What if instead your boss indicated she wanted to see you in her office to discuss your tardiness this week. Or what if she tells you that the meeting is about the good job you are doing. By having the context for the conversation you can focus on the issue at hand. You may have an emotional response, but it will be confined to the issue. Communication will flow more easily. You will be able to hear what is being said and will be in a position to respond rather than react.

As you can see, this is an important skill to have in your communication arsenal, and a good way to take care of yourself and your partner. How would giving context improve communication with your partner? It's a question you may want to think about this week.

Next week we will look at an example of two similar conversations, side-by-side, one where a context is given and one where it is not. We will also look at the second important communication skill: going far enough.

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