There are two types of people at the beginning of the month
Those who wish “Happy New Month” and those who don’t.
The ones who don’t are further broken down into two, those who receive it with thanks and those who scoff at why there’s a need to wish “happy new month” they’re baffled at the utter ridiculousness of the wish.
This is a judge free zone; which do you belong to?
Wherever you stand though, 12 months of COVID-19 down the line and the numbers are skewed, there are far more people happy to see a new month and embracing of the goodwill message than it used to be.
So yeah, happy new month.
I just may or may not have established the context for wishing you a happy new month but now you’re wondering;
Why does context matter?
If you’re Nigerian like me then you absolutely got tickled seeing the poster.
If you’re not, I’d be happy to break it down for you.
In the simplest of terms, Kanayo .O. Kanayo, the gentleman in the meme is the poster boy for rituals in Nollywood- the Nigerian movie Industry.
So, when you see an otherwise positive and encouraging post about making sacrifices at the beginning of the month, you instantly infer that the sacrifice used here has an undertone.
Imagine a different poster without the undertone and you instantly feel fired up to do amazing work don’t you? So what makes the difference really?
Context.
The difference is in the context and the context is the difference.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Context is defined as “the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood.”
Why is Context important in communication?
Communication is the transfer of meaning in such a way that the receiver obtains the very same meaning intended by the sender.
But the sender and receiver each have varying ongoing experiences that are not necessarily similar, they might be in the same physical space but their minds can be far apart. One might be thinking about project guidelines and execution while the other is stuck on the swirl of the hot black semi-solid surrounded by green and yellow soup.
*stay with me.
To help communication succeed, both parties must be on the same page surrounded by the same borders. One important factor is for the receiver to find relevance in what is being sent, share the same background and relevance to the topic being discussed.
Relevance in itself comes from knowing an association between one thing and another.
E.g
Kanayo .O. Kanayo and Sacrifice
February 14th and red
Sallah and ram
Traffic and gala
These are words associations that go together in a sentence that could illicit laughter, fear, vocal response or a similar range of reactions.
“Context is a set of observable conditions that both the sender and receiver can use to associate the same things to a given message.” Associations indicate a background to the message, a usefulness of the message, and a basis of comparison with other possible messages and interpretations.
Of course, this is also heavily dependent on the receiver’s attention being engaged in deriving the same meaning from the message.
Context is important because it tells the receiver, what is important, it dictates what assumptions to draw or not to draw, some kind of exclusivity criterion about what is being communicated.
How to establish Context in Communication
1. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Figuratively of course…
Think about the other person hearing what you have to say for the first time. If you were in their shoes, what would you need to know to be able to put the message into context? Is there some background information that’s important to convey? Would sharing the history of how you arrived at a certain conclusion help put things in perspective?
2. Tone and mode of delivery.
People do not remember what you said in the exact progression you said it, but they are most likely going to remember how you said it. It is important that your body movement and vocal properties are in tune with whatever message you intend to pass across.
This is especially true for virtual communications where only your voice is heard and there are limited factors to make inferences from. Ensure your tone matches the intent of your message.
3. Proactively answer their questions.
You’re not a psychologist (inside joke) but yea, following through on number 1, if you were hearing what you had to say for the is for the first time, what are the possible questions the person would have? Can you include that in your conversation to aid communication?
Be ready to answer questions without undue forms of assumption. It is important to avoid getting defensive, remember people think and interpret differently, that’s why context is needed in the first place right?
4. Take Feedback
The ideal communication process is where the exchange of information occurs. Ask open ended questions and leave room for clarification of the intended message and consequently confirm or correct ensuring that your message as intended has been passed across.
With these few points of mine, I hope I’ve been able to convince you of the importance of context in communication.
Do have a lovely month of February.
Assignment: Why might the author of this post be inferring by her sign off statement? Discuss
- 100 marks
