When everything is 'urgent': how comms teams can prioritise the unprioritisable
Faced with a comms inbox that behaves like an overcrowded runway? Use this four-point checklist to stay calm and in control.
‘Air traffic control’ is a term commonly used in busy communications teams. It’s an analogy for the challenging task of managing multiple (sometimes conflicting) messages, announcements, events and initiatives an organisation wants its stakeholders to know about.
But how do you prioritise competing deadlines when everyone thinks their request is urgent? And how do you make those decisions with enough confidence to build your reputation as a trusted communications professional, rather than simply becoming very good at firefighting?
It’s a pain point I encountered regularly during my comms career, but there is a way to take some of the pressure out of it: sharpen your critical thinking skills and bring a little more rigour to the way you decide what deserves to land first.
A four-point checklist to prioritise with confidence
When a new request arrives in the comms mailbox, ask yourself these four questions:
Strategic alignment – does the request (the message, event, etc.) support the organisation’s priorities? Does it have a sponsor from the leadership team?
Risk – is there a reputational, legal or stakeholder risk if the request isn’t fulfilled now? What happens if it is delayed or not done at all?
Audience size and importance – is it something that will impact the majority of stakeholders or customers or a smaller group? Does the audience include regulators or funders who have a particular interest in it?
Effort vs impact – is it an effective use of the team’s time in relation to its value and risk? Would fulfilling the request jeopardise the delivery of an existing priority that’s already been agreed? Could the individual or team requesting support handle it themselves with guidance from the comms team?
These four criteria can form the basis of your organisation’s communications ‘air traffic control’ system: a consistent way of deciding what takes priority, what can wait and where communications should provide advice rather than delivery.
Share the criteria with colleagues, consistently, and you're not just managing demand; you're building their confidence and capability to judge what truly needs comms support and what they can handle themselves. Ultimately, you're helping the whole organisation fly a little smoother.
