Group discussion
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Group discussion is an important activity used in academic and professional settings to exchange ideas on a given topic. It allows participants to improve their communication, thinking, and listening skills. A successful group discussion requires subject knowledge, strong oral communication abilities, and good leadership and teamwork. Participants must listen to others, express their views clearly, and work collaboratively to reach an agreed upon solution. The goal is to evaluate participants' ability to contribute effectively while also understanding other perspectives.
Group discussion
- 2. What is a Group Discussion? Group discussion is an important activity in academic, business and administrative spheres. It is a systematic and purposeful interactive oral process. Here the exchange of ideas, thoughts and feelings take place through oral communication. The exchange of ideas takes place in a systematic and structured way. The participants sit facing each other almost in a semi-circle and express their views on the given topic/issue/problem.
- 3. Why is a group discussion an important activity at college level? As a student, it helps you to train yourself to discuss and argue about the topic given, it helps you to express your views on serious subjects and in formal situations. It improves your thinking, listening and speaking skills. It also promotes your confidence level. It is an effective tool in problem solving, decision making and personality assessment. GD skills may ensure academic success, popularity and good admission or job offer. Thus it is important to be able to take part in a GD effectively and confidently. Participants should know how to speak with confidence, how to exhibit leadership skills and how to make the group achieve the goals.
- 4. The objective of a selection in GD is mainly to check your team playing skills. You have to understand the other persons’ point of view, while making your point and ensure that your team as a whole reaches a solution or agreement that is both feasible and accepted by all team members. There are four major areas of evaluation in selection GDs: subject knowledge, oral communication skills, leadership skills and team management.
- 5. Subject Knowledge: Participants must possess a through understanding of the topic on which they are supposed to speak. You must prepare yourself to talk on a wide range of subjects The best way to equip yourself is to read daily newspapers, good magazines, national and international journals and also watch new bulletins and informative programmes on the television and also Internet. The greater your knowledge of the subject, the more enthusiastic and confident you will be during the discussion.
- 6. Oral Communication Skills: If subject knowledge is important, communication skills is more important as without expression, the knowledge is of no use. As the exchange of ideas in a group discussion takes place through speech, one of the pre-requisites of success in a GD is the ability to speak confidently and convincingly. Good communication skills include active listening, clarity of though and expression, apt language and proper non verbal clues.
- 7. Listening Skills: Listening is as important as speaking in a GD, unless you listen, you cannot contribute to the stated purpose of communication. Clarity of thought and expression: Clarity is the art of making yourself clear to the audience. Only when your expressions are clear, you can convince your team and the panel. Apt Language: The flow of language must be smooth. Use simple language and avoid long winding sentences. Appropriateness of language demands that there should be no errors of grammar. Do not use unfamiliar phrases and flowery language. Be precise. Be polite and courteous. Proper non verbal clues: Non verbal clues include eye contact, body movements, gestures and facial expressions. The panel very keenly watches the non verbal behavior of the team.
- 8. Team behavior: Your group behavior is reflected in your ability to interact with the other members of the group. You must be mature enough to not lose your temper even if you are proved wrong. You must be patient and balanced. Your success in a GD depends on how well you play the role of initiator, information seeker, information giver, procedure facilitator, opinion seeker, opinion giver, clarifier, summarizer, social-supporter, tension reliever, compromiser, attacker, humorist and dominator. Leadership Skills: The success of any team depends to a larger extent on its leader. The panel evaluates a candidate’s personal skills which allow him to prove himself as a natural leader in the GD A good leader should neither be very authoritative nor submissive but must be democratic.
- 9. TO SUMMARIZE: Advantages of a GD: Ideas can be generated, shared and tried out. Groups provide a support and growth for any endeavor. Combine talents to provide innovative solutions. Phases in a GD: Initiation/introduction The central group discussion Summarization/conclusion
- 10. What to do in a GD? • Speaking is important; do not sit silently. Speak freely. • Do not monopolize the conversation or talk too much. • Give everyone a chance to speak. • Maintain eye contact with everyone in the group. • Show active listening skills. • Do not interrupt anyone while they are speaking. • Keep the topic on track and don’t be irrelevant. • Encourage someone who is silent to talk. • Do not argue with anyone. • Do not debate with anyone, while the group looks on. • Do not repeat what has been said; be attentive; try to develop on ideas expressed or give out new ideas. • Clarify your doubts and then proceed. • Be brief. • Do not commit grammatical errors while talking.