TIPS & TECHNIQUES OF GROUP DISCUSSION
Group Discussion Tips (GD) A group discussion (GD) is a simulated exercise. The note attempts to present a few tips on GD and how to handle them to ensure a positive outcome. Here's how most group discussions work: Normally groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given a specific situation to analyze and discuss within a given time limit. The group may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a problem. The group may be given a topic and asked to discuss on the same. A panel will observe the proceedings and evaluate the members of the group. GD forms the primary stage of contact between the interviewer and interviewee. In this methodology, the group of candidates (may be in between 6 to 10 depends on the bank) given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss among themselves for about 10 minutes. The objective of GD is to judge the listening skills, attitude and confidence levels besides gauge analytical, leadership and decision making skills. Normally, the successful persons are one who communicate and interact with the group members with ease and clarity. The candidates need to inculcate the following traits for better results. 1. Listen carefully - Listen to the topic carefully and understand it. Be alert and vigilant. Sometimes, the topic may be really simple but the manner in which it is presented to you can be baffling. Make a rough sketch of the points that you would like to speak. Try and listen to the participants, respect their viewpoint too. This will also show that you are vigilant and are an active participant in the discussion. 2. Initiation – Take lead to initiate the Group Discussion, if you are happened to be the first speaker. But keep in mind that should have reasonable understanding of the topic. Speaking without proper subject knowledge may give poor impression. 3. Communication - Be well versed with topic and communication. You should have a good vocabulary and a good command over language. Rehearse well. 4. Simple & Sensible - Speak clearly and use simple and understandable words while speaking. Express your feelings calmly and politely. Be precise. Do not speak just to increase your speaking time. Even if you speak less but ensure that your thoughts are sensible and relevant. 5. Body Language: Besides what you are saying, remember that the panellists are observing your body language as well. Body gestures are very important because your body language says a lot about you. In a GD, sit straight; avoid leaning back on to the chair or knocking the table with a pen or your fingers. Do not look at the evaluators only. Keep eye contact with every team member while speaking. 6. Be accommodative - Speak less and listen more! Pay attention while others are speaking. Do not interrupt anyone in-between while speaking. If you do not agree with the other’s point of view, do not raise your tone in objection. Listen to his point of view and instead of dismissing it upfront, try and draw a common ground. Deviating from the main topic or passing strong statements like ‘I agree or disagree’ should be avoided. Your strategy should be to test the waters and make a generic statement relevant to the topic. 7.Formal dressing – Last but not the least, the dressing should be appropriate to the occasion and avoid fancy and funny dressing Top 10 basic group discussion tips Top basic Group Discussion tips include tips to Prepare For Group Discussions before and during the Group Discussion round and important Do’s and Don’ts. Below are shared the Group Discussion Tips to hone your Group Discussion skills: Do’s
1. Rich Content with good subject knowledge Having good subject knowledge and rich content is the first and foremost GD tip to enter the Group Discussion Round. Following are the key steps to improve your Group discussion skills in regard to GD content preparation: You should prepare on variety of topics as rich and right subject knowledge will be
required during GD round. You should have subject knowledge and be well aware of the latest happenings around you, not just in India but around the world as well. Subject knowledge is a pre-requisite while you are preparing for a group discussion because you will then have the power to steer the conversation to whichever direction you want to. If you can memorize some relevant data, it will be an added advantage. If you are a good reader and read on variety of topics, it will help you in group discussion round. There is no need for last minute preparation. You should read over a period of time. Reading not only adds to your knowledge database, but enhances your vocabulary skills as well. Always choose the magazines that are content rich and not just full of advertisements. Often magazines have columns which are promoting a particular institute etc. Avoid such magazines, do some research and buy the best that will be beneficial for you. 2. Be a Leader There is no doubt that to emerge a winner in GD round you should speak after getting a grasp on the given topic. But it also gives you opportunity to take lead. So be a leader to begin the Group Discussion. Key tips are: Usually when the moderator announces the GD topic, for a minute there is silence all round. If possible, gather your thoughts in a few seconds and start the Group discussion with positive impact and be a leader. If you find that it is taking time to gather ideas, let others begin, and then enter the GD round by agreeing/disagreeing with previous speakers. Beginning the Group Discussion gives the opportunity to make an impact but if you are not able to make your point well, it will create negative effect. Therefore, it is not necessary to speak first but it is necessary that when you speak you are heard and are able to make your point well.If you are able to speak out the name of your previous speaker and then present your views, it will mark a good impact. 