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NEELABH
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GROUP DISCUSSIONS

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 it 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 skills
Initiative
Assertiveness
Flexibility
Creativity
Ability to think on ones feet

Why GDs:-

The reason why institutes put you through a Group discussion and an interview, after testing your technical and conceptual skills in an exam, is to get to know you as a person and gauge how well you will fit in their institute. The Group discussion tests how you function as a part of a team. As a manager, you will always be working in teams, 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. That is the reason why management institutes include GD as a component of the selection procedure.

Company's Perspective:-

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. 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 bet o p i c -b as ed orc a s e-b as ed.
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, i.e. they may have been in the
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news lately, or could be unbound by time. 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.

IIM A, IIM Indore and IIT SOM Mumbai have a case-based discussion rather than topic-based discussion in
their selection procedures.
Why do we have GD ?
Reasons for having a GD
\u2022
It helps you to understand a subject more deeply.
\u2022
It improves your ability to think critically.
\u2022
It helps in solving a particular problem.
\u2022
It helps the group to make a particular decision.
\u2022
It gives you the chance to hear other students' ideas.
\u2022
It improves your listening skills.
\u2022
It increases your confidence in speaking.
\u2022
It can change your attitudes.
Strategies for Improving GD Skills for Tutorials & Seminars
Asking questions and joining in discussions are important skills for university study. If you find it difficult to
speak or ask questions in tutorials, try the following strategies.
Observe
Attend as many seminars and tutorials as possible and notice what other students do. Ask yourself:
\u2022
How do other students make critical comments?
\u2022
How do they ask questions?
\u2022
How do they disagree with or support arguments?
\u2022
What special phrases do they use to show politeness even when they are voicing disagreement?
\u2022
How do they signal to interrupt, ask a question or make a point?
Practice
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Start practicing your discussion skills in an informal setting or with a small group. Start with asking questions of fellow students. Ask them about the course material. Ask for their opinions. Ask for information or ask for help.

Participate

Take every opportunity to take part in social/informal discussions as well as more structured/formal discussion. Start by making small contributions to tutorial discussions; prepare a question to ask, or agree with another speaker's remarks.

Discussion Etiquette (or minding your manners)
Do
\u2022
Speak pleasantly and politely to the group.
\u2022
Respect the contribution of every speaker.
\u2022
Remember that a discussion is not an argument. Learn to disagree politely.
\u2022
Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/ contribute
to the topic?
\u2022
Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information.
\u2022
Be aware of your body language when you are speaking.
\u2022
Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.
Don't
\u2022
Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument.
\u2022
Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch.
\u2022
Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger pointing and table thumping can
appear aggressive.
\u2022
Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow quieter students a chance to contribute.
\u2022
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.
\u2022
Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak.
Leading a Discussion
You may be in a seminar group that requires you to lead a group discussion, or lead a discussion after an
oral presentation. You can demonstrate leadership by:
\u2022
introducing yourself and the members of the group
\u2022
stating the purpose of the discussion
\u2022
inviting quiet group members to speak
\u2022
being objective
\u2022
summarizing the discussion
Chairing a Group Discussion

When chairing a discussion group you must communicate in a positive way to assist the speakers in accomplishing their objective. There are at least four leadership skills you can use to influence other people positively and help your group achieve its purpose. These skills include:

\u2022
introducing the topic and purpose of the discussion,
\u2022
making sure all members have approximately the same time, (i.e. no one dominates the discussion
by taking too much time)
\u2022
thanking group members for their contribution
\u2022
being objective in summarizing the group's discussion and achievements.
How to Face GD
A group discussion consists of:
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