Cambridge Business Association
Everyday Communication Strategies
Book

Everyday Communication Strategies

Manage Common Issues to Prevent a Crisis and Protect Your Brand

Amanda Coleman
Kogan Page, 2022
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It’s inevitable that your organization or businesses will face challenging incidents or issues at some point, says PR and communication expert Amanda Coleman, but fortunately, you can learn to better manage situations that could potentially harm your business or brand. Whether a worker is behaving inappropriately or a product is failing consumers, companies must task their communicators with protecting the organization from developing issues that, if left unchecked, could become crises, she explains. Learn the basics of issues management, gaining the skills and expertise to better manage the increasing uncertainty in today’s business world.

Summary

Prevent issues from damaging your reputation by identifying and managing them early.

Every business faces issues – challenging and negative moments that disrupt the flow of operations. You may be dealing with an issue, if it: is unexpected; has a negative impact on your reputation; affects property and/or people; is witnessed by one or more people; is newsworthy; involves misunderstandings; triggers negative reactions (for example, offense); and/or involves the perception of injustice. Learning better issues management will help boost confidence and trust in your organization, externally and internally. However, improperly handling issues, perhaps by issuing statements that aren’t aligned with your organization’s actions, can result in diminished confidence and trust in your organization. While you may view an issue as a minor problem, consider the “butterfly effect” phenomenon: You never know when a small event will produce a major impact.

Issues can emerge in six primary business areas: product, people, policies, finances, perceptions and environment (which includes issues occurring...

About the Author

Amanda Coleman is a PR and communication professional and the author of the book Crisis Communication Strategies.

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