Group Discussion

A Group Discussion can be defined as a formal discussion involving ten to 12 par

ticipants in a group.
It is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate has c
ertain 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 fe
w minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss the it among themse
lves for 15-20 minutes.
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 team work, incorporating
views of different team members to reach a common goal.
Here are some of the most important personality traits that a candidate should p
ossess 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 idea
s 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 sp
eak 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 n
uances 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:
~S/he shows direction to the group whenever group moves away from the topic.
~S/he coordinates the effort of the different team members in the GD.
~S/he contributes to the GD at regular intervals with valuable insights.
~S/he also inspires and motivates team members to express their views.
Caution: Being a mere coordinator in a GD does not help, because it is a seconda
ry role.
Contribute to the GD with your ideas and opinions, but also try and steer the co
nversation towards a goal.
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.
Say the topic of a GD is, 'Should India Ban night work for Women at night hours?
'
Some participants tend to get emotionally attached to the topic and take a stand
either in favour or against the topic, ie 'Yes, India should', or, 'No, India s

hould not'.
By taking a stand, you have already given your decision without discussing the t
opic at hand or listening to the views of your team members.
Also, if you encounter an opposition with a very strong point at the 11th hour,
you end up in a typical catch-22 situation:
~If you change your stand, you are seen as a fickle-minded or a whimsical person
.
~If you do not change your stand, you are seen as an inflexible, stubborn and ob
stinate person.
5. Assertiveness
You must put forth your point to the group in a very emphatic, positive and conf
ident 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 la
nguage, 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 p
oints 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 opportu
nity to do so, giving them an opportunity to express their ideas or opinions wil
l be seen as a positive trait.
Caution: If a participant is not willing to speak, you need not necessarily go o
ut of the way to ask him to express his views. This may insult him and hamper th
e flow of the GD.
9. Listening
Always try and strike a proper balance between expressing your ideas and imbibin
g 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 carr
ies maximum weightage.
Tags:
assertiveness
awareness
creativity
flexibility
fresher
freshers discussion
gd
group discussion
insatiability
leadership
common gd tips

Groupd Discussion Common Tips From FreshersHome.com Team!

The tips given below are appicable in any GD. The only difference between most o
ther GDs and the GDs conducted by the IIMs after CAT or other top B Schools is t
he intensity of the competition.
Be as natural as possible. Do not try and be someone you are not. Be yourself.
A group discussion is your chance to be more vocal. The evaluator wants to hear
you speak.
Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of what you are going to say.
Seek clarification if you have any doubts regarding the subject.
Don't start speaking until you have clearly understood and analyzed the subject.
Work out various strategies to help you make an entry: initiate the discussion o
r agree with someone else's point and then move onto express your views.
Opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and recognition.
If you do not give valuable insights during the discussion, all your efforts of
initiating the discussion will be in vain.
Your body language says a lot about you - your gestures and mannerisms are more
likely to reflect your attitude than what you say.
Language skills are important only to the effect as to how you get your points a
cross clearly and fluently.
Be assertive not dominating; try to maintain a balanced tone in your discussion
and analysis.
Don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to stay o
bjective: Don't take the discussion personally.
Always be polite: Try to avoid using extreme phrases like: `I strongly object' o
r `I disagree'. Instead try phrases like: `I would like to share my views on ' or
`One difference between your point and mine ' or "I beg to differ with you"
Brush up on your leadership skills; motivate the other members of the team to sp
eak (this surely does not mean that the only thing that you do in the GD is to s
ay "let us hear what the young lady with the blue scarf has to say," or "Raghu,
let us hear your views" - Essentially be subtle), and listen to their views. Be
receptive to others' opinions and do not be abrasive or aggressive.
If you have a group of like-minded friends, you can have a mock group discussion
where you can learn from each other through giving and receiving feedback.
Apart from the above points, the panel will also judge team members for their al
ertness and presence of mind, problem-solving abilities, ability to work as a te
am without alienating certain members, and creativity.
Don't be disheartened if you did not do well in your first group discussion. The
best possible preparation for a group discussion is to learn from your past mis
takes...
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**********

