The Modern Leader series: 5 tips for avoiding the communications context trap

Modern leadership attribute No.6: Avoiding the communications context trap

One of the biggest traps leaders fall into is assuming others have the same information they do. It’s like tuning into a movie halfway through — while you might grasp pieces of the plot, you’ll miss crucial elements that make the story meaningful.

Research shows that context isn’t just helpful — it’s essential for driving understanding and action.

Think about it this way: You’re on Chapter 14 of the story, but your employees might be on Chapter 1 or 2. They haven’t been part of the executive discussions, strategic planning sessions, or customer insights that led to your decisions. Without context, even the most important messages can fall flat.

Context matters because it creates shared understanding, helps people connect the dots between initiatives, reduces resistance to change, drives more meaningful engagement and accelerates implementation.

The 5 key elements of effective context:

1. Start with the why: Explain the business case, share relevant data, connect to larger goals, and describe the problem being solved.
2. Paint the big picture: Show where this fits in the strategy, link to other initiatives, demonstrate broader impact and share market insights.
3. Make it relevant: Answer “What’s in it for me?,” show personal impact, clarify role expectations and define success metrics.
4. Address the timeline: Share key milestones, set clear expectations, explain the next steps and outline decision points.
5. Close information gaps: Acknowledge what’s known, be clear about unknowns, address common questions and bust myths proactively.

Practical tips for implementation:

Before any important communication, ask yourself what background information your audience needs, what assumptions you’re making about their knowledge, how this connects to other initiatives, what questions they will have, and what concerns need addressing.

Remember: People don’t resist change — they resist change they don’t understand. By providing clear context, you help employees make sense of what’s happening and why it matters.

The most effective leaders know that taking time to set context isn’t just nice to have — it’s essential for driving understanding, engagement, and results.

Read more about maximizing your communication impact through effective context-setting.

Or, looking for help with internal and leadership communications? Explore how The Grossman Group may support your needs

About The Modern Leader series

Discover actionable insights released biweekly, designed to help you elevate your own leadership impact and drive the business results you seek.

So, how do you know if you’re a modern leader?

Modern leaders stand apart through their ability to balance head and heart in today’s complex workplace, integrating emotional intelligence with strategic thinking.

New research with The Harris Poll (publishing Summer 2025) shows only 30% of leaders truly meet their teams’ evolving needs — but that elite group leads with “their heart IN their head” and consistently demonstrates six key differentiators.

They:

• Lead with gratitude.
• Listen and empathize.
• Foster an inclusive culture.
• Communicate with context.
• Connect strategy to employee growth.
• Enable employees to meet the moment.

To see additional ways you can differentiate yourself as a modern leader, check out the collection of modern leadership attributes (added bi-weekly) here.