My initial thought was that there were mainly two types of conversation. One where the person just wants to be heard and the other where there is a further purpose, like problem solving or asking for help. I think most of these ones listed below fall into the second category where there is a purpose beyond needing to express yourself and be heard.
Reference:
In The Patterns of Effective Conversation, Dave Pollard lists ten generic purposes of conversation.
The list below is an adaptation of his list, in which I have modified or expanded some of the descriptions and added additional items:
Real conversation serves one or more of the following purposes:
The purposes of conversation | Conversational Leadership (conversational-leadership.net)
- Information: to obtain, surface, or convey information or understanding of facts (know-what), processes (know-how), or contacts (know-who). To learn from each other.
- Sense-making: to make sense of something (beyond just obtaining facts), especially a complex issue.
- Perspectives or viewpoints: to obtain different points of view or gain consensus
- Change: to challenge and shift someone’s viewpoint or intentions (mine or others’)
- Ideas: to generate ideas, surface and imagine possibilities
- Collaboration: to enable the effective production of some shared work-product
- Deepening or creation of relationships: to connect with other people, to build relationships
- Entertainment or fun: to have fun, banter, gossip, flirt
- Recognition, attention, or reputation: to obtain it or offer it
- Appreciation, empathy, or reassurance: to get it or offer it
- Decision making: to make decisions
- Problem-solving: to solve problems or figure out how best to respond to them
- Reveal problems: to reveal hidden issues or unintended consequences of our actions
- Search for opportunities: to search for opportunities.