----

GD FAQ
What is the normal duration of a GD?
A GD is generally of 15-20 minutes duration.
How many panel members are there to evaluate?
There are usually 3-4 panel members to evaluate.
Is there time given for preparation after the topic is given and before starting
the GD?
Usually some time (2-5 minutes) is given to collect one's thoughts, but there co
uld be instances when this does not happen, so it is best not to bank on this.
Should I address the panel or the group members?
Don't ever make the mistake of addressing the panel members. The GD is between y
ou and the other members, not the panel members. You must avoid even looking at
the panel members while the GD is in progress. Just ignore their existence.
What is the seating arrangement like?

It could be semi-circular, or circular, or seating along side a rectangular tabl

e, depending upon the venue. It is best not to bother about trivial issues like
this, which you have no control over.
How should I address the other group members?
If you are initiating the discussion, you could do so by collectively addressing
the group as "Friends". Subsequently, you could use names (if the group has had
a round of self-introduction prior to starting the discussion and you remember
the names) or simply use pronouns like "he" or "she".
Suppose I have a lot to say on the topic, should I say all of it?
You would not be looked upon favourably if you kept speaking all the time and di
d not listen to anyone else. Contrary to the misconception, the person who talks
the most is not necessarily the one who is judged the best. The quality and not
the quantity of your contribution is the success factor.
Should I encourage others to speak up?
Do not directly put someone who is consistently silent on the spot by asking him
/her to speak up. If someone has been trying to speak and has a good point but i
s cut off constantly, you may encourage him/her to continue with her point as yo
u would like to hear her out.
Are the group members supposed to keep track of the time or will the panel keep
track?
It would be good if you are conscious of the time, but not to the point of getti
ng so distracted looking at your watch that you do not contribute to the discuss
ion.
Are we allowed to carry a piece of paper during the GD for noting down important
points?
Normally you are, but there may be instances when it is specifically forbidden t
o carry paper.
Is there any particular seating arrangement, which is favourable to the particip
ants?
If participants are asked to sit in a circle or a semi circle, one position is a
s good as another. But if you are asked to sit on either side of a rectangular t
able, then choose a position as close to the centre as possible.
Should we begin the GD by appointing a leader amongst ourselves?
No. You should not. Leadership in a GD is established implicitly through one's p
erformance in a GD.
Should we distribute the total time available to all the participants to ensure
that everybody gets a chance to speak?
Since a GD is not a debate or elocution, the participants should not resort to t
he strategy of distributing time amongst themselves.
Can we take a definite stand in the GD and then later on during the GD, switch o
ver to another stand?
Yes, provided you do it the right way. In a GD it is quite likely that some othe
r participant's counter-argument convinces you to your point. If this happens, t
hen it is best if you accept his argument and explain to the group how your prev
ious argument was true within a narrow range, and how the new argument is applic
able to a broader range. Naturally, it is safer not to make any rash statements
for or against a topic before you learn the facts of the argument. Blindly takin
g a stand will definitely lead you to trouble. This does not mean you should sit
on the fence. You may participate actively by pointing out both sides of the is
sue in a reasonable and logical manner.
If we do not understand the meaning of the topic, should we ask the moderator to
explain it to us?
No. You cannot. Instead of displaying your ignorance in this manner, it is bette
r to wait for some other participant to explain the meaning of the topic. So lis
ten to the discussion carefully for the first few minutes and when you have figu
red out what the topic is about, start participating in the discussion.
Should we address the other participants by their names or their assigned number
s?
As far as possible, you should try and avoid names or numbers. It is better to u
se pronouns such as "he", "she", "you" etc. while referring to the members of th

