, she coaches clients on media, presentation, and crisis response. Jennifer holds a master’s in Organizational Leadership from the University of Denver and a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota. She is certified in crisis communication and DEI in the Workplace and is a sought-after speaker.