Context is like the background of a picture. It’s not the main focus, but without it the picture would seem bare and incomplete. Context provides completion and wholeness to the picture.

Similarly, understanding the context of a situation shows you its subtle aspects, inter-relationships, the black, white and the grey. There are no blanks in your mental picture of the situation. Or, if there are blanks, you seek to fill in the blanks. That’s how you get the complete picture.

Before taking important actions or decisions its important to ask:
– Do I have the complete context?
– Who are the important stakeholders in the situation?
– Have I understood their points of view?
– What are the factors impacting this situation?
– Do I have a complete understanding of them?
– Am I missing something?

Answers to these questions will help you complete the jigsaw. Seek information to develop a rich context around the situation. Understanding context needs curiosity, time, patience and comfort with uncertainty.

You will also need to suspend your judgment or conclusion about the situation. This is difficult for many of us especially those who are inclined towards speed and action. Context has to be absorbed. It needs stillness and mental incubation for the absorption to happen. Problem solving needs the right balance of speed and stillness. Develop your contextual intelligence, and you will see huge improvements in your problem solving abilities.

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