e group.
Are we expected to stick to the normally accepted line of thought or can we come
up with something radical?
By all means you can. It would demonstrate your creativity and originality. Just
make sure it is relevant to the topic.
If I feel strongly about an issue, should I voice my feelings?
It is important to be cool and emotionally objective in a GD. If you react emoti
onally you are likely to lose control over yourself during the group discussion.
You have to be calm and logical, not emotional in a GD.
Can I use technical terms or jargon, which is clear to me, but not to the group?
If you have to use technical terms, please do not use abbreviations. After menti
oning the term in full take time out to explain to the group what it means. It i
s quite likely that other participants of the group have a different academic ba
ckground from you, and you should make sure you are all on a level playing field
.
Do I begin my participation by requesting the group's permission to do so?
It is not likely that you will get a chance to ask for such permission. It may a
lso go against you (as appearing weak on your part).
What is the right time to enter a GD to ensure that I am heard properly?
In any GD, there are crests and troughs during the discussion. The crest is when
the noise level is at its peak. The trough is when there is almost total silenc
e. Ideally, you should enter the GD during the trough period. But in competitive
GDs, the crests occur more often and troughs may not occur at all. In such case
s, you could identify the stages in the GD, where ideas dear to you are being di
scussed and enter the GD irrespective of the noise level.
How do I participate when the noise level is too high?
You could try the following strategy - Identify the most powerful speaker in the
group, and note down the points that he/she is making. The moment the noise lev
el reduces a little, enter supporting the powerful speaker. You will have made a
strong ally who will carry you through the noise.
Do I have to be cautious about other participants' feelings (on sensitive issues
like religion, caste etc)?
You certainly do. Insensitivity to others displays a lack of maturity and viciou
sness. It will act against your favour.
Is it beneficial to be the first speaker in a group discussion?
Being the first speaker is a high risk, high return strategy. If you can make a
good opening statement, which is relevant and sets the tone for the GD, it will
go in your favour. If you do this well, you may automatically become the group l
eader. However if you bungle it up (by speaking for the sake of speaking, not re
ally having anything pertinent to say), it will be remembered and will go agains
t your favour.
How critical is my fluency in English to my performance?
Command over English is certainly advantageous but will not compensate for lack
of good content. If your content is good, then even if your English might not be
great, you must speak it out, rather than be inhibited by lack of good English.
You will get credit for soundness of ideas.
How necessary is it to use examples for illustrating an idea?
Use of examples is helpful in elaborating your point, and helping others underst
and your idea better. But please remember to keep it short and simple because in
a competitive GD nobody has the patience to listen to long, drawn out examples.
{mospagebreak}
How much or for how long should I participate?
In a 20 minute GD with 10-12 participants, you should try and participate at lea
st 4 times with each entry lasting at least 25-30 seconds. You could participate
more depending on your comfort level and the need for participation.
Is it good to be humorous in a GD?
Depends on the situation. In a GD that is fairly relaxed, it may be acceptable.
But in a competitive situation, where the participants are tensed up, your attem
pts at humour may fall flat.
Should we make an interim summary?