3. Be relevant When you speak you should speak to the point without any ambiguity of thought Express your ideas at length. If you simply follow the other speaker or his ideas, remember your elimination is imminent Wherever possible, emphasize your point with facts and figures 4. Be a good Listener Learn to be a good listener. Listening Skills are Essential for GD round, so carefully listen to what others have to say. Just speaking throughout the discussion doesn’t make you better. You should learn to give others a chance to speak. Try and listen to others.If the speaker is making an eye-contact with you remember to acknowledge him by nodding your head, so that the speaker is aware that his listeners are listening to him and paying full attention. This will also show that you are vigilant and are an active participant in the discussion. Unless you listen well, it will not be possible for you to add value to your content and communication Listening offers you the opportunity to summarise the Group Discussion on each and every aspect. 5. Improve your Communication Skills You may have good and rich content with lot of ideas but if you are not able to communicate well your thoughts and opinions, all is useless. The need is now to improve your communication skills with following GD tips: Be well versed in your communication skills. You should have a good vocabulary and a decent command over English. Much before your actual group discussion, rehearse well. You can sit with a group of friends and choose a topic and indulge in a friendly GD. Not only will this increase your knowledge, you will be a better speaker by the time it is time for your GD. In case you are not sure about something, you can use phrases such as: “I think” or “Probably/Approximately” or “If I remember correctly” 6. Body gestures: Very important tool for Group Discussion The panelists observe the way you sit and react in the course of the discussion. Body gestures are very important, because your body language says a lot about you. In a GD, sit straight, avoid leaning back on to the chair or knocking the table with pen or your fingers. Also, do not get distracted easily. Nervous body movements, folding your hands across your chest, having skeptical expression, constantly moving, evading eye movements are the indicators of a negative personality and should be avoided at all costs. Don’ts 7. No Aggressive Move It is expected during the Group Discussion that you are firm on your ideas and are audible enough to make an impact on the group. But being aggressive, shouting and not allowing others in the group to speak, is not appreciated. So be careful and don’t be a bully.
8. Don’t Crisscross on your Ideas Don’t crisscross your ideas. The topics given in Group Discussion are debatable, you might like to speak for or against the topic and while speaking don’t forget that you may be crossing your own lines. It gives a bad impact and you are judged a person who has no stand for his own thought. 9. Don’t be a part of fish market As a team player, your ability to lead and play in team is measured in the GD. During the Group Discussion there are many instances where you will find every one is saying something and no one is heard. It is better to be quiet for a while and then after gathering your thoughts, raise your voice initially and make your point. 10. Don’t give up: Make multiple entries Don’t be content with one round of one minute or half a minute speaking in the group. Focus on key points, form the ideas and opinions to enter again based on the views presented by others to further strengthen your view point. The Group Discussion round passes through highs and lows. So it is a good opportunity to re-enter the Group Discussion after gathering more ideas coming out of others’ view and make an entry when the noise level is low in Group Discussion. Group Discussion(GD) - Skills Evaluated Group discussion is an important dimension of the selection process. Any organization requires students to work with others for effective functioning. In today's context, the educational institutes and organizations are interested in team players rather than individual contributors. During the Group Discussion, the panel essentially evaluates the candidate's potential to be a leader and also his/her ability to work in teams. Remember that organizations are typically on the look out for candidates who will inspire to lead and succeed