The Lost Art of Context Setting

Take a few moments to set the context for a meeting.

Have you ever joined a meeting a few minutes late only to realize that you have no idea what the speaker is talking about? You look around the Hollywood Squares of Zoom attendees and notice colleagues nodding in agreement and maybe even asking thoughtful questions. It feels like you missed the memo with the meeting’s agenda or setup. 

This can even happen when you join on time if the leader hasn’t taken the time to set the context or lay out a clear agenda and goal for the meeting. Some part of the group is confused or not participating because they aren’t on the same page as the other attendees. This is a big waste of time and can actually cause more work for all. 

Sometimes, leaders are moving so fast that they forget a vital communication skill: context setting. 

Why is context setting important?

Even in a one-to-one conversation, context-setting is vital and often helpful to grounding the conversation and determining the agenda of what needs to be discussed. 

In an effort to help you have better meetings, here is a quick checklist to set the context and clarify the reason you are meeting: 

Make Sure Everyone Knows WHY they are meeting.

• State what is the meeting about.

• Propose why is it important now and any recent developments.

• Define what you are trying to accomplish in this meeting. (Hint: the big opportunity — lean in folks! This is important.)

• Optional: If time allows, you might open the floor to questions before you begin.

This can usually be done in less than one minute (with a few more minutes for questions). As you get skilled at context setting, you can learn to do this quickly and even create a short-hand style for your common meetings and frequent collaborators. 

Don’t assume attendees are on the same page

“ASSuming makes an ASS out of U and ME” (Assumptions are problematic when we are moving at the speed of business. Take time and set context.

You may assume that everyone knows why they are meeting, but not everyone will be up-to-speed or on the same wavelength that you are. They may have other projects or even home life on their mind. 

If the group is impatient, you might ask if it is OK to set a little context for the meeting, and most often, you will hear a resounding yes. Additionally, you can also ask others to share their expectations for the meeting to gain even more alignment.

As they say, when you ASSume, you make an ASS out of U and ME. 

Send out a written agenda for more formal meetings

For more formal or irregular meetings, you might also want a written agenda sent out ahead of time and a designated notetaker or keeper of the action items. Every company culture has its own style. This will help attendees feel more prepared, especially if the meeting isn’t one that happens on a regular basis.

Ground the meeting

Grounding the meeting with some context shows the team that you are there to help them and really want them involved. Having a goal, even if it is just a brainstorm or to discuss options, will help give the team some guardrails for what is going to be discussed. 

Speaking of grounding, it’s important to go into a meeting feeling calm and focused. To help, consider doing The Executive Pause.

I’d love to hear from you on how your meeting dynamics play out and if your company is having effective meetings.