An interim summary is a way of directing the group mid-way through the GD. It he
lps the group to pick out and focus on the most important points and thus use th
e remaining time more effectively. However it is not necessary to make an interi
m summary, if the discussion is already well focused.
What do I do if someone else has already said what I wanted to say?
You have two choices:
1.
Agree with the point made by that person and add on to it by displaying
the applicability of the argument to different situations. By doing this you wil
l have broadened the scope of the argument.
2.
Drop the point and think of fresh points.
To avoid getting into a situation where someone else has already spoken your poi
nts, do speak up in the first 4-5 minutes of the GD. If you wait longer, it is a
lmost inevitable that someone would have spoken your points.
Is the use of slang/colloquialism permitted?
It is best to avoid using slang.
Can I use a language other than English to drive home my point?
No. You will have to stick to English.
How is aggression taken and measured in a GD?
The moment you notice people reacting to you negatively or strongly, you may tak
e it that you are being too aggressive. The degree of the reaction is the measur
e of your aggression.
What level of aggression is seen acceptable?
There is a very thin line between aggression and assertiveness. You should alway
s aim to sound assertive and not stubborn.
Is it true that the person who speaks the most in a GD is the one who is most su
ccessful?
This is a myth. Generally the person who has a sound knowledge of the topic and
is a clear thinker speaks more. This leads the students into believing that whoe
ver speaks most is successful. But just speaking for the sake of speaking will n
ot take you far.
Will I be quizzed about my (or others) participation in the GD?
You may be. Therefore it helps to be alert all through the GD.
Is it true that the GD is used more as an elimination technique rather than as a
selection tool?
Depends on the institute. In most premier institutes it is used as a selection t
ool, not as an elimination technique.
What is the level of accuracy desired in the facts and figures you quote during
the GD?
An error margin of 5% is acceptable.
Is motivating other people in the group to speak looked upon favourably?
Depends on how it is done. If you openly request someone to speak, you may be pu
tting the other person in a difficult spot, and the evaluators will not look tha
t upon favourably. It is therefore better to use other means of motivation, such
as agreeing with a halting speaker, adding on to their points, implicitly suppo
rting and giving them direction.
Does the moderator have any biases or preconceived notions about the topic?
Ideally the moderator is supposed to be unbiased and neutral. But being a human
being, the moderator cannot be totally free from bias. Since this is not a facto
r within your control, there isn't much point losing sleep over it.
Can we expect the moderator to stop or cut short the GD much before the stipulat
ed time is over?
This may happen if the GD becomes too noisy and if the level of discussion deter
iorates abysmally.
Can I be aggressive with a lady participant?
A GD is not the place to demonstrate chivalry. Being rude to any participant (ma
le or female) is downright unacceptable. You need not extend any special privile
ges to a lady.
Is it all right to ask pointed questions to other participants during a GD?
It is alright to ask questions for the purpose of clarification but not for the
purpose of playing the devil's advocate and proving them wrong. By playing the d

evil's advocate you hamper the flow of the GD. The pointed questions unsettle th
e other participant and the quality of the GD deteriorates. This would reflect b
adly on you and will go against your favour.
Is it necessary that a group should arrive at a conclusion in the stipulated tim
e?
Ideally a group is supposed to reach a conclusion. Normally the time constraints
do not allow the group to do so.
Is an end-summary absolutely essential?
No. If the group has not reached a conclusion, then it would be good if someone
puts the whole discussion into perspective by summarizing. But if there isn't su
fficient time, a summary may be avoided.
Do we have to write a synopsis of the GD once it is over?
Some institutes insist on this, but it is not universal.
Is voting an acceptable method of reaching a consensus?
Certainly not. A GD is not a debate.
How should a group select a topic if asked to?
The group should brainstorm for about two minutes and narrow down the list of to
pics to 3-4. After this the group should prioritize them based on the comfort le
vel and ease of discussion of the topics. This could be done by asking each part
icipant to rank the 4 topics and the most popular choice should be taken.
Are the topics decided on the basis of the academic background of the participan
t?
No. Topics are usually general in nature to give a level playing field to everyo
ne.
What do I do if one member is very stubborn and aggressive?
You could use any of the following methods.
Ignore him and address the other members of the group.
Be assertive and tell him that his argument is faulty.
Point out to him that his point is well taken and that the group must progress f
urther by discussing the ideas presented by others.
What are the acceptable ways of interrupting somebody else, so that I may make m
y point?
You can interrupt in any of the following ways:
"Excuse me, but I feel that what you are saying isn't universally true.."
"Yes, I agree with your idea, and I would like to add on to it"
"Yes, I think you are right when you say that, but could you clarify what if."