and for that you need to be a good team player. Here is a sample list of skills assessed during a group discussion: Leadership skills: Ability to take leadership roles and ability to lead, inspire and carry the team along to help them achieve group's objectives.Example: To be able to initiate the group discussion, or to be able to guide the group especially when the discussion begins losing relevance or try to encourage all members to participate in the discussion. Communication skills: The participating candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought, expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a willingness to accommodate others views. Example: To be able to use simple language and explain concepts clearly so that it is easily understood by all. You actually get negative marks for using esoteric jargons in an attempt to show-off your knowledge. Interpersonal skills:This is reflected in the ability of the individual to interact with other members of the group in a brief situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal relationships. The person has to be more people centric and less self-centered. Listening skill is an important requisite. Example: To remain cool even when someone provokes you with a personal comment, ability to remain objective, ability to empathize, non-threatening and more of a team player. Persuasive skills: Ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple perspectives without hurting the group members. Example: While appreciating someone else's point of view, you should be able to effectively communicate your view without overtly hurting the other person. Problem solving skills:Ability to come out with divergent and offbeat solutions and use one's own creativity.Example: While thinking of solutions, don't be afraid to think of novel solutions. This is a high- risk high-return strategy. Conceptualizing skills :The ability to grasp the situation, take it from the day to day mundane problem level and apply it to a macro level.Example: At the end of the discussion, you could probably summarize the findings in a few sentences that present the overall perspective. Group Discussion(GD) - Common Mistakes Wise men learn from others mistakes, while the less fortunate, from their own. Here's a list of the most common mistakes made during group discussions:
Emotional outburst : Simran was offended when one of the male participants in a group discussion made a statement on women generally being submissive while explaining his point of view. When Simran finally got an opportunity to speak, instead of focusing on the topic, she vented her anger by accusing the other candidate for being a male chauvinist and went on to defend women in general. What Simran essentially did was to Deviate from the subject Treat the discussion as a forum to air her own views. Lose objectivity and make personal attacks. Her behaviour would have been perceived as immature and de-motivating to the rest of the team. TIPS FOR PARTICIPATING IN GROUP DISCUSSION Group Discussion is relavely a new concept introduced by our bank to assess the potenal of the employee. Following potenal competencies shall be assessed by the group discussion : 1. Managerial Competencies - Planning, Organizing, Decision making, Risk taking, Delegaon & Control 2. Client Management - Customer Orientaon, Quality Consciousness Markeng & Profit orientaon 3. People Related - Leadership, Team Building and Communicaon Skills 4. Personal Competencies - Iniaves, Resilience (Self renewing capability) Organizaonal Sensivity HOW GROUP DISCUSSION IS CONDUCTED? 1. Each group consists of minimum 8-12 parcipants but it can go more than 20 also. 2. Parcipants taking part in group discussion are seated in a semi-circular seang arrangement. 3. There will be 4 observers (one Observer may be as Guest Observer) who will keenly observe and rate the parcipants on pre-idenfied parameters. 4. Group discussion will be held as below : A Topic is given with 8-10 aributes, it can be more than 20 parcipants which are to be priorized individually at the first instance; Then group has to discuss and priories and try to arrive at a consensus. Time allowed for this exercise is about 20-30 minutes. Parcipant's performance will be observed and recorded by the Observers Tips on Subject You should be well aware of the latest happenings around you, not only pertains to our Bank but also banking industry as a whole. To be in a better position, make sure that you have in-depth knowledge on the topic. Often, the GD topics are generic banking topics with contemporary flavours. There are topics which re-appear with minor variations. Be aware of such topics well in advance so that you have ample time to prepare for the same. The indicative topics are Stressed Assets, Strategies to augment profit, Alternate Delivery Channels, Digital Payments, Challenges before Public Sector Banks, Opportunities in Gen-Y Banking, Risk Management, HR issues in Banking, Life Cycle Product approach, Consolidation of Banks, Branch Profit Planning, etc., often appear as GD topics. Make sure you know these topics well and can come up with some unique, insightful points along with dates, stating facts. Subject knowledge is a pre-requisite while you are preparing for a group discussion because you will then have the power to steer the conversation to whichever direction you want to. If you can memorise some relevant data, it will be an added advantage. Indeed, initiation of discussion is an advantage and closing it too also adds brownie points. If you can grab the opportunity to close the discussion, then you should summarise it. If the group has not reached a conclusion try concluding it. Accomplishing in a group discussion is like driving a car and should aware when to apply brakes or accelerate depends on the conversation to turn onto your side
