Bite Size Comms

The world is forever changing. The markets or sectors that we work in are constantly evolving. Some organisations continue to do what they do, well past the need for that product or service. Think of Kodak and celluloid film, Blockbuster and rented video cassettes, and now Costa Coffee with their same old beverage offering (the company is being sold at a massive discount, should anyone want to buy the brand).

Organisations need to improve their environmental scanning and sensemaking capabilities by analysing the external and internal environments in which they operate and using the intelligence to inform strategic decisions and innovate. Public relations practitioners are in an excellent position to provide that intelligence. Most practitioners understand their sector and the needs of their stakeholders and audiences. They know what employees are talking about. They listen to stakeholder chatter daily while doing tactical communications work: creating, posting, and writing content. They are often aware of the risks of pursuing a ‘same old’ strategy. The key is what they do with that knowledge. That is where the elephant comes in.

Environmental scanning is the systematic monitoring and analysis of both internal and external environments. This process enables organisations to spot early signs of issues or trends that might impact operations, reputation, or strategic direction. For communications professionals, scanning means tracking public discourse, news, social media, competitor activities, stakeholder sentiment, and staff morale to gain a “bird’s eye view” ahead of strategy development. Tools like SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) analyses are commonly used to structure the scanning process. My PR apprentices do this as part of their vocational studies.

Sensemaking was first articulated by Karl Weick, an American organisational theorist, in the late 1960s and more fully developed in later decades through his influential books like The Social Psychology of Organising (first published in 1969) and Sensemaking in Organisations (1995). It is the process by which individuals and teams “make sense” of complex, ambiguous, or rapidly evolving information. It is about “structuring the unknown” by providing a framework to comprehend complex situations. It builds the foundation for sound decision-making, especially under conditions of uncertainty. Unlike simple information gathering, sensemaking organises “sense data” so the environment becomes understandable and actionable—a mandatory precursor for policy or strategy. It requires courage and creativity; sometimes articulating the unknown is the only way to know how much is understood. Sensemaking empowers practitioners to comprehend, explain, and predict phenomena that affect their organisation and its stakeholders. This skill enables PR practitioners to connect the dots between social expectations, shifting narratives, and organisational roles, thereby building a plausible frame for action under pressure. An excellent source to start the data gathering is the annual in-depth report Reputation, Risk and Resilience by Rod Cartwright.

Sensemaking transforms chaotic data into a strategy, enabling organisations to communicate transparently, responding to emerging issues that may necessitate rapid or strategic response, anticipating and mitigating risks before they mature into crises, and fostering trust among stakeholders. This ability to detect and interpret changes ensures communications remain relevant, responsible, and ethical. This underpins the PR practitioner’s role as the organisation’s ethical conscience, offering sound counsel based on a 360-degree understanding of public discourse and stakeholder expectations.

Seeing the whole elephant? The phrase originated in early 19th-century America and describes gaining firsthand experience or worldly knowledge, often through an impactful, sometimes costly ordeal. 

Only by environmental scanning and sensemaking can PR practitioners identify, manage, and ethically respond to the issues facing their organisations, often before anyone else notices. Like a legal team provides legal counsel, communications experts provide ethical and strategic counsel rooted in their unique ability to sense, scan, and interpret the environment. Shaping the strategy instead of simply reacting to the evolving world. 

[Image of an elephant by Nam Anh on Unsplash]