GROUP DISCUSSION

ANSHUMAN DUTTA , MBA 215111070 Department of Management Studies, NIT-Trichy 2011-13

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Group discussion is a formal discussion involving eight to fifteen participants in a group, where leadership skills and co-operative nature is checked in depth. The main purpose of group discussion is to find out whether an individual can work with team or not. The purview of PERSONALITY TRAITs group discussion takes into account is mainly based on:

Communication skills, Leadership qualities, Logical thinking, Problem solving skills, Listening skills, Behaviour, Respecting other views, Decision making, Time management, Team play, Attitude and Confidence.

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 A group discussion can be categorically divided into three different phases: Initiation/ Introduction. Body of the group discussion. Summarisation/ Conclusion. Why Group Discussions (company Perspective):The GD is to check how one behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance do one give to the group objective as well as their own, how well do they listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded in accepting views contrary to self. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behaviour, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation.

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TIPS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION

Try to initiate the group discussion. If you ask a question or make a sudden shocking statement then the attention of the entire group will be focused on you. It is important for any group discussion. If you start quoting facts, figures and statistics, it will indicate how knowledgeable you are. Start with a general statement which is familiar and relevant to the topic. You can narrate a short story briefly without wasting time. Otherwise the group may feel disgusted. If you start with quotations or sayings, it will impact on the interview. Listen very carefully as a good listener. Accept the common points. Accommodate others view points. Be polite and speak sensibly. Express the strong point about the topic according to your knowledge. Show your strengths as a group leader. Express the views logically. Do not look at your watch. Try and sort out contradictions and arguments. Providing a meaningful direction to the discussion always augers well. Listen well to the ideas of other speakers; you will learn something.

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TIPS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION

Do not stop others from expressing their views. Do not interrupt the candidates in the groups while speaking. Do not criticize anybody. Do not present wrong data. Do not be silent from the entire group Choose/use your language according to your comfort level in a decent way. Do not scare any one. Do not talk without a point. If you do not know the topic then listen to the others and finalize it in your way. Do not change your stand very often in the discussion. Avoid rubbing nose and eyes, popping knuckles, yawning, running your hand through hair because the body language is important. Keep on smiling but it should be friendly and pleasant way. Use your creativity which opens new horizons for discussion on the group discussion Understand that the aim is not to speak often or for long periods. The aim is to be precise and clear with your points.

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CERTAIN BASIC NUANCES FOR A GROUP DISCUSSION

Arrive on time and dress formally. This is not a casual discussion, it is one that
will get you help you get a job with this company.You need to look impressive, well groomed and confident.

Ask for subject/topic related clarifications before the discussion begins, not after. Always carry a pen and a notebook. This allows you to refer to what others have
said previously.

Be yourself and do not be arrogant. Body language is important so be careful

while using gestures and do not ever get aggressive. and know a lot about the same.

Initiating the discussion is a major plus point but do so only if youre very clear about the topic Maintain eye contact with team members and not evaluators. Theyre not a part of the discussion.
Ensure that you get to speak your point, if the other members hear you, the evaluators will too

Having said that, ensure that you listen as well and appreciate what others are saying. If you do not
agree with someones point, let them complete and then raise your objection. Do not interrupt.

Be positive and do not be over confident.

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Dos and Donts of Group discussion:

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

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.

Allow others to speak:

Speak clearly:

Do not interrupt anyone in-between while speaking. Even if you dont agree with his/her Thoughts do not snatch their chance to speak. Instead make some notes and clear the points when its your turn. Speak politely and clearly. Use simple and understandable words while speaking. Dont be too aggressive if you are disagreeing with someone. Express your feelings calmly and politely.

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.

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Dos and Donts of Group discussion:

Positive attitude:
interest in discussion.

Be confident. Do not try to dominate anyone. Keep positive body language. Show

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

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.

No need to go into much details:

Formal dressing:
Body Language

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.

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.

Be aware of your body language when you are speaking. Keep it open and friendly. Avoid gestures that appear aggressive.

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Chairing a Group Discussion

When chairing a discussion group you must communicate in a positive way to assist the speakers in accomplishing their objective.

There are at least four leadership skills you can use to influence other people positively and help your group achieve its purpose.
These skills include: Introducing the topic and purpose of the discussion Introducing yourself and the other speakers Making sure all members have approximately the same time to speak Thanking group members for their contribution Being objective in summarising the groups discussion and achievements.

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CERTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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Learn to Listen
Listening is an essential skill and an important element of any discussion. Effective listeners dont just hear what is being said, they think about
it and actively process it. Be an active listener and dont let your attention drift. Stay attentive and focus on what is being said. Identify the main ideas being discussed. Evaluate what is being said. Think about how it relates to the main idea/ theme of the tutorial discussion. Listen with an open mind and be receptive to new ideas and points of view. Think about how they fit in with what you have already learnt. Test your understanding. Mentally paraphrase what other speakers say. Ask yourself questions as you listen. Take notes during about things to which you could respond

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 Prepare
You cant contribute to a discussion unless you are well-prepared. Attend lectures and make sure you complete any assigned readings or tutorial assignments. If you dont understand the material or dont feel confident about your ideas, speak to your tutor or lecturer outside of class.

Practise
Practise discussing course topics and materials outside class. Start in an informal setting with another student or with a small group. Begin by asking questions of fellow students. Ask them about the course material. Ask for their opinions. Ask for information or ask for advice. Practice listening and responding to what they say. Try out any discipline-specific vocabulary or concepts. Becoming accustomed to expressing views outside class will help develop skills you can take into the more formal environment of a tutorial group.

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Participate Set yourself goals and aim to increase your contribution each week. An
easy way to participate is to add to the existing discussion.

Try to speak at least once in each discussion. Start by making small

contributions: agree with what someone has said or; ask them to expand on their point (ask for an example or for more information)

Prepare a question to ask beforehand. You can then work up to: Answering a question put to the group Providing an example for a point under discussion Disagreeing with a point.

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Arguing ones point

Acknowledge their point I can see your point--however ... Thats a good point, but ... I see what youre getting at, but ...

Disagreeing can be problematic as people often speak before they think things through. It is also important to disagree politely.You may be trying to disprove another speakers point, but

Then explain why you disagree Thats not always the case because ... Thats not necessarily true because ... This idea isnt supported by statistics/ evidence ... I thought the author meant that ...

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Offer your opinion complete with reason and support From what Ive read ... The statistics seem to indicate that ... I think what Rama may actually be suggesting is ... Other studies by Rama show that ... Now, be prepared for counter-argument and further discussion! Remember, confidence is the key. If you do your tutorial preparation and think things through, you can speak with confidence and believe that your contribution will be valid.

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Voicing an Opinion
A valid opinion (a believable point of view)
I believe that ... I think that ... From what I understand ... As I understand it ... A reason why This is due to ... Because ... What I mean by this is ... Evidence (relevant and up-to-date examples, statistics, explanations and/ or expert opinions). If you have actual data, examples or expert opinions on hand, refer to the source. This can be seen by ...

For instance ... For example ... An example can be seen ... (Authors name) states that ... (Authors name) suggests... Statistics from (give a source) indicate ...

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THANK YOU

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