GD Common Mistakes
Who Learn's from mistake's is the won who has the wisdom, and who repeats mistak
e is the one who does not.
Here's a list of the most common mistakes made at group discussions
Emotional outburst
Rashmi was offended when one of the male participants in a group discussion made
a statement on women generally being submissive while explaining his point of v
iew. When Rashmi finally got an opportunity to speak, instead of focussing on th
e topic, she vented her anger by accusing the other candidate for being a male c
hauvinist and went on to defend women in general.
What Rashmi essentially did was to
Deviate from the subject.
Treat the discussion as a forum to air her own views.
Lose objectivity and make personal attacks.
Her behaviour would have been perceived as immature and demotivating to the rest
of the team.
Quality Vs Quantity

Gautam
he GD.
n that
e rest

believed that the more he talked, the more likely he was to get through t
So, he interrupted other people at every opportunity. He did this so ofte
the other candidates got together to prevent him from participating in th
of the discussion.
Assessment is not only on your communication skills but also on your ability to
be a team player.
Evaluation is based on quality, and not on quantity. Your contribution must be r
elevant.
The mantra is "Contributing meaningfully to the team's success." Domination is f
rowned upon.
Egotism Showing off
Krishna was happy to have got a group discussion topic he had prepared for. So,
he took pains to project his vast knowledge of the topic. Every other sentence o
f his contained statistical data - "20% of companies; 24.27% of parliamentarians
felt that; I recently read in a Jupiter Report that..." and so on so forth. Soo
n, the rest of the team either laughed at him or ignored his attempts to enlight
en them as they perceived that he was cooking up the data.
Exercise restraint in anything. You will end up being frowned upon if you attemp
t showing-off your knowledge.
Facts and figures need not validate all your statements.
Its your analysis and interpretation that are equally important - not just facts
and figures.
You might be appreciated for your in-depth knowledge. But you will fail miserabl
y in your people skills.
Such a behavior indicates how self-centered you are and highlights your inabilit
y to work in an atmosphere where different opinions are expressed.
Get noticed - But for the right reasons
Srikumar knew that everyone would compete to initiate the discussion. So as soon
as the topic - "Discuss the negative effects of India joining the WTO" - was re
ad out, he began talking. In his anxiety to be the first to start speaking, he d
id not hear the word "negative" in the topic. He began discussing the ways in wh
ich the country had benefited by joining WTO, only to be stopped by the evaluato
r, who then corrected his mistake.
False starts are extremely expensive. They cost you your admission. It is very i
mportant to listen and understand the topic before you air your opinions.
Spending a little time analyzing the topic may provide you with insights which o
thers may not have thought about. Use a pen and paper to jot down your ideas.
Listen! It gives you the time to conceptualize and present the information in a
better manner.
Some mistakes are irreparable. Starting off the group discussion with a mistake
is one such mistake, unless you have a great sense of humor.
Managing one's insecurities
Sumati was very nervous. She thought that some of the other candidates were exce
ptionally good. Thanks to her insecurity, she contributed little to the discussi
on. Even when she was asked to comment on a particular point, she preferred to r
emain silent.
Your personality is also being evaluated. Your verbal and non verbal cues are be
ing read.
Remember, you are the participant in the GD; not the evaluator. So, rather than
evaluating others and your performance, participate in the discussion.
Your confidence level is being evaluated. Decent communication skills with good
confidence is a must to crack the GDs.
Focus on your strengths and do not spend too much time thinking about how others
are superior or inferior to you. It is easy to pick up these cues from your bod
y language.
Group Discussion
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GD Preparation
While selection tools and techniques like tests, interviews etc. provide good da
ta about an individual, they fall short in providing real life data of how an in
dividual would be performing in a real life situation especially a group situati
on. Team work being an integral part of the BPO work profile, it is important to
ascertain group and inter-personal qualities of an individual. Group discussion
is a useful tool to ascertain these qualities and many organizations use GDs as
a selection tool along with Personal Interviews, aptitude tests etc. A GD is an
activity where
Groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given a sp
ecific situation to analyse and discuss within a given time limit, which may var
y between twenty minutes and forty-five minutes, or
They may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a probl
em
They may be given a topic and are asked to discuss the same
1. Preparing for a Group Discussion: While GD reflects the inherent qualities of
an individual, appearing for it unprepared may not augur well for you. These ti
ps would help you prepare for GDs:
Reading: This is the first and the most crucial step in preparation. This is a n
ever ending process and the more you read, the better you are in your thoughts.
While you may read anything to everything, you must ensure that you are in good
touch with current affairs, the debates and hot topics of discussion and also wi
th the latest in the IT and ITES industry. Chances are the topics would be aroun
d these. Read both for the thoughts as well as for data. Also read multiple view
points on the same topic and then create your point of view with rationale. Als
o create answers for counter arguments for your point of view. The electronic me
dia also will be of good use here.
Mocks: Create an informal GD group and meet regularly to discuss and exchange fe
edback. This is the best way to prepare. This would give you a good idea about y
our thoughts and how well can you convince. Remember, it is important that you a
re able to express your thoughts well. The better you perform in these mocks the
better would be you chances to perform on the final day. Also try to interact a
nd participate in other GD groups. This will develop in you a skill to discuss w
ith unknown people as well.
2. During the Group Discussion:
What do the panelists assess:Some of the qualities assessed in a GD are:
Leadership Skills - Ability to take leadership roles and be able to lead, inspir
e and carry the team along to help them achieve the group's objectives.
Communication Skills - Candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of though
t, 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 ar
e reflected in the ability to interact with other members of the group in a brie
f situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal relation
ships. The person has to be more people centric and less self-centered.
Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade others to see the proble
m from multiple perspectives.
GD is a test of your ability to think, your analytical capabilities and your abi
lity to make your point in a team-based environment.

