Recently, I attended a ‘question-storming’ meeting for one of our healthcare clients. Our aim was to create a flow of questions that would unlock the insights and opportunities for enhancing a specific aspect of the client’s reputation. The circumstances were urgent and included some uncertainty. We weren’t dealing with a crisis.
Seems straightforward, right?
The truth is there is an art to forming and asking questions—some potentially difficult or uncomfortable — in a logical fashion so we can reveal critical information, unearth the ‘skeletons,’ find the a-ha, and raise issues that may be overlooked or neglected. The answers would help us, ‘make happen what otherwise would not,’ as Sumantra Ghoshal, scholar and professor of strategic and international management at the London School of Economics, once said.
Here are five tiers of questions, with each opening up a different area of inquiry. When you’ve gotten answers in all five tiers, you should have a comprehensive picture on which to find and base a reputation plan.
Tier 1: End Game Alignment
I like to begin with a clear articulation and agreement of where we’re going. What does success look like? I refer to this as the end game. A discussion of the end game can yield a few surprises; it’s not unusual to find internal stakeholders have different visions of what they consider to be successful. As ‘reputation’ can sometimes have different meanings to different people, this tier needs alignment from the start. Discussion here could include:
- What is our definition of success — goals and objectives.
- Who are our primary/secondary target stakeholders (internal, external)?
- Where are the areas/issues where we can make a difference?
- Who do stakeholders need to hear from?
- How we measure our progress?
Tier 2: Foundational: What DO you know; What DON’T you know?
Here are a few starter questions for this investigative tier. RE: What you DO know:
- What do we stand for? Have we communicated this? What actions have we taken (e,g, sponsorships, thought leadership)?
- What about our primary competitors? What do they stand for? Are they trusted by stakeholders we share?
- What are the facts of the current situation? Do we have a history here (positive or negative)? How has it impacted our stakeholders?
- What do stakeholders need to think/feel about us right now?
- Which comms platforms and sources are used and trusted by our stakeholders?
What WE don’t know
- Do we know our stakeholders as well as we should? Are there gaps?
- Do we know how stakeholders perceive us? Are our messages reaching them? Resonating?
- Do we know stakeholders’ pain points now?
- Where can we make a difference? Capture share of voice, hearts and minds.
Tier 3: What if?
This tier is designed to spark creativity and reveal worst case scenarios. The aim is to ask the speculative questions. Discussion will range from the fun (what if we sponsored something completely wild and unexpected like….X), to the uncomfortable (what if we take – or don’t take – action A and as a result B happens?). Ultimately you want to look at all angles (including worst case), jump-start creative problem solving, think out-of-the-box, consider company assets that can be brought to the table (CEO, leadership, employees) without typical limitations (e.g. budget) or assumptions.
Tier 4: What now?
This tier is designed to define the strategy and tactics that bring it to life. Strategic considerations include:
- Should we be looking for a ripple effect from the inside-out? Or outside in?
- Should our aim be to create an above-brand ‘halo’ ?
- Can our strategy be simply articulated and supported with data/analytics?
- Have we created a cadence of activity and results that will support an upward trajectory over time? Is it sustainable?
Tier 5: So what?
This is the ‘testing’ tier – the time where you look at the strategy/tactics in Tier 4 you have all fallen in love with and ask yourselves the hard questions:
- What will this plan achieve?
- Does this plan ladder up to our communications goals? Our business objectives?
- Have we bridged the gap between desired outcomes (the agreed endgame) and the results we believe our plan will achieve?
- Have we left anything on the table?
Ideally, a logical flow questions will release teams from the assumptions that can blind them to new approaches. It will reveal opportunities and solutions that hadn’t before been considered, and ultimately lead to an evidence-based, measurable plan on which to progress reputation work – or any communications challenge– with confidence.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
Sandra Stahl has created and led communications solutions for many of the world’s leading pharma, biotech, diagnostic, device and consumer healthcare brands over a 30+ year career. Her skills as a strategist and developer of compelling narratives have enabled organizational-and market- readiness, powered investment, enhanced profiles, amplified landmark data, built reputations and influenced opinion. She is a recognized thought leader regularly published in industry, national and international media, and author of the award-winning book, The Art & Craft of PR (LID 2018). Additionally, Sandra is founding faculty in the PR track in the Branding + Integrated Communications master’s degree program at The City College of New York, now in its 10th year, has delivered lectures at university communications programs around the world including Columbia University in New York and Xavier Institute of Communications in Mumbai, India.
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