DOES YOUR CONTENT NEED MORE CONTEXT?

More often than not, we jump straight into the content of our communication, before we properly set the context, which greatly undermines our influence and diminishes our impact. In simple terms, setting the context means your audience knows why you’re telling them what you’re telling them, why it’s important for them, and why it’s important now. Establish that context before you deliver your content, and your impact will increase exponentially.

For example, whenever I give a keynote speech, there will be someone to introduce me. Traditionally, this involves that person reading a long list of credentials, which creates boredom in the audience and anxiety for me, given expectations are now raised.

For the last several years, I have requested something very different from the person doing my introduction; “Just tell the audience why you have asked me to be here, why you have requested I speak on this subject specifically, and why this is so critical for the audience right now.” The difference in impact is palpable. Now the audience is all ears and highly motivated to hear what I’ve got to say, and I’m focused on my contribution to them, rather than trying to look as good as my resume.

Content without context creates compliance not contribution; it encourages indifference rather than inspiration. For people to truly engage with you in any endeavor, you need to give them a sense of purpose, meaning and context for that endeavor.

Inspiration from others

“Words are never good or bad on their own, context makes them so.”– Abhijit Naskar

“First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.” – Epictetus

Questions to reflect on

• How well do you set the context for your content?
• Why is your content so important for your audience?
• Why is it important right now?

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