Pause when a message could affect people or trust
Use calm, factual language and involve the appropriate internal owner before sharing.
Seek review when a draft could affect privacy, wellbeing, employment matters, operational continuity, or confidence in the organization. Share only the information needed for review. This example provides a routing approach, not a substitute for your organization's established incident or approval procedures.
Start with the role closest to the subject
Illustrative routing for a fictional organization. Confirm local owners and existing procedures before using.
| Message situation | Suggested first review role | What to bring for review |
|---|---|---|
| People-related change or employee concern | People team or designated people-policy owner | The confirmed facts, affected audience, and any personal details needed to assess the draft |
| Operational change affecting service or work arrangements | Responsible operations lead | What is changing, when it takes effect, and what remains uncertain |
| Organization-wide announcement or reputational concern | Internal communications lead, with the relevant subject-matter owner | The proposed message, intended audience, source of facts, and requested publication timing |
| Possible immediate risk or active incident | The established incident or emergency owner | Use the organization's current incident route; do not delay urgent internal escalation to polish a message |
Sample handoff for review
A concise fictional handoff keeps confirmed facts separate from open questions.
-
1
Summarize the issue
“A proposed change to service desk hours may affect teams that plan work around desk availability.”
-
2
Separate known from unknown
“Confirmed: hours change to 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. on 14 September. To confirm: whether any other support arrangements change.”
-
3
Name affected readers and the decision needed
“Potentially affected: teams that use the service desk. Please confirm the audience and the support-route wording before publication.”
-
4
Send it to the appropriate owner
Use the organization's established review route for the subject. Keep personal or sensitive details out unless the reviewer needs them.
When the facts or audience are unclear
What if some facts are still being confirmed?
Do not present assumptions as settled facts. Ask the subject-matter owner to confirm what can be shared and label unresolved points clearly in the review handoff.
What if a draft contains personal details?
Pause wider sharing. Remove details that are not necessary for review and use the appropriate internal people or privacy route for anything that remains.
What if the issue may be urgent?
Follow the organization's established urgent or incident process and contact its responsible owner. This guide does not replace local escalation procedures.