Group discussion

GROUP DISCUSSION
Mr. A. B. Shinde
Assistant Professor
Electronics Engineering
PVPIT, Budhgaon
shindesir.pvp@gmail.com

GD: BASICS
 A GD is a methodology used by an organization to test whether the
candidate has certain personality qualities 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 it among themselves for 10-15 minutes.
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WHY GDS
 The Group discussion tests how you function as a part of a team.
 How you interact in a team becomes an important criterion for your
selection.
 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.
3

TYPES OF GD
 Factual Topics:
 Factual topics are about practical things.
 Typically these are about socio-economic topics. These can be
current issues.
 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 etc…
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TYPES OF GD
 Controversial Topics:
 Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in nature,
to generate controversy.
 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 are better
managers etc.
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TYPES OF GD
 Abstract Topics:
 Abstract topics are about intangible things.
 These topics are not given often for discussion. These topics test
your lateral thinking and creativity.
E.g. Twinkle twinkle little star, The number 10 etc…
6

TYPES OF GD
 Case-based GD:
 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.
IIM, IIM Indore and IIT SOM Mumbai have a case-based
discussion rather than topic-based discussion in their selection
procedures.
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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.
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AFRAID OF GDS: TRY THE FOLLOWING
 Observe
 Attend seminars and tutorials: Notice what others do.
 Ask yourself:
 How other students make comments?
 How they ask questions?
 How they disagree with or support arguments?
 What special phrases they use to show politeness on
disagreement?
 How they signal to interrupt, ask a question or make a point? 9

AFRAID OF GDS: TRY THE FOLLOWING
 Practice
 Start practicing your discussion skills in an informal setting or with a
small group.
 Ask for their opinions. Ask for information or ask for help.
 Participate
 Take every opportunity to take part in social/informal discussions.
 Start by making small contributions to tutorial discussions.
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DISCUSSION ETIQUETTE
 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.
 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. 11

DISCUSSION ETIQUETTE
 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.)
 Interrupt.
(Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak) 12

HOW TO FACE GD
 A group discussion consists of:
 Communication Skills
 Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject
 Capability to co-ordinate and lead
 Exchange of thoughts
 It is not necessary to address anyone by name
 It is better to address the group as a whole
 Additional marks may be given for starting or concluding the
discussion.
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POINTS TO REMEMBER IN GDS
 A GD is a formal occasion where argument is to avoid.
 A GD is not a debating stage.
 Language should be simple, direct and straight forward
 Don't interrupt a speaker when the session is on
 Maintain rapport with fellow participants
 Communicate with each and every candidate present
14

GD TIPS
 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.
 If you can make a favorable 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, the
damage might be irreparable.
 If you initiate a GD perfectly but don't speak much after that, it gives
the impression that you started the GD for the sake of starting.
 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. 15

BODY OF THE GROUP DISCUSSION
 Quotes
 Quotes are an effective way of initiating a GD.
 Definition
 Start a GD by defining the topic or an important term in the topic.
 Question
 Asking a question is an impact way of starting a GD.
 Shock statement
 Initiating a GD with a shocking statement is the best way to grab
immediate attention and put forth your point.
 Facts, figures and statistics
 If you decide to initiate your GD with facts, figure and statistics, make
sure to quote them accurately.
 Short story
 Use a short story in a GD topic like, Attitude is Everything.
 General statement
 Use a general statement to put the GD in proper perspective.
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SUMMARIZATION/ CONCLUSION
 Most GD does 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.
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GD MISTAKES
 Deviate from the subject.
 Lose objectivity and make personal attacks.
 Evaluation is based on quality, and not on quantity. Your
contribution must be relevant.
 False starts leads to wrong discussion.
 Improper body language.
 Wrong tone of voice.
18

Group discussion

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