Group Discussion

Group Discussion

A Group Discussion can be defined as a formal discussion involving ten to 12 participants in a group.It 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 it among themselves for 15-20 minutes.

What skills are judged in group discussion?
* How good you are at communication with others.
* How you behave and interact with group.
* How open minded are you.
* Your listening skill.
* How you put forward your views.
* Your leadership and decision making skills.
* Your analysis skill and subject knowledge.
* Problem solving and critical thinking skill.
* Your attitude and confidence.

Do’s and Don’ts of Group discussion:

1) Keep eye contact while speaking:
Do not look at the evaluators only. Keep eye contact with every team member while speaking.

2) Initiate the GD:
Initiating the GD is a big plus. But keep in mind - Initiate the group discussion only when you understood the GD topic clearly and have some topic knowledge. Speaking without proper subject knowledge is bad impression.

3) Allow others to speak:
Do not interrupt anyone in-between while speaking. Even if you don’t agree with his/her thoughts do not snatch their chance to speak. Instead make some notes and clear the points when it’s your turn.

4) Speak clearly:
Speak politely and clearly. Use simple and understandable words while speaking. Don’t be too aggressive if you are disagreeing with someone. Express your feelings calmly and politely.

5) Make sure to bring the discussion on track:

If by any means group is distracting from the topic or goal then simply take initiative to bring the discussion on the track. Make all group members aware that you all need to come to some conclusion at the end of the discussion. So stick to the topic.

6) Positive attitude:
Be confident. Do not try to dominate anyone. Keep positive body language. Show interest in discussion.

7) Speak sensibly:
Do not speak just to increase your speaking time. Don’t worry even if you speak less. Your thoughts should be sensible and relevant instead of irrelevant speech.

8 ) Listen carefully to others:

Speak less and listen more! Pay attention while others are speaking. This will make coherent discussion and you will get involved in the group positively. You will surely make people agree with you.

9) No need to go into much details:
Some basic subject analysis is sufficient. No need to mention exact figures while giving any reference. You have limited time so be precise and convey your thoughts in short and simple language.

10) Formal dressing:
Do not take it casually. No fancy and funny dressing. You should be comfortable while speaking in group. Positive gesture and body language will make your work easy.

Follow these 10 simple rules to easily crack the GD.

Here are some of the most important personality traits that a candidate should possess to do well at a GD:

* Team Player
* Reasoning Ability
* Leadership
* Flexibility
* Assertiveness
* Initiative
* Creativity/ Out of the box thinking
* Inspiring ability
* Listening
* Awareness

1. Team Player
It is essential for managers to be team players.
The reason: Managers always work in teams.
At the beginning of his(manager) career, a manager works as a team member. And, later, as a team leader.
Management aspirants who lack team skills cannot be good managers.

2. Reasoning Ability
Reasoning ability plays an important role while expressing your opinions or ideas at a GD.
For example, on India's growth and its effect's:
Any Answer for this should be based on reasons, not assumptions.

3. Leadership
There are three types of situations that can arise in a GD:
A GD where participants are unable to establish a proper rapport and do not speak much.
A GD where participants get emotionally charged and the GD gets chaotic.
A GD where participants discuss the topic assertively by touching on all its nuances and try to reach the objective.
Here, a leader would be someone who facilitates the third situation at a GD.
A leader would have the following qualities:
-shows direction to the group whenever group moves away from the topic.
-coordinates the effort of the different team members in the GD.
-contributes to the GD at regular intervals with valuable insights.
-also inspires and motivates team members to express their views.


4. Flexibility
You must be open to other ideas as well as to the evaluation of your ideas: That is what flexibility is all about.
But first, remember: Never ever start your GD with a stand or a conclusion.

5. Assertiveness
You must put forth your point to the group in a very emphatic, positive and confident manner.
Participants often confuse assertiveness with aggressiveness.
Aggressiveness is all about forcing your point on the other person, and can be a threat to the group. An aggressive person can also demonstrate negative body language, whereas an assertive person displays positive body language.

6. Initiative
A general trend amongst students is to start a GD and get the initial kitty of points earmarked for the initiator.
But that is a high risk-high return strategy.
Initiate a GD only if you are well versed with the topic. If you start and fail to contribute at regular intervals, it gives the impression that you started the GD just for the sake of the initial points.
Also, if you fumble, stammer or misquote facts, it may work against you.
Remember: You never ever get a second chance to create a first impression.

7. Creativity/ Out of the box thinking
An idea or a perspective which opens new horizons for discussion on the GD topic is always highly appreciated.When you put across a new idea convincingly, such that it is discussed at length by the group, it can only be positive.You will find yourself in the good books of the examiner.

8. Inspiring ability
A good group discussion should incorporate views of all the team members.
If some team members want to express their ideas but are not getting the opportunity to do so, giving them an opportunity to express their ideas or opinions will be seen as a positive trait.
Caution: If a participant is not willing to speak, you need not necessarily go out of the way to ask him to express his views. This may insult him and hamper the flow of the GD.

9. Listening
Always try and strike a proper balance between expressing your ideas and imbibing ideas.

10. Awareness
You must be well versed with both the micro and macro environment.
Your awareness about your environment helps a lot in your GD content, which carries maximum weightage.