GROUP DISCUSSION

Prepared by Swati

Group Discussion (GD)

A GD is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members. In this methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss the same among themselves for 15-20 minutes.

Some of the personality traits the GD is trying to gauge may include :-

Ability to work in a team Communication skills Reasoning ability Leadership skill Initiative Assertiveness Flexibility Creativity Ability to think on ones feet

Why GDs:Suitable for the organization

After testing your technical and conceptual skills in an exam, to get to know you as a person and gauge how well you will fit in the institute or in an organization, a person is put through the process of GD & Interview.

Team work
The Group discussion tests how you function as a part of a team. As a manager, you will always be working in teams, as a member or as a leader. Therefore how you interact in a team becomes an important criterion for your selection. Managers have to work in a team and get best results out of teamwork.

Communication skills:
Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people.

GOALS
The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, nonverbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects.

TYPES OF GD :
GDs can be topic-based or case-based.
Topic based Gds can be classified into three types :1. Factual Topics 2. Controversial Topics 3. Abstract Topics

Factual Topics:Factual topics are about practical things, which an ordinary person is aware of in his day-to-day life. Typically these are about socio-economic topics. These can be current, i.e. they may have been in the news lately, or could be unbound by time. A factual topic for discussion gives a candidate a chance to prove that he is aware of and sensitive to his environment.

E.g. The education policy of India, Tourism in India, State of the aged in the nation.

Controversial Topics: Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in nature. They are meant to generate controversy. In GDs where these topics are given for discussion, the noise level is usually high, there may be tempers flying. The idea behind giving a topic like this is to see how much maturity the candidate is displaying by keeping his temper in check, by rationally and logically arguing his point of view without getting personal and emotional. E.g. Reservations should be removed, Women make better managers

Abstract Topics: Abstract topics are about intangible things. These topics are not given often for discussion, but their possibility cannot be ruled out. These topics test your lateral thinking and creativity. E.g. A is an alphabet, Twinkle twinkle little star, The number 10

Case-based GD: Another variation is the use of a case instead of a topic. The case study tries to simulate a real-life situation. Information about the situation will be given to you and you would be asked as a group to resolve the situation. In the case study there are no incorrect answers or perfect solutions. The objective in the case study is to get you to think about the situation from various angles.

Reasons for having a GD

It helps you to understand a subject more deeply. It improves your ability to think critically. It helps in solving a particular problem. It helps the group to make a particular decision. It gives you the chance to hear other students' ideas. It improves your listening skills. It increases your confidence in speaking. It can change your attitudes.

Discussion Etiquette (or minding your manners)

Dos Speak pleasantly and politely to the group. Respect the contribution of every speaker. Remember that a discussion is not an argument. Learn to disagree politely. Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/ contribute to the topic? Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information. Be aware of your body language when you are speaking. Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.

 Don't
Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument. Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch. Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger pointing and table thumping can appear aggressive. Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow quieter students a chance to contribute. Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote. Although some tutors encourage students to reflect on their own experience, remember not to generalise too much. Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak.

A group discussion consists of:

Communication Skills Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject Capability to co-ordinate and lead Exchange of thoughts Addressing the group as a whole Thorough preparations

Points to Remember
Knowledge is strength. A candidate with good reading habits has more chances of success. In other words, sound knowledge on different topics like politics, finance, economy, science and technology is helpful. Power to convince effectively is another quality that makes you stand out among others. Clarity in speech and expression is yet another essential quality. If you are not sure about the topic of discussion, it is better not to initiate. Lack of knowledge or wrong approach creates a bad impression. Instead, you might adopt the wait and watch attitude. Listen attentively to others, may be you would be able to come up with a point or two later. A GD is a formal occasion where slang is to avoided.

 A GD is not a debating stage. Participants should confine themselves to expressing their viewpoints. In the second part of the discussion candidates can exercise their choice in agreeing, disagreeing or remaining neutral. Language use should be simple, direct and straight forward. Don't interrupt a speaker when the session is on. Try to score by increasing your size, not by cutting others short. Maintain rapport with fellow participants. Eye contact plays a major role. Non-verbal gestures, such as listening intently or nodding while appreciating someone's viewpoint speak of you positively. Communicate with each and every candidate present. While speaking don't keep looking at a single member. Address the entire group in such a way that everyone feels you are speaking to him or her.

GD Tips
Initiation Techniques Body of the group discussion Summarization/ Conclusion

Initiation Techniques

Initiating a GD is a high profit-high loss strategy. When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow candidates. If you can make a favourable first impression with your content and communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you sail through the discussion. But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures, the damage might be irreparable. If you initiate a GD impeccably but don't speak much after that, it gives the impression that you started the GD for the sake of starting it or getting those initial kitty of points earmarked for an initiator! When you start a GD, you are responsible for putting it into the right perspective or framework. So initiate one only if you have indepth knowledge about the topic at hand.

Body of the group discussion

Different techniques to initiate a GD and make a good first impression:
i. Quotes ii. Definition iii. Question iv. Shock statement v. Facts, figures and statistics vi. Short story vii. General statement

Summarization/ Conclusion
Most GD do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favor or against the topic. But every GD is summarized. You can summaries what the group has discussed in the GD in a nutshell. Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion: Avoid raising new points. Avoid stating only your viewpoint. Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD. Keep it brief and concise. It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD. If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it means the GD has come to an end. Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized

What do the panelists assess: assessed in a GD are: Some of the qualities

Leadership Skills - Ability to take leadership roles and be able to lead, inspire and carry the team along to help them achieve the group's objectives.
Communication Skills - Candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought, expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a willingness to accommodate others views. Interpersonal Skills - People skills are an important aspect of any job. They are reflected in the ability to interact with other members of the group in a brief situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal relationships. The person has to be more people centric and less self-centered. Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple perspectives.

GD Mistakes
Emotional outburst No eye contact Quality vs. Quantity Bad communication skills Addressing 1 or 2 persons Interrupting when session is on Bad initiation

THE END