GROUP DISCUSSION

Group Discussion (GD)


A GD 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 same
among themselves for 15-20 minutes.
Some of the personality traits the
GD is trying to gauge may include :-

Ability to work in a team

Communication skills
Reasoning ability
Leadership skill
Initiative
Assertiveness
Flexibility
Creativity
Why GDs:-
Suitable for the organization
After testing your technical and conceptual skills in an
exam, to get to know you as a person and gauge how
well you will fit in the institute or in an organization, a
person is put through the process of GD & Interview.

Team work
The Group discussion tests how you function as a part
of a team. you will always be working in teams, either
as a member or as a leader. Therefore how you
interact in a team becomes an important criterion for
your selection. Managers have to work in a team and
get best results out of teamwork.
 Communication skills:
Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to
check on your interactive skills and how good you are at
communicating with other people.

GOALS

 The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in

a group, how much importance do you give to the group objective
as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others
and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your
own.

 The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-

verbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability
and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these
aspects.
TYPES OF GD :

 GDs can be topic-based or case-based.

Topic based Gds can be classified into

three types :-

1. Factual Topics
2. Controversial Topics
3. Abstract Topics
Factual Topics:-
Factual topics are about practical things, which an
ordinary person is aware of in his day-to-day life.

Typically these are about socio-economic topics. These

can be current.

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.
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 managers
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:-

 Another variation is the use of a case instead

of a topic.
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.
Reasons for having a GD

 It helps you to understand a subject more deeply.

 It improves your ability to think critically.
 It helps in solving a particular problem.
 It helps the group to make a particular decision.
 It gives you the chance to hear other students' ideas.
 It improves your listening skills.
 It increases your confidence in speaking.
 It can change your attitudes.
Discussion Etiquette (or
minding your manners)
 Do’s

 Speak pleasantly and politely to the group.

 Respect the contribution of every speaker.
 Remember that a discussion is not an argument. Learn to
disagree politely.
 Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you
answer the question/ contribute to the topic?
 Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant
information.
 Be aware of your body language when you are speaking.
 Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.
 Don't

 Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument.

 Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch.
 Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like
finger pointing and table thumping can appear
aggressive.
 Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should
allow quieter students a chance to contribute.
 Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote.
Although some tutors encourage students to reflect on
their own experience, remember not to generalise too
much.
 Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are
saying before you speak.
A group discussion consists
of:

 Communication Skills
 Knowledge and ideas regarding a given
subject
 Capability to co-ordinate and lead
 Exchange of thoughts
 Addressing the group as a whole
 Thorough preparations
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,
finance, 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 might
adopt the wait and watch attitude. Listen attentively to
others, may be you would be able to come up with a
point or two later.
 A GD is a formal occasion where slang is to avoided.
 Language use should be simple, direct and straight
forward.

 Don't interrupt a speaker when the session is on. Try to

score by increasing your size, not by cutting others
short.

 Maintain rapport with fellow participants. Eye contact

plays a major role. Non-verbal 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 looking at a single member.
Address the entire group in such a way that everyone
feels you are speaking to him or her.
GD Tips

 Initiation Techniques
 Body of the group discussion
 Summarization/ Conclusion
Initiation Techniques
 Initiating a GD is a high profit-high loss strategy.
When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to
speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow
candidates.
If you can make a favourable first impression with your content
and communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you
sail through the discussion.
But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts
and figures, the damage might be irreparable.
If you initiate a GD impeccably but don't speak much after that, it
gives the impression that you started the GD for the sake of
starting it or getting those initial kitty of points earmarked for an
initiator!
When you start a GD, you are responsible for putting it into the
right perspective or framework. So initiate one only if you have in-
depth knowledge about the topic at hand.
Body of the group discussion

 Different techniques to initiate a GD and

make a good first impression:
i. Quotes
ii. Definition
iii. Question
iv. Facts, figures and statistics
v. Short story
vi. General statement
Summarization/ Conclusion
 Most GD do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the
whole group decides in favor or against the topic.
 But every GD is summarized. You can summaries what the group
has discussed in the GD in a nutshell.
Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a
discussion:

 Avoid raising new points.

 Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
 Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD.
 Keep it brief and concise.
 It must incorporate all the important points that came out during
the GD.
 If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it means the GD has
come to an end.
 Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized
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,

inspire and carry the team along to help them achieve the group's
objectives.

 Communication Skills - Candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity

of thought, expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is
listening. It indicates a willingness to accommodate others views.

 Interpersonal Skills - this is an important aspect of any job. It is

reflected in the ability to interact with other members of the group in a
brief situation. Emotional maturity and balanced attitude promotes good
interpersonal relationships. The person has to be more people centric and
less self-centered.

 Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade others to see the
problem from multiple perspectives.
GD Mistakes

 Emotional outburst
 No eye contact
 Quality vs. Quantity
 Bad communication skills
 Addressing 1 or 2 persons
 Interrupting when session is on
 Bad initiation
THE END