Contrary to a popular belief, communication is not about speaking and receiving, but also about reading between the lines for understanding. Communication is nothing more than people transferring thoughts/ideas (information) through some form of media (such as written words or speech). However, there are many different objectives behind it; the following will help you to understand better what information you want to convey by communicating with someone else.
10 Objectives of Communication
1. To receive feedback Sometimes, after we communicate something to someone else, especially if that message was important, we expect them to reply somehow (or at least think about our question/message). It's usually difficult for us to know whether they actually got what we said or if their response would be appropriate otherwise; this is where this objective comes in. By getting feedback (receiving some response), you can understand whether your message was received correctly or if it needs to be modified.
2. To get your thoughts out of your head A lot of people worry that by communicating their ideas, they might share them with others who could misuse/abuse them somehow; however, this objective is only useful for the purposes of sharing information while making sure it's not misused/abused at any point in time after its transfer.
For example, if you've invented some new product and want to tell other people about it but are afraid that someone would steal this idea before you actually establish something on it, communicating this idea would help you figure out whether there's interest in it or not. If someone tries to misappropriate the idea, you'd know about it and could take legal action (if necessary).
3. To get other people's thoughts out of their heads It might sound like a silly objective; however, this is one of the most common objectives behind communication. If there are two or more people communicating with each other, they usually want to see how different their perspectives on an issue are (i.e., what information they have in mind regarding that topic).
For example, if your friend tells you something about a reality TV show while expressing his/her opinion about its value, by listening carefully and asking some questions, for instance for clarifying some points you weren't sure about, you'll be able to understand better what's behind the topic and form your own opinion.
4. To reach an agreement/solve a problem People communicate to find out the way they think, feel or act towards certain issues so that they can come up with some sort of agreement about them (i.e., what they will both do).
For example, if one of your friends cheated you in the past, but now he is asking for a favor, you might think that his apology was insincere and refuse him; however, by communicating with him about this issue, you would be able to understand better whether his request is justified or not and agree on how to solve this problem together (in other words: whether you should help him or not).
5. To make an impression A lot of people tend to think that communication is about conveying information, but sometimes it's not. This objective is behind communication when the content of your message is less important than how you present it (i.e., in what manner).
For example, if you're applying for a job in an international company and want to get this position for which you are perfectly qualified, by presenting yourself appropriately during your interview (such as dressing formally), your chances would increase significantly. 6.
To build relationships Communication allows us to build relationships with other people; instead of thinking about them as strangers/enemies who can do harm, communication provides opportunities for establishing trust between us so that we can work together on common projects or even become friends at some point.
For example, if you're looking for a new job and want to convince someone that he/she should hire you instead of your competitor, by communicating with him/her during the interview about common interests you both have (e.g., a certain football team), you'd create a better atmosphere between the two of you which would make him/her more likely to chose you.
7. To make people feel something making people feel some emotion is one of our most basic objectives in communication; besides being interesting on their own, emotions can also serve as catalysts for action behind particular behaviors.
In other words, when we tell people how they should or shouldn't behave in order to get into some kind of trouble or not get into any trouble, we usually try to evoke emotions in them (e.g., sympathy) and count on the fact that those will be strong enough for making them do what we say.
8. To change people's minds As humans, one of the most important objectives of our communication is finding out whether other people agree or disagree with us about certain things which are important for us; this way, whenever someone communicates with another person about something he/she feels strongly about, there is a chance that his/her opinion will change how the other person thinks about it too.
For example, if your best friend tells you she doesn't think that reality TV shows are really interesting anymore because they get boring after watching some episodes over and over again, by communicating with her about it, you're probably going to become worried that she'll stop watching them with you and maybe even change your opinion about the shows.
9. To work together Communication can also help us find out whether there are common interests between us which would give rise to working together. For example, if you're looking for a new job at some company but don't have previous experience in its industry, by communicating with someone who works there during your interview about some problems you both had in the past with certain aspects of your jobs (e.g., sitting all day long on a chair), you could convince him/her that he/she could trust you enough not only for recommending you for this position but also for helping you to get it too.
10. To achieve a better outcome of a negotiation If there is a conflict between people who need to communicate with each other in order to solve it, one of the most important objectives of communication is working together on coming up with a solution that satisfies both parties just enough.
In other words, when somebody communicates something about an issue that bothers him/her and wants another person to change that for some reason, he/she does so in order to find out how much this person cares about being helpful and being able to persuade him/her not only for resolving the issue but also getting what he/she really wants.
For example, if you're involved in a discussion with your friend during which you suggest going somewhere else for some coffee, by communicating with him/her you're probably going to find out whether he/she is willing to change his mind about that place or not.
Also Check: Effective Communication
These are just some examples of what we can achieve in our communication when developing different objectives for it which are important enough for us; indeed, there are many things in our lives which depend on how well we communicate with others...