These are some of the sub-skills that also get assessed with the skills mentione
d above:
Clarity of thought
Group working skills (especially during a group task of case study discussion)
Conflict handling
Listening and probing skills
Knowledge about the subject and individual point of view
Ability to create a consensus
Openess and flexibility towards new ideas
Data based approach to decision making
While, it is not possible to reflect all these qualities in a short time, you wo
uld do well if you are able to show a couple or more qualities and avoid giving
negative evidence on others.
{mospagebreak}
How do I take my chance to speak: Trying to interrupt others while speaking woul
d only harm your chances. Instead, you may try to maintain an eye-contact with t
he speaker. This would show your listening skills also and would help you gauge
from his eye-movement and pitch of voice that he is about to close his inputs. Y
ou can quickly take it from there. Also, try and link your inputs with what he h
as spoken whether you are adding to or opposing his arguments. This would reflec
t that you are actually being participative rather than just doing a collective
monologue.
How to I communicate in a GD: Be crisp and to the point. Be fact based and avoid
making individual opinions that do not have a factual base. Make eye contact wi
th all the members in the group and avoid looking at the panelists while speakin
g. The average duration of the group discussion provides an average of about 2-3
minutes per participant to speak and you should try to speak about 3-4 times. H
ence, you need to be really crisp to reflect the most in those 30-40 sec. slots.
How do I convince others and make them agree to my view point: A lot of candidat
es make it their mission to make the group reach to a conclusion on the topic. D
o not forget that some of the topics have been eternal debates and there is no w
ay you can get an agreement in 15 mins. on them. The objective is not to make ot
hers toe your line but to provide fact based, convincing arguments which create
an impact. Stick to this approach.
Do leadership skills include moderating the group discussion: This is a myth and
many people do try to impose their order on the GD, ordering people when to spe
ak and when not to. This only reflects poor leadership. Leadership in a GD would
be reflected by your clarity of thought, ability to expand the topic in its dif
ferent dimensions, providing an opportunity to a silent participant to speak, li
stening to others and probing them to provide more information. Hence, work on t
hese areas rather than be a self-appointed moderator of the group.
Listening: This is a key quality assessed during the GD about which many partici
pants forget. Active listening can fetch you credit points and would also provid
e you with data to discuss. Also, if you have an average of 2-3 minutes to speak
, the rest of the 20-25 minutes is required to spent in active listening. For th
is, maintain eye contact with the speakers, attend to them (like nodding, using
acknowledging words like -I see ok, fine, great etc.). This would also make you
be the centre of attraction as you would appear non-threatening to the speakers.
Behaviour during the GD: Be patient; don't get upset if anyone says anything you
object to. Stay objective and don't take the discussion personally. Also, remem
ber the six C's of communication - Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidenc
e, Correctness and Courtesy. Be appreciative & receptive to ideas from other peo
ple and open-minded but do not let others to change your own viewpoint. Be activ
e and interested throughout. It is better to participate less if you have no clu
e of the topic. You may listen to others and take clues from there and speak. Yo
u would be assessed on a range of different skills and you may think that leader

