The Cycle of Issues

It has always been a source of fascination to me that all aspects of life run in cycles. This, of course, includes life itself. Things begin, go through some type of evolutionary process, and then eventually regress and ultimately come to an end. We see this in everything ranging from people and pets to fads and food. Recently, I have been reading about the life cycle of issues. A number of scholars have already written on this topic, but nevertheless I think it is worth revisiting as our nation and our world slide from one year to the next with a range of issues on our collective to-do list. Two scholars, in particular, (Carl Botan and Vincent Hazelton) have done a good job of identifying the life cycles: pre-issue, potential, public, critical and dormant. It is important for communicators to have a good sense of what each of these are so as to be better able to devise specific strategies in which to contend with them.

The pre-issue phase refers to those matters that have not yet appeared on any public's official radar screen but nevertheless are bubbling beneath the surface and are worth making note of. A simple example might occur in winter and involve a person's lawn that will need to be cut when the spring season arrives. A potential issue is basically a pre-issue that is recognized by a public as something that is going to have to be dealt with. Spring is almost here, the weather is growing warmer, and grass is beginning to grow again. Public issues are distinguished by the fact that there is a general acceptance and/or recognition of a particular issue or problem that needs to be addressed. For instance, if there is media coverage of the issue, then there is general public acknowledgement that not only does this issue exist, but it needs to be addressed as well. Issues become critical issues it is time to make a decision or take action on them. Finally, a dormant issue is when it has either been addressed or has simply lost its urgency or is no longer the focus of public attention. But this should not be interpreted as meaning the issue is gone forever. In other words, dormant should not be confused with dead. Think of the character Jason in all the Friday the 13th movies. He is dormant for a while and then reemerges more public and critical as ever.

Given this cycle, then, what is a primary take-away lesson for communicators? For me, at least, it confirms that a communicator's work is never done - much like the need for effective communication. Communication is very much on a 24/7 cycle. It ebbs, flows, dips, peaks and levels off during the course of any cycle. As a result, communicators as strategists must remain ever on the alert to help their clients and organizations successfully navigate the challenges that come with any issue.