They occur in every organization, large and small: issues. An issue arises when there are disagreements about the interpretation of facts and events. Since everyone has their own opinion, it is inevitable that issues will also arise in your organizations. Whether they are internal issues or external issues, everyone has experienced it at some point in their career. But how do you actually recognize these issues? And what can you do to limit the damage and prevent the issue from developing into a crisis? We will try to make this clear in this blog using a number of examples.

The origins of issue management

Attention to issue management has increased enormously in recent years. And that is not entirely illogical, because pressure on organizations is increasing enormously, both internally and from society. Stakeholders, whether employees and customers or society as a whole, are putting increasing pressure on the reputation of companies. The advent of social media has further reinforced this. Where previously internal issues could really remain internal, nowadays they often come to the surface. A short video was sent on Instagram. This became clear once again when PSG defender Aurier decided to tackle his trainer and teammates in one go movie on social media. The boundary between internal and external issues fades.

The importance of issue management is therefore increasing for many organizations. It is striking that the rise of issue management has another, in our view positive, development. It stimulates the emergence of companies that do not just want to respond to issues, but take a proactive role. That of an opinion leader or thought leader. They themselves already shape the discussion surrounding possible social or internal issues. This trend is especially visible in finance. Banks have been under pressure for years. More and more of these institutions are starting to proactively inform the public about topics that were previously 'not done' to discuss. Such as interest rate averaging, penalty-free repayment and all such topics.

Difference between an issue and a crisis

For many people, an issue equals a crisis. In short, it only requires one central plan. The so-called crisis management plan. Of course there are many similarities, but the biggest difference is momentum. An issue arises in every organization, you cannot ignore it. But your issue management, and the possible proactive approach you take, determines whether the issue can/will develop into a crisis. Moreover, a crisis is always negative, while an issue can also have a very positive outcome for your company. Where there are differences of opinion and issues can arise, there is by definition also an opportunity to improve the company's strategy.

Sometimes the difference is easy to explain. For example, in the case of the BP oil crisis a few years ago. Partly due to poor issue management, this grew into an international crisis. On a smaller scale, Nestle is a good example, that hair social media community actively accused the organization of attacking the palm oil issue, after which the issue quickly escalated. However, in some cases the boundary between a major issue and a real crisis is difficult to define and is also experienced differently by different parties. Examples are the noise pollution at Schiphol. A major and important issue, or a real crisis. And what about the theft and subsequent leakage of oil in the Niger Delta. Issue or crisis? To date, Shell has managed to prevent a full-blown crisis here through active issue management, but many may see it as a crisis.

What steps can you take?

Signaling and scenario planning

You can often identify it before an issue arises. Something happens within your organization, or the social situation changes. By taking possible issues into account in advance when formulating your corporate strategy by drawing up a scenario planning, you enable your organization to act proactively.

To set priorities

There are probably dozens of important issues within your company. However, they cannot all be addressed and communicated at the same time. In other words, you will have to set priorities.

To communicate

Now that you know what the possible issues will be and which of them have priority, you can go to communicate with your stakeholders. You also decide here whether you want to do this in advance, or only when it starts playing. More and more companies are deciding to report upcoming issues in advance. For example, maintenance of systems that temporarily prevent customers from logging in, or something similar. Especially in the case of social themes, communicating in advance can be very powerful. The Black Pete discussion in the Netherlands is a good example. More and more municipalities are reporting their vision well before the party starts. In this way they create the freedom and time to manage the issue properly.

Consolidate

With the right proactive and reactive approach to the issue, and the right communication, the issue can be consolidated. Of course, this will not always work, sometimes an issue is simply too big and by definition it becomes a crisis (BP oil disaster). In this phase, against your feelings, it may be smart not to respond or communicate. A good example of this was Wakker Dier's Facebook attack on Albert Heijn. Wakker Dier decided to post a comment under every Facebook post from Albert Heijn. Albert Heijn decided to leave it as it was, posted a general response, and the issue quickly disappeared.