What is meant by purpose of communication

The purpose of communication is the reason why people share information, ideas, or feelings. People communicate for:

• Sharing information: To give or receive knowledge, facts, or ideas.
• Expressing feelings: To show how they feel, like happiness, sadness, or anger.
• Building relationships: To connect with others, make friends, or maintain bonds.
• Giving instructions: To explain what needs to be done or how to do something.
• Making decisions: To discuss options and agree on a choice.
• Seeking support: To ask for help, advice, or encouragement.
• Persuading: To encourage you to do something.

Sometimes communication might combine two or more of these purposes - for example:

• To give instructions and encourage someone to follow them
• To share both information and their opinion on that information

Why it matters why someone is communicating

Understanding the purpose behind someone’s communication with us helps us to be as prepared as possible for making sense of what is going on and responding appropriately.

If we misunderstand the purpose of the communication, we might be unprepared to take any actions. For example, if we think someone is presenting information, we might not be prepared to follow instructions. Or if we think someone is trying to be encouraging, we might be unhappy when they express a different opinion to us.

We also have to be careful - for example, if someone is trying to persuade us, we should think about what they are trying to do and why. We should always think about what is really in our best interest.

Communication always works better, and is easier to listen and respond to, when we are clear on what the purpose of the communication is.

How to identify why someone is communicating 

There are some signs to help understand why someone is communicating with you: