GROUP DISCUSSION

Contents
y y y Summary Introduction Group discussion          y What is a group discussion? How group discussion is organized? Importance of group discussion Types of group discussions Dos and donts Important points on group discussion Tips to be followed Fluency & coherence Relevance

Body Language   What is a body language? How to maintain body language?

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Conclusion References

Summary
y y Group Discussion is a modern method of assessing students personality. It is both a technique and an art and a comprehensive tool to judge the worthiness of the student and his appropriateness for the job. y y The term suggests a discussion among a group of persons. The group will have 8 & 12 members who will express their views freely, frankly in a friendly manner, on a topic of current issue. y Within a time limit of 20 to 30 minutes, the abilities of the members of the group is measured y In a discussion, identifying the problem can sometimes be a little difficult. The problem can be related to a personal, social, physical, or mental aspect, or it might be organizational technical, managerial, or business related. y Problems must be discussed in detail so that each participant of the team understands it. When beginning a discussion on a problem encountered, try to define the problem first. y Interventions or interferences are necessary in a GD for reasons such as correcting an error, controlling unruly behavior, adding some detail, or asking a question for clarification. Generally, members do not like intervention during their speaking turn. So, we should interrupt somebody only when there is a valid reason and also using appropriate phrases while doing so.

INTRODUCTION
Group discussions are widely used in many organizations for decision-making and problem-solving. They are also used widely as a personality test for evaluating several candidates simultaneously to select personnel for positions of responsibility, especially in the service sector, and also to select students for admission to professional institutes. The Indian defense forces were the first to tap the potential of GDs and incorporate them into their battery of tests for recruitment of officers. Since then, GDs have become popular with various recruiting bodies because of their operational ease and effectiveness in terms of both time and cost. Most reputed business schools require students to participate in a GD before moving on to the final stage of the selection procedure, the interview. In a few cases, the GD may not be an elimination round, i.e., every person who participates in the GD also gets an opportunity to appear for the interview.

Group discussion:

What is a group discussion?

A Group Discussion 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 candidate is given a topic or a situation given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss it among themselves for 15-20 minutes.

The skills that are usually assessed in a Group Discussion are:

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Communication skills Interpersonal skills Leadership skills Motivational skills Team building skills Tolerance to ambiguity Divergent thinking Listening skills Presentation skills Analytical / logical skills

It is considerably different from Public speaking, a general Debate, and an Interview.

PUBLIC SPEAKING: Here the audience merely judges a speaker without competing with him. It listens to what the speaker says but does not discuss the subject simultaneously with the speaker.

DEBATE:

A chairman presides over a debate, giving it a shape and direction. The speakers are normally divided in two groups. - speaking for the motion - speaking against the motion.

INTERVIEW:

Personal interviews or research interviews are tools for gathering information.

How a group discussion is organized?

A Group Discussion can be categorically divided into three phases: 1. Initiation / introduction 2. Body of the group discussion 3. Summarization / conclusion

Initiation techniques:

Initiating a Group Discussion is a high profit-high loss strategy. There are different techniques to initiate a Group Discussion and make a good first impression: Quotes Definition Question Shock statement Facts, figures and statistics Short story General statement

Quotes: Quotes are an effective way of initiating a Group Discussion.

Definition: start a Group Discussion by defining the topic or an important term in the topic.

Question: asking a question is an impactful way of starting a Group Discussion.

Shock statement: initiating a Group Discussion with a shocking statement is the best way to grab immediate attention and put forth your point.

Facts, figures and statistics: if you decide to initiate your Group Discussion with facts, figures and statistics, make sure to quote them accurately.

Short story: use a short story in a Group Discussion topic like, attitude is everything.

General statement: use a general statement to put the Group Discussion in proper perspective.

Importance of group discussion:

Discussing problems helps in finding the solutions: Defining a problem helps to understand what the problem is and also the nature of the problem, which in turn is crucial to solving the problem. For example, if a department is not working satisfactorily, then we should try to define the problem exactly. I.e. whether the problem is with the efficiency of the department or the output of the department. The problem should be discussed with participants who are experienced in the field so as to identify what factors are most likely to cause the problem. Each factor can then be individually checked to determine the root cause of the problem, which can then be directly addressed. Once the root of the problem has been identified, there may be the problem of multiple solutions. Choosing the optimal one is essential because the solution should not only fix the problem within the system but also ensure that its consequences do not cause further problems in other systems. Discuss the pros and cons of the various solutions and take inputs from each member.

Types of Group Discussion:

GDs can be Topic-based & Case-based. Topic based Gds can be classified into few types like Factual Topics Factual topics are about practical things, which an ordinary person is aware of in his dayto-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.

IT-based:

"We need more money to fertilize crops rather than to increase bandwidth" or "The IT bubble has finally burst - even in India". Ideas like e-governance and networking are all potential topics.

Knowledge-based:

Topics are such that you need to have some knowledge about the topic to be able to speak on the topic. An example for this type of topics is "India should withdraw from WTO".

Social topics:

Topics like "Dowry continues to haunt Indian concepts, and interest rates, brides" or "Education should become a fundamental duty", etc., are examples of social topics. While discussing social topics, you should be clear about both the 'generic' nature of the topic and the 'specific' manifestations of the social issue.

Political topics:

If a given topic is "Coalition politics in a poor country like India is a drain on the national Economy," you need to know the nature of coalition politics, the political and social ramifications, the economic fall-out of coalition politics, and the economic problems of India as affected by the political state of affairs.

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 manager.

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 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. IIM A, IIM Indore and IIT SOM Mumbai have a case-based discussion rather than topicbased discussion in their selection procedure.

DOs AND DONTs:

Group discussion is today an important part of the selection process to many entry-level executive jobs and management institutes. This is often done when a large number of candidates are involved even after the initial screening of resumes/ entrance tests. The selection committee then uses group discussions as the next round to quickly identify the most suitable candidates for the next round, which are interviews.

It is not a very easy task to stand out from a group of ten to twenty candidates. You are being assessed for your team behavior. You cannot win by either being a mute witness to the action or by being too aggressive. Here are a few things you would do well to internalize for your group discussion rounds.

DOs:

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Respect the contribution of other speakers. Speak pleasantly and with courtesy to all members of the group. Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of what you are going to say. Remember that a discussion is not a fight. Learn to disagree politely. Avoid gestures that appear aggressive. Listen well to the ideas of other speakers; you will learn something... Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/contribute to the topic?

Language skills are important only to the effect as to how get your points across clearly and fluently.

Try to stick to the discussion topic. Dont introduce irrelevant information. If the discussion does disagrees, bring it back on topic by saying something like just a final point about the last topic before we move on or thats an interesting point, can we come back to that later?

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Beware of your body language. Keep it open and friendly. Speak clearly. Dont whisper; even if youre feeling uncertain about your ideas or language.

DONTs:

Dont take offence if other speakers disagree with you. Putting forward different points of view is an important of any discussion others may disagree with your ideas, and they are entitled to do so.

Never try to intimidate or insult another speaker or ridicule the contribution of others.

Dont use comments like thats stupid or youre wrong? Learn to disagree and argue appropriately.

Dont interrupt or talk over another speaker. Let them finish their point before you start. Listening to others earns you the right to be heard.

Avoid negative body language when speaking gestures like finger - pointing and table - thumping appear aggressive.

Important points on group discussion:

The following sections discuss some strategies that can be used to perform well in group discussions. Speaking in group discussion: y Seize the first opportunity to speak if you have a good understanding of the topic of discussion. y y y Listen patiently to others and then react to their viewpoints. Speak clearly and audibly so that everyone hears and understands. Be concise in your expressions. Do not repeat ideas just for the sake of speaking something. y y y y Ask for clarification, if necessary. Facilitate contribution from others. Avoid talking to only one or two persons in the group. Assume an impersonal tone. Treat all members as fellow participants; none in the group is either a friend or a foe. y Raise your voice (just enough to be heard) and speak out a strong point in case of a fish-market-like situation in a GD. The language used must be accurate. Clarity and accuracy work in tandem. When we fall short of words, accuracy and clarity may suffer. Use words that correspond as explicitly as possible to reality. The choice of words must suit the discussion situation.

Creating a cordial and cooperative atmosphere: It is said that ideas flow free in an atmosphere conducive to the participants, it promotes friendliness and cooperation, and we feel positive, optimistic, confident, and assertive and hence will voluntarily contribute to the discussion. The following strategies might help us understand how to create such an atmosphere in GDs: Listen to others viewpoints with an open mind and interest. Respect others ideas and try to understand the speakers perspective. Develop mutual trust among each other. Avoid being too formal with others Adopt a friendly attitude so that others put forth their ideas freely. Use body language effectively to convey interest and sincerity in the discussion. Avoid being friendly with only one or two participants in the group. Be objective and unbiased in the discussion. Allow others to speak. Recognize significant contributions by others and appreciate them.

Using persuasive strategies: The art of persuasion or convincing others is crucial for GDs and the following tips may be helpful in this regard: Do your homework and be knowledgeable about the topic of discussion. Show maturity while reacting to others. Listen carefully and then react. Always use evidence to justify your views.

Establish mutual respect. Win the confidence of others. Be considerate. We may have a strong view on some issue. However, if others give evidences against these views, be willing to listen.

Always be friendly and respectful during GDs.

Being polite and firm When we feel that a particular idea suggested by another member may not go well with the organization, we need to express our view firmly, but politely. There are various expressions that can be used to express politeness with firmness. Well, I am not convinced that the implementation of this idea is that urgent. I do not agree completely. Perhaps we should have more discussion on implementing this idea. Turn-taking strategies In a well-managed GD, members participating actively take turns through spoken and non-verbal modes in a GD in order to express their views. The term turn-taking refers to a speaker giving a chance to others to comment on or question the point raised by him / her during a discussion. This process is repeated by the members of a group and if it does not go smoothly, the discussion will not be useful and can end up in an unpleasant argument. There are members who give verbal / non-verbal signals to others for taking their turn. The following three events occur in turn-taking:

a) Taking a turn: being ready to speak when one finishes is taking ones turn. For instance, if you respond to some member by agreeing, disagreeing, posing a query, or by paraphrasing what was said, you are taking a turn. b) Holding the turn: there may be members in a group who do not wish to give turns to others to speak. They may like to keep the turn to themselves and continue further. Hence, they may suppress their verbal and non-verbal cues that are used to tell others to take their turn. Though they think that being able to dominate the discussion earns them points, they in fact lose by coming across as bad listeners. c) Yielding the turn: when we give cues to indicate that we are concluding our remarks and others can take up the discussion further, we are yielding the turn. The turn-taking process will yield good results when members have time to think before the discussions they may have gathered many ideas about the various issues related to the topic of discussion. At times, groups are asked to go for an on-the-spot discussion of a topic. In such cases, participants who can think fast can take turns while others may not be able to do so and hence there may not be a well-balanced participation. These strategies can be used effectively by responding to questions, by making a suggestion, initiating interaction, paraphrasing, requesting the speaker to repeat, etc.

Important tips to be followed:

Always be the initiator and concluder of the Group Discussion then being a participant. y y y But if you are participant always try to be the most vital/key participant. Put points firmly and always try to get others support too. If you find that the discussion as going off-track then never lose an opportunity to bring it back to stream this is the best point to score max. y y Try to keep latest information on the topic. Be very polite, people may try to provoke you to get more points but try to keep cool. y Most important dont wait for your turn to speak when discussion is on. Interrupt politely if you want to put forward your points. y Last but not the least keeps a tab on the time given for discussion. Score points by wrapping up the discussion if you feel that the discussion is heating but the time is going to be over. y During conclusion, do end with the conclusion note. That shows your leadership quality.

Best scoring points are:

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Initiation of discussion Always keeping/trying to keep discussion on track Conclusion on time Your capability to keep your cool and listen as well as putting your points.

Group

Discussion

basically

means

searching

your

team

player,

leadership,

communication capability.

Dynamics of group discussion:

In a group discussion an idea or perspective which provides a scope for entirely new dimensional discussion is always highly appreciated. If you are able to come up with an innovative idea and put it across convincingly, such that it is discussed for quite sometimes by the group, you can take it for granted that you have done quite a decent job in that discussion. They are as follows: Flexibility Initiative Persuasiveness Communication skills Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject Capability to co-ordinate and lead Exchange of thoughts Addressing the group as a whole Through preparations

INTERVENTIONS:

Effective intervention: If we do not use polite expressions while interrupting a member, the person might get annoyed. It is always better to use expressions such as excuse me, sorry to interrupt, may I say something, can I add something, etc., before interrupting in order to avoid confusion and also to exhibit a decorum during a GD. Intervention is a common feature we come across in group discussions. It is very important how we intervene. The interviewer is very specific about how you carry yourself when you need to intervene. There are several tips you should keep in mind while you intervene in GD. Never be emotional Use appropriate vocabulary and phrases. Use pleasant body language Keep in mind that you are doing it only to convey your opinion And not prejudicing against the other team members.

Fluency and coherence:

Fluency:

In starting, always speak chunk by chunk which should be consisted of 4-5 words at one short and slowly gradually make it large up to 10 sentences in one time. It is called

SLICING METHOD.

In other words, talk plainly, briefly, naturally, sensibly, truthfully, purely. Keep from slang; dont put on airs; say what you mean; mean what you mean; mean what you say. And, dont use big words!

Fluency as where mind is able to express ones thoughts freely in English. Gain fluency by expanding vocabulary.

Coherence:

Clarify the purpose, goal, or thesis of your talk. Have the focus of your talk so clear that you can recite it. Pro and con: arguing the positive and negative aspects. Problem-solution: posing a problem and offering a solution. System: describing the relationship of interacting, interrelating, or interdependent parts of a collective whole. Develop a conclusion that summarizes the main points that you have presented. Consider how the conclusion can be related back to the introduction bring the audience full circle.

MODULATION OF VOICE:

Pitch: the pitch of our voice could also be called the musicality. It has to do with the note of which we pitch a word or phrase.

Pace: the pace is clearly the speed at which we speak. That too needs to vary during the course of a presentation to maintain audience interest in our material.

Power: power speaks for itself. And motivation of an audience certainly calls for the ability to increase the power of our voice.

Pausing: the last-but arguably the most important of our 4 ps. PLEASE pause from time to time for everyones sake! For your own sake to get some breath & for our sake, to allow time for the points to sink in.

Relevance:
Relevance is a key point to be considered while participating in group discussion.

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Give good prior preparation of the topic. Arrange the prepared data in a sequential flow Dont panic Verify with what you prepare is in relevant to the topic given.

Body language:
What is body language?
Body language plays a very significant role in group communication, which involves more interaction among the participating members than any other form of communication. Each member of the group has an opportunity to use body language for effective communication, unlike in public speaking and professional presentations, where only the speakers body language is noticed. In a group, each person exhibits and observes the facial expressions, postures, and gestures of others in order to understand the intentions behind what is being communicated through words. However, depending on the degree of formality of the groups, the use of body language may vary. For instance, while formal meetings at workplace may not involve much use of body language, GDs, which are less formal, may entail more use of body language as an aid in effective communication. Given below are certain general guidelines for the effective use of body language in groups: - Maintain eye contact while speaking and listening to others. - Adopt facial expressions that show interest and enthusiasm in participation. Restrain emotional expressions during an argument or disagreement. - While communicating in a small group, use small hand gestures in order to avoid encroaching upon the personal space of others. As the members sit and communicate with each other, their movement may be

restricted to a certain extent in a group. However, try to bring in some change in posture

even while sitting, for instance, sitting cross-legged, placing one arm on the back of the chair, leaning on the chair briefly, etc. - While setting up the venue for group communication, there should be adequate space between the seats so as to avoid members from sitting very close to each other.

How to maintain body language?

Here at body language tips, its all about body language. You will find tips to help you to be able to read and understand what he language of all the people and youll also learn about how you can improve your own body language, so that you can make a much better impression on other people, and communicate with more clarity and persuasiveness. Body language is really something that is important in every part of your life. Not just in your professional life, but also your private life. If you have a good body language of the people who react differently to you, and they will treat you differently. Some people just have to enter a room, and captivate the attention of every person within that room.

Other people even have trouble to get the waitress attention when they want to pay for their meal. And its not about being obnoxious, or always being the center of attention. Its about making the impression that you wish to make, and getting the results that you want to get. Im sure you have heard about the study that showed that a large part of human communication is nonverbal. The study showed that only about 5% of what they communicate is actually in the words. More than 60% of what we communicate is communicated with all body language. The rest is communicated with our tonality, the way we sound. So if you want to learn to communicate better, but it really is not about becoming better with the use of words, all with sounding better, but with improving your body language.

There are many group discussion tips that one needs to gather.

Physical appearance: The manner in which one dresses tells a little about his or her personality and character.

Head position: The head position also say a lot. To show confidence or authority, simply keep your head level. This says, take me seriously, my words are important.

Eye contact: It is true that eyes are mirror of soul. The facts about negative emotions, confusion, not understanding, lying, distranted, non interest and anger are very well expressed with eyes.

Gesture: Do use your hands. They dont belong on your lips or in your pockets or folded across your chest either or held behind your back.

Facial expression: the movement of your eyes, mouth and facial muscles can build a connection with your audience.

Time to process the message: The other elements of facial expression can convey the feelings of the presenter, anything from passion for the subject, to depth of concern for the audience.

Bring it all together: While we all want to believe that its enough to be natural in front of a room, it isnt really natural to standup alone in front of a group of people.

Visualize yourself in the interview

See yourself- how you are dressed, how you are looking (confident, professional, and enthusiastic). Watch yourself shake hands as you meet the interview panel, take your chair and poise and sit in a comfortable position eager to experience the meeting Observe how well you are responding to the questions; questions you anticipated they would ask and have given some thought to Notice how you are feeling as you have the opportunity to demonstrate that youve done your homework by analyzing what you have to offer and how it matches their needs. Shake hands. Do not hesitate about taking the lead by offering your hand first. Walk and stand straight head erect and sitting squarely on your shoulders. Avoid fidgeting, squirming, rocking, or playing with objects, your hair, clothing, etc. Wear a friendly, welcoming smile on your face. Look confident.

 Sit upright (avoid slouching), feet flat on the floor or crossed at the ankles, whichever is most comfortable Sitting up and leaning forward shows interest and enthusiasm Hands and arms should be in an open position, resting on your lap, arms at your chair or at your side.

Conclusion:
The purpose of a GD, though conducted in a competitive mode, is not to establish you as a winner and others as losers. Its purpose, as far as you are concerned, is to help you come across as a person with sound, logical reasoning and the ability to respect another's viewpoint. The last most important thing is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus. This shows your ability to work in a team, your ability to adjust yourself in new surroundings and help others in your team to reach a definite conclusion amidst difference of opinions. After all this is what all Group Discussions aim at: To be able to discuss and arrive at a consensus.

Bibliography: y y y y y www.indiabix.com www.freshersworld.com www.bmconsultantsindia.com www.groupdiscussion.org Technical communication by Meenakshi Raman & Sangeeta Sharma, Oxford University, 2009. y Advanced Communication Skills Laboratory Manual By Sudha

Rani,D,Pearson Education 2011.