Group Discussion Tips (GD) A group discussion (GD) is a simulated exercise. The note attempts to present a few tips on GD and how to handle them to ensure a positive outcome. Here's how most group discussions work: Normally groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given a specific situation to analyze and discuss within a given time limit. The group may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a problem. The group may be given a topic and asked to discuss on the same. A panel will observe the proceedings and evaluate the members of the group. GD forms the primary stage of contact between the interviewer and interviewee. In this methodology, the group of candidates (may be in between 6 to 10 depends on the bank) given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss among themselves for about 10 minutes. The objective of GD is to judge the listening skills, attitude and confidence levels besides gauge analytical, leadership and decision making skills. Normally, the successful persons are one who communicate and interact with the group members with ease and clarity. The candidates need to inculcate the following traits for better results. 1. Listen carefully - Listen to the topic carefully and understand it. Be alert and vigilant. Sometimes, the topic may be really simple but the manner in which it is presented to you can be baffling. Make a rough sketch of the points that you would like to speak. Try and listen to the participants, respect their viewpoint too. This will also show that you are vigilant and are an active participant in the discussion. 2. Initiation – Take lead to initiate the Group Discussion, if you are happened to be the first speaker. But keep in mind that should have reasonable understanding of the topic. Speaking without proper subject knowledge may give poor impression. 3. Communication - Be well versed with topic and communication. You should have a good vocabulary and a good command over language. Rehearse well. 4. Simple & Sensible - Speak clearly and use simple and understandable words while speaking. Express your feelings calmly and politely. Be precise. Do not speak just to increase your speaking time. Even if you speak less but ensure that your thoughts are sensible and relevant. 5. Body Language: Besides what you are saying, remember that the panellists are observing your body language as well. Body gestures are very important because your body language says a lot about you. In a GD, sit straight; avoid leaning back on to the chair or knocking the table with a pen or your fingers. Do not look at the evaluators only. Keep eye contact with every team member while speaking. 6. Be accommodative - Speak less and listen more! Pay attention while others are speaking. Do not interrupt anyone in-between while speaking. If you do not agree with the other’s point of view, do not raise your tone in objection. Listen to his point of view and instead of dismissing it upfront, try and draw a common ground. Deviating from the main topic or passing strong statements like ‘I agree or disagree’ should be avoided. Your strategy should be to test the waters and make a generic statement relevant to the topic. 7.Formal dressing – Last but not the least, the dressing should be appropriate to the occasion and avoid fancy and funny dressing Top 10 basic group discussion tips Top basic Group Discussion tips include tips to Prepare For Group Discussions before and during the Group Discussion round and important Do’s and Don’ts. Below are shared the Group Discussion Tips to hone your Group Discussion skills: Do’s
1. Rich Content with good subject knowledge Having good subject knowledge and rich content is the first and foremost GD tip to enter the Group Discussion Round. Following are the key steps to improve your Group discussion skills in regard to GD content preparation: You should prepare on variety of topics as rich and right subject knowledge will be
