Group Discussion

Definition: As in a football game, where you play like a team, passing the ball to each team member and aim for a common goal, GD is also based on teamwork, incorporating views of different team members to reach a common goal. A Group Discussion can be defined as a formal discussion involving 8 to 10 participants in a group. They are given a topic. After some time, during which they collect their thoughts, the group is asked to discuss the topic for 15 to 20 minutes. The GD process is to assess a candidate’s personality traits.

Objectives:

• To develop the dynamics of GD.
• To learn techniques that can make an effective participant in GD.
• To meet up the future challenges with success.
• To be familiar with different types of interviews.
• To develop a complete inventory of skills.

Dynamics of GD:

• Flexibility: Be open to other ideas and the evaluation of your own ideas. Never start your GD with a stand or a conclusion, as this pre-judges the discussion.
• Assertiveness: Put forth your point to the group in a very emphatic, positive, and confident manner.
• Initiative: Initiating a GD can be a high risk-high return strategy. Do so only if you are well-versed with the topic.
• Creativity: New ideas or perspectives that open new horizons for discussion are highly appreciated.
• Team Player: Emphasized as essential for managers; aspirants lacking team skills cannot be good managers.
• Reasoning Ability: Plays an important role while expressing your opinions or ideas.
• Leadership: A leader:
  • Shows direction to the group when it deviates from the topic.
  • Coordinates the efforts of different team members.
  • Contributes at regular intervals with valuable insights.
  • Inspires and motivates team members to express their views.
• Inspiring ability: Giving opportunities to team members who want to express ideas but aren’t getting a chance is seen as a positive trait.
• Awareness: Content or awareness generally constitutes 40 to 50 percent of your GD marks.
• Other Important Qualities: Communication skills, confidence, and the ability to think on one’s feet.

GD Initiation: A high profit-high loss strategy. Initiating allows you to speak first and grab the attention of the examiner and fellow candidates.

GD Summarization: A conclusion is when the whole group decides in favor or against the topic. You can summarize what the group has discussed in a nutshell.

• Keep it brief and concise.
• It must incorporate all important points that emerged during the GD.
• If the examiner asks you to summarize, the GD has ended. Do not add anything once summarized.

GD – Points Marked On:

1. Audibility: Communication skills.
2. Analysis: Supported by facts & examples.
3. Content: Obtained by good reading.
4. Team Work
5. Demeanor: Body Language counts; don’t sit cross-legged.
6. Leadership: People should listen and agree to you.

GD Techniques:

• Prepare: If you know the topic, read around it to understand main issues/arguments and decide your position.
• Listen: Listen and respond to what others have to say.
• Be polite: Stay calm and polite, even if you feel strongly. Use polite phrases (please, thank you, May I?, etc.).
• Take / make notes: Jot down useful ideas or words.
• Speak clearly: Practice pronunciation, speak clearly and confidently. Use phrases like “Hmmm… just let me have a minute to think about this” if needed.

Useful phrases for GD:

• Agreeing: “You’re absolutely right about that.”
• Disagreeing: “I’m sorry; I don’t see it that way at all.”
• Interrupting: “Sorry, do you mind if I say something here?”
• Dealing with interruptions: “Could I just finish what I’m saying?”
• Asking for explanation: “Would you mind telling us what exactly you mean by that?”
• Asking for more information: “Would you mind saying a little bit more about that?”
• Adding more information: “Another point I’d like to make is…”

Different parts of a GD (considering a 15-minute GD):

• Chaos period: (1-2 minutes)
• Generating ideas: (7-8 minutes)
• Building on ideas: (5-6 minutes)
• Conclusion: (rarely comes; ½ – 1 minute)

Roles in Group Discussion:

• Group enterprise roles (Constructive):

  • Initiator-contributor: Generates new ideas.
  • Information-seeker: Asks for information about the task.
  • Opinion-seeker: Asks for input from the group about its values.
  • Information-giver: Offers facts or generalization to the group.
  • Opinion-giver: States his or her beliefs about a group issue.
  • Elaborator: Explains ideas within the group, offers examples to clarify ideas.
  • Coordinator: Shows the relationships between ideas.
  • Encourager: Praises the ideas of others.
  • Harmonizer: Mediates differences between group members.
  • Standard Setter: Suggests standards or criteria for the group to achieve.
  • Follower: Goes along with the group and accepts the group’s ideas.

• Dysfunctional roles (Destructive):

  • Aggressor: Attacks group members, deflates status of others.
  • Blocker: Resists movement by the group.
  • Recognition seeker: Calls attention to himself or herself.
  • Self-confessor: Seeks to disclose non-group-related feelings or opinions.
  • Dominator: Asserts control over the group by manipulating other group members.
  • Help seeker: Tries to gain the sympathy of the group.
  • Special interest leader: Uses stereotypes to assert his or her own prejudices.

Types of GD Topics: GDs are Topic Based and Case Based.

• Topic Based GDs:
  1. Factual speech topics: About facts.
     • Example: Why drinking and driving is dangerous to yourself and others.
  2. Controversial and argumentative issues: Have many controversies.
     • Example: What is wrong with child labor?
  3. Abstract discussion material: Cannot be touched, not easily defined or formulated; requires creative thinking.
     • Example: The Nostradamus Code
• Case Based GDs:
  • You determine a problem and together with the other group members, you have to find a satisfying solution.
  • Example: Dropouts – Individual attention in safe schools and smaller classes is that the way to stop students to drop out?

Body Language: Body language plays an important role; panelists will note it.

• Avoid:
  1. Pointing fingers: Signifies anger and aggression.
  2. Playing with pen or paper: Shows careless attitude or lack of interest.
  3. Stooping or slouching: Informal and not welcomed.
  4. Sitting with crossed arms or legs: Refers to a closed mindset.
  5. Throwing your hand: Avoid entering another member’s personal space.
  6. Fidget: Do not move uncomfortably in your chair.
  7. Scratching, pricking, rubbing: Shows lack of interest or self-obsession.
  8. Showing anger/disgust/frustration on face: Control facial expressions.
  9. Smirk, smile or laugh unnecessarily: Don’t be too stoic either.
  10. Moving your legs continuously: Shows impatience or desire to leave.
• Do:
  • Maintain a relaxed posture; don’t be absolutely stiff.

Do’s of participating in a GD:

• Listen to the subject carefully.
• Put down your thoughts on paper.
• Initiate if you know the subject well.
• Listen to others if you don’t know the subject.
• Support your point with facts and figures.
• Make short contributions (25-30 seconds) 3-4 times.
• Give others a chance to speak.
• Speak politely and pleasantly. Respect others’ contributions.
• Disagree politely and agree with what is right.
• Summarize the discussion if the group has not reached a conclusion.

Don’ts of participating in a Group Discussion:

• Initiate if you do not have sufficient knowledge.
• Over-speak, intervene, and snatch others’ chance to speak.
• Argue and shout.
• Look at the evaluators or a particular group member.
• Talk irrelevant things and distract the discussion.
• Pose negative body gestures (touching nose, leaning back, knocking table).
• Mention erratic statistics.
• Display low self-confidence (shaky voice, trembling hands).