ship is key, you need to be careful that you don't dominate the discussion.
Quality Vs Quantity: Often, participants think that success in group discussions
depends on how much and how loudly they speak. Interestingly, it's the opposite
. Also, making your point on the topic, your views are important and the group n
eeds to know. This will tell you are knowledgeable and that you participate in g
roups
Summarizing: If you have not been able to initiate the discussion, try to summar
ies and close it. Good summarizing would get you good reward points. A conclusio
n is where the whole group decides in favour or against the topic and most GDs d
o not have a closure. But every GD can be summarized by putting forth what the g
roup has discussed in a nutshell. Keep the following points in mind while summar
izing a discussion:
o
Avoid raising new points.
o
Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
o
Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD
o
Keep it brief and concise.
o
It must include all the important points that came out during the GD
o
If you are asked to summarise a GD, it means the GD has come to an end.
o
Do not add anything once the GD has been summarised.
Some Positive Task Roles in a Group Discussion:You may want to play one or more
of them:
Initiator
Information seeker
Information giver
Procedure facilitator
Opinion seeker
Opinion giver
Clarifier
Social Supporter
Harmonizer
Tension Reliever
Energizer
Compromiser
Gatekeeper
Summarizer
Negative Roles to be Avoided
Disgruntled non-participant
Attacker
Dominator
Patronizer
Clown
Feedback template: While doing mocks for GD preparation, you would get benefited
by the feedback of others. For the purpose, we are providing a template for fee
dback - both quantitative and qualitative. The items described over there are a
suggested list and not a complete one. You may make changes in it depending upon
your need.
Group Discussion

How to face GD
A group discussion consists of 1.
Communication Skills
2.
Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject
3.
Capability to co-ordinate and lead
4.
Exchange of thoughts
5.
Addressing the group as a whole
6.
Thorough preparations
Communication Skills -

