By Prof Rajagopalan September 15, 2009

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

Basics Don ts
y Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument. y Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch. y Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger pointing and table thumping can appear aggressive. y Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow quieter students a chance to contribute. y 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. y Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak.

Scoring Brownie Points Some Tips

y Leading a discussion y introducing yourself and the members of the group y stating the purpose of the discussion y inviting quiet group members to speak y being objective y summarizing the discussion

Scoring Brownie Points Some Tips

y Chairing a Discussion y introducing the topic and purpose of the discussion, y making sure all members have approximately the same time, (i.e. no one dominates the discussion by taking too much time) y thanking group members for their contribution y being objective in summarizing the group's discussion and achievements.

Why GDs? What abilities do companies look for?

y y y y y y y y y y

Grasp and understand a subject more deeply. Ability to think critically. Solving a particular problem. Data Centricity Group / Team player - to make a particular decision as team Take and synthesize other students' ideas. Listening skills. Confidence in speaking. Persuasion Communication Bottom Line: To assess your attitude. GD is a test of your ability to think, your analytical capabilities and your ability to make your point in a team-based environment.

Types of GD s
y y y y y

Factual Topics Controversial Topics Abstract Topics Case Based Situation Based

Bottom Line: Linking Topics to Abilities to Roles for which a company had come to recruit for

How to face a GD? Critical Skills to Build / Practice

y Communication Skills y Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject y Capability to co-ordinate and lead y Exchange of thoughts y Addressing the group as a whole y Thorough preparations

Bottom Line: Prepare, Practice, Prepare, Practice .among yourself

Common GD Mistakes to avoid

y Emotional outburst What will happen? y Deviate from the subject y Treat the discussion as a forum to air her/his own views. y Lose objectivity and make personal attacks.
Bottom Line: Behavior would be perceived as immature and demotivating to the rest of the team

Common GD Mistakes to avoid

y Quality Vs Quantity y Assessment is not only on your communication skills but also on your ability to be a team player. y Evaluation is based on quality, and not on quantity. Your contribution must be relevant.
Bottom Line:"Contributing meaningfully to the team's success." Domination is frowned upon.

Common GD Mistakes to avoid

y Egotism Showing off y Exercise restraint in anything. You will end up being frowned upon if you attempt showing-off your knowledge. y Facts and figures need not validate all your statements. y Its your analysis and interpretation that are equally important - not just facts and figures. y You might be appreciated for your in-depth knowledge. But you will fail miserably in your people skills.
Bottom Line: Behavior indicates how self-centered you are and highlights your inability to work in an atmosphere where different opinions are expressed.

Common GD Mistakes to avoid

y Get noticed - But for the right reasons y False starts are extremely expensive. It is very important to listen and understand the topic before you air your opinions. y Spending a little time analyzing the topic may provide you with insights which others may not have thought about. Use a pen and paper to jot down your ideas. y Listen! It gives you the time to conceptualize and present the information in a better manner.
Bottom Line: Some mistakes are irreparable. Starting off the group discussion with a mistake is one such mistake, unless you have a great sense of humor.

Common GD Mistakes to avoid

y Managing one's insecurities
Your personality is also being evaluated. Your verbal and non verbal cues are being read. y Remember, you are the participant in the GD; not the evaluator. So, rather than evaluating others and your performance, participate in the discussion. y Your confidence level is being evaluated. Decent communication skills with good confidence is a must to crack the GDs. y 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.
y

Bottom Line: 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 body language.

Last but not the least ..

y Knowledge is strength. A candidate with good reading habits has more y y

y y y y

chances of success. In other words, sound knowledge on different topics like politics, finance, economy, science and technology is helpful A GD is a formal occasion where slang is to avoided. A GD is not a debating stage. Participants should confine themselves to expressing their viewpoints. In the second part of the discussion candidates can exercise 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 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.