Proactive issues management: Prevention is better than cure
So you’ve got issues. There we said it. We all seem to have more issues than we care to admit. But that’s ok it’s not the issues that matter, its how you manage them that does. Pro-active issues management up front means you can generally avoid re-active crisis management further down the track.
Managing an issue proactively calls for a robust approach. We asked our crack team of Government advisors how they would tackle a hypothetical issues management campaign for an organisation seeking to block some of the more onerous conditions contained in a proposed Federal Government policy.
Know the ins and outs, where you’re going, pick a pathway
- Identify the issue early, plan your response. Sometimes it may be tempting to leave it simmer, but generally its best to bite the bullet and get it out of the way.
Take a 360° view, differentiate your position
- Who are the various players around the issue and what is their position
- Seek to differentiate yourself from the noise.
Discredit your opponents argument, articulate your own
- Time for little media messaging jujitsu
- Bust the myths, attack the misrepresentations and misinterpretations
Seek alliances, Mobilise your constituencies
- Look to form alliances and coalitions of interest for your argument
- Mobilise your grassroots constituencies to lobby decision makers and influencers
Neutralize the politics
- Look to create political uncertainty, strong voices on opposing views leads to hesitation
- Balance the equation, provide credible alternative
Reposition, Redress
- At the right point, seek to reposition the debate.
- Realign allies and critics. Forge new common ground
- Redress credibility, image of industry, coalition
Result!
- Not the result you wanted? Go back to step two
