GROUP DISCUSSION

Table of Contents
 Definition of Group Discussion

 Characteristics of Group Discussion

 Prerequisites of a Group Discussion

 Benefits in Group Discussion

 Why Companies have GD?

 How to Prepare for GD

 Assessment of GD

 Discussion Etiquette

 Important points in Group Discussion

 Suggestion
 Definition of Group
Discussion
 Group Discussion is a modern method of assessing
students personality

 It is both a technique and an art to judge the

worthiness/capacity of the person and his aptness
for the job
 PURPOSE OF GROUP DISCUSSION

 Conducted in a competitive mode

 Not to establish you as a winner and other’s as losers

 To help you to come across as a person with a sound,

logical reasoning and the ability to respect and
accept the another viewpoint
 Characteristics of
Group Discussion
 The term suggests a discussion or exchange of views and thoughts
among a group of persons

 The group will have members around 5-10 who will express their
views, ideas freely in a friendly manner, on the given topic

 The abilities of the members of the group is measured on certain

scale as time limit, skills, knowledge etc
 Prerequisites of a
Group Discussion
 Topics given by panelists

 Planning and preparation

 Knowledge with self-confidence

 Communication skills/ power of speech

 Presentation

 Body Language and personal appearance

 Being calm and cool

 Benefits in
Group Discussion
 It helps you to have better understanding of the subject

 It stimulates critical thinking

 It helps the group to make decisions consensually.

 It improves your listening skills

 It increases your confidence in speaking

 It helps you to understand your strength and weakness.

 It improves your Leadership Skills.

Why Companies have GD ?
Companies conduct group discussion to check

 Interactive skills

 Ability to work in team

 Flexibility

 Neuroticism

 Listening

 Extrovertism

 Leadership

 Your Analytical skills and Subject knowledge

 Your Problem solving and Critical thinking skills.

 Your attitude and confidence

 Communication Skills

Effective communication is a silent

feature of group discussion. An idea
can be appreciated only when it is
expressed eloquently and effectively. A
leader, an administrator, a manager
any person must possess the skills to put
across an idea in a in the clearest
manner
 How to Prepare for GD
GD preparation involves three basic aspects:

Group Speaking Preparation

Enhance your vocabulary to enhance your fluency, practice tone

modulation, and try to speak in front of mirror on some topic

Content Preparation

Choose the current affair topic from different perspectives like

personal, social, political, cultural, academics, etc.

Listening preparation

Participate in some discussions as an active observer and try to

evolve one’s thought process by adding different perspectives
 Why Group Discussions
 To prepare you for the future and make you well informed

 To make you listen and talk in a mature and logical manner

 If you are required to disagree then do it in a graceful manner

 Attacking issues not persons

 Carefully listen to the other people’s points and try to refine your
own by using other people’s inputs on the subject
 Assessment of GD

 Leadership Skills - Ability to take initiative and able to lead,

influence and carry the team along to achieve the organization's
objectives

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

of thought, expression and aptness of language
 Interpersonal Skills – Interacting and managing the people is an
important aspect of any job

 Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade the people

 How to start a discussion

 Good Morning friends, My name is xxxxx

 I am glad to start this discussion

 I got the chance to start the discussion

 Friends the topic given to us for discussion is xxxxxxxxx In my

opinion it is topic of current affairs/controversial / Interesting etc.

 Now I invite all of you to participate in discussion

 When you start a GD, you are responsible for putting it into a right
perspective or framework. So initiate one only if you have a in-
depth knowledge of about the topic
 Discussion Etiquette
DO’S
 Take initiative
 Speak pleasantly and politely to the group

 Respect the contribution of every speaker

 Stay with the topic

 Think before you speak

 Make original points & support them by substantial reasoning .

 Remember that a discussion is not an argument, learn to

disagree politely
 Discussion Etiquette
DO’S
 Be aware of your body language when you are
speaking

 Listen to the other participants actively & carefully.

 Be polite to the group

 Regulate you voice through tone modulation

 Try to get your turn

 Be aware of your Kinesics.

 Discussion Etiquette
DON’T
Argue

Be nervous or shy ;it isolates you from G.D

Interrupt another participant before his claim or discussion is over

Speak in favor ; example: Establish your position and stand by it

stubbornly

Remember a GD is only a discussion not a debate. Don’t get angry

 Discussion Etiquette
DON’T

 Change opinions
 Don’t make mockery of any participant even if
his arguments are funny

 Excessive Use of personal anecdotes and

experiences
Important Points In Group Discussion
Be Assertive

An assertive person is direct , honest and careful about not to hurt

others ‘self-respect’

Be Patient Listener

Listening to another person is one way of showing appreciation.

Use Appropriate Language

Words can make friends & right words at the right time make the
best results.

Be Precise and Authentic

It is necessary to make relevant points which can be supported

with facts and analyzed logically
 Difference between
Discussion and Debate

Debate : Either Winning or Losing

Discussion : Expression of your point of view and

respecting another’s point of view

A debate is a perfect situation for expressing intense

emotions

A GD, however pulls out more maturity and logic

 Accept Criticism
 Accept other's point of view

 In case the criticism is flimsy, the same can be pointed out politely

 Express your argument with few facts, cases, %, Newspapers

publications etc.

 If any member of the group criticizes or disapproves a point, it is

unwise to get upset or react hastily

 Express without hurting others feelings

 Show leadership quality: A group discussion also evaluates your

leadership qualities
Personality traits of a candidate
should posses in GD
 Team Player
 Reasoning ability
 Leadership
 Flexibility
 Assertiveness
 Initiative
 Creativity/Out of the Box thinking
 Inspiring ability
 Listening
 Awarness
What does GD Test You In ?

 Body language
 Communication skills
 Self confidence
 Team Skills
 Listening ability
 Ability to present your views logically
 Time management
 Points to remember
 Build your knowledge base

 Analyze issues from various angles

 Maintain a positive attitude

 Stay motivate and exited about the upcoming challenge

 Stay focused and competitive

 See things from other person’s viewpoint and respect it even if

you strongly disagree

 Practice make perfect
 Participate in mock JD’s

 Identify your areas of strength and areas of improvement and

work on them consciously

 Outgoing old habits like indulging in small talk with group of

friends and instead Focus on discussing a topic of relevance

 An informal gathering of friends can be converted into a JD

session
 Suggestions
 Never try to bluff.
 Control your emotions.
 Focus on Quality of content rather than quantity
 Get noticed - But for the right reasons
 Practice group discussion with friends , family on different subjects
 Remember Speech is a powerful weapon
 In Group Discussion Quality is more important than Quantity
 What you say is important but how you say is much more important
 Your views without support of facts have no weightage
 Try to avoid making empty points
Thank you
Presented By
Kalyani Geetha