The first aspect is one's power of expression. In a group discussion, a candidat

e has to talk effectively so that he is able to convince others. For convincing,
one has to speak forcefully and at the same time create an impact by his knowle
dge of the subject. A candidate who is successful in holding the attention of th
e audience creates a positive impact.
It is necessary that you should be precise and clear. As a rule evaluators do no
t look for the wordage produced. Your knowledge on a given subject, your precisi
on and clarity of thought are the things that are evaluated. Irrelevant talks le
ad you nowhere. You should speak as much as necessary, neither more nor less. Gr
oup discussions are not debating stages.
Ability to listen is also what evaluators judge. They look for your ability to r
eact on what other participants say. Hence, it is necessary that you listen care
fully to others and then react or proceed to add some more points. Your behavior
in the group is also put to test to judge whether you are a loner or can work i
n a group.
You should be able to convey your thoughts satisfactorily and convincingly befor
e a group of people. Confidence and level headedness in doing so is necessary. T
hese add value to your presentation. In case you are not good at it, you might g
ain by joining an institute that offers specialized courses in public speaking.
For instance, British Council Division's English Language Teaching Centre offers
a wide range of courses like conversation skills, business communication skills
, business writing, negotiation skills and presentation skills. Mostly people at
tend these courses to improve their communication skills. Students here are invo
lved in activities which use communication skills and teachers provide inputs, m
onitor and facilitate the classes. The course at the Centre makes you confident
enough to speak before people without any nervousness.
Knowledge and Ideas Regarding a Given Subject Knowledge of the subject under discussion and clarity of ideas are important. Kn
owledge comes from consistent reading on various topics ranging from science and
technology to politics. In-depth knowledge makes one confident and enthusiastic
and this in turn, makes one sound convincing and confident.
Leadership and Coordinating Capabilities The basic aim of a group discussion is to judge a candidate's leadership qualiti
es. The examiner withdraws and becomes a silent spectator once the discussion st
arts. A candidate should display tactfulness, skill, understanding and knowledge
on varied topics, enterprise, forcefulness and other leadership qualities to mo
tivate and influence other candidates who may be almost equally competent.
Exchange of Thoughts A group discussion is an exchange of thoughts and ideas among members of a group
. These discussions are held for selecting personnel in organisations where ther
e is a high level of competition. The number of participants in a group can vary
between 8 and 15. Mostly a topic or a situation is given to group members who h
ave to discuss it within 10 to 20 minutes.
The purpose is to get an idea about candidates in a short time and make assessme
nts about their skills, which normally cannot be evaluated in an interview. Thes
e skills may be team membership, leadership skills, listening and articulation s
kills.
A note is made of your contributions to the discussion, comprehension of the ma
in idea, the rapport you strike, patience, assertion, accommodation, amenability
, etc. Body language and eye contact too are important points which are to be co
nsidered. .
Addressing the Group as a Whole In a group discussion it is not necessary to address anyone by name. Even otherw
ise you may not know everyone's names. It better to address the group as a whole
.
Address the person farthest from you. If he can hear you everyone else too can.

Needless to add, as for the interview, attend the group discussion in formal dre
ss. The language used should also be formal, not the language used in normal con
versations. For instance, words and phrases like "yar", "chalta hai", "CP", "I d
unno", etc. are out. This is not to say you should use a high sounding, pedantic
language. Avoiding both, just use formal, plain and simple language. Hinglish,
(mixture of Hindi and English) should be discarded.
Confidence and coolness while presenting your viewpoint are of help. See that yo
u do not keep repeating a point. Do not use more words than necessary. Do not be
superfluous. Try to be specific. Do not exaggerate.
Thorough Preparation Start making preparations for interview and group discussions right away, withou
t waiting till the eleventh hour, this is, if and when called for them. Then the
time left may not be adequate. It is important to concentrate on subject knowle
dge and general awareness. Hence, the prime need for thorough preparation. Remem
ber, the competition is very tough. Only 460 candidates make it to the final lis
t from 2.75 lakh civil service aspirants each year.
It may so happen that you are called for interviews and group discussions from t
hree or four organizations but are not selected by any. The reason obviously lie
s in your not being well-prepared.
In a group discussion you may be given a topic and asked to express your views o
n it. Or in a case study GD, students have to read a case study and suggest ways
of tackling the problem. For this you should have a good general knowledge, nee
d to be abreast with current affairs, should regularly read newspapers and magaz
ines. Your group behaviour and communication skills are on test, i.e. how you co
nvince the others and how clearly you are able to express your points of view. Y
ou should be articulate, generate ideas, not sound boring, should allow others t
o speak, and adopt a stand on a given subject. During the course of the GD this
stand can even be changed, giving the impression that you are open to accommodat
e others' viewpoints.
Additional marks may be given for starting or concluding the discussion.
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, fina
nce, 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 migh
t adopt the wait and watch attitude. Listen attentively to others, may be you wo
uld 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 expressi
ng their viewpoints. In the second part of the discussion candidates can exercis
e 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 you
r size, not by cutting others short.
Maintain rapport with fellow participants. Eye contact plays a major role. Non-v
erbal 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 loo
king at a single member. Address the entire group in such a way that everyone fe
els you are speaking to him or her.