required during GD round. You should have subject knowledge and be well aware of the latest happenings around you, not just in India but around the world as well. Subject knowledge is a pre-requisite while you are preparing for a group discussion because you will then have the power to steer the conversation to whichever direction you want to. If you can memorize some relevant data, it will be an added advantage. If you are a good reader and read on variety of topics, it will help you in group discussion round. There is no need for last minute preparation. You should read over a period of time. Reading not only adds to your knowledge database, but enhances your vocabulary skills as well. Always choose the magazines that are content rich and not just full of advertisements. Often magazines have columns which are promoting a particular institute etc. Avoid such magazines, do some research and buy the best that will be beneficial for you. 2. Be a Leader There is no doubt that to emerge a winner in GD round you should speak after getting a grasp on the given topic. But it also gives you opportunity to take lead. So be a leader to begin the Group Discussion. Key tips are: Usually when the moderator announces the GD topic, for a minute there is silence all round. If possible, gather your thoughts in a few seconds and start the Group discussion with positive impact and be a leader. If you find that it is taking time to gather ideas, let others begin, and then enter the GD round by agreeing/disagreeing with previous speakers. Beginning the Group Discussion gives the opportunity to make an impact but if you are not able to make your point well, it will create negative effect. Therefore, it is not necessary to speak first but it is necessary that when you speak you are heard and are able to make your point well.If you are able to speak out the name of your previous speaker and then present your views, it will mark a good impact. 3. Be relevant When you speak you should speak to the point without any ambiguity of thought Express your ideas at length. If you simply follow the other speaker or his ideas, remember your elimination is imminent Wherever possible, emphasize your point with facts and figures 4. Be a good Listener Learn to be a good listener. Listening Skills are Essential for GD round, so carefully listen to what others have to say. Just speaking throughout the discussion doesn’t make you better. You should learn to give others a chance to speak. Try and listen to others.If the speaker is making an eye-contact with you remember to acknowledge him by nodding your head, so that the speaker is aware that his listeners are listening to him and paying full attention. This will also show that you are vigilant and are an active participant in the discussion. Unless you listen well, it will not be possible for you to add value to your content and communication Listening offers you the opportunity to summarise the Group Discussion on each and every aspect. 5. Improve your Communication Skills You may have good and rich content with lot of ideas but if you are not able to communicate well your thoughts and opinions, all is useless. The need is now to improve your communication skills with following GD tips: Be well versed in your communication skills. You should have a good vocabulary and a decent command over English. Much before your actual group discussion, rehearse well. You can sit with a group of friends and choose a topic and indulge in a friendly GD. Not only will this increase your knowledge, you will be a better speaker by the time it is time for your GD. In case you are not sure about something, you can use phrases such as: “I think” or “Probably/Approximately” or “If I remember correctly” 6. Body gestures: Very important tool for Group Discussion The panelists observe the way you sit and react in the course of the discussion. Body gestures are very important, because your body language says a lot about you. In a GD, sit straight, avoid leaning back on to the chair or knocking the table with pen or your fingers. Also, do not get distracted easily. Nervous body movements, folding your hands across your chest, having skeptical expression, constantly moving, evading eye movements are the indicators of a negative personality and should be avoided at all costs. Don’ts 7. No Aggressive Move It is expected during the Group Discussion that you are firm on your ideas and are audible enough to make an impact on the group. But being aggressive, shouting and not allowing others in the group to speak, is not appreciated. So be careful and don’t be a bully.
8. Don’t Crisscross on your Ideas Don’t crisscross your ideas. The topics given in Group Discussion are debatable, you might like to speak for or against the topic and while speaking don’t forget that you may be crossing your own lines. It gives a bad impact and you are judged a person who has no stand for his own thought. 9. Don’t be a part of fish market As a team player, your ability to lead and play in team is measured in the GD. During the Group Discussion there are many instances where you will find every one is saying something and no one is heard. It is better to be quiet for a while and then after gathering your thoughts, raise your voice initially and make your point. 10. Don’t give up: Make multiple entries Don’t be content with one round of one minute or half a minute speaking in the group. Focus on key points, form the ideas and opinions to enter again based on the views presented by others to further strengthen your view point. The Group Discussion round passes through highs and lows. So it is a good opportunity to re-enter the Group Discussion after gathering more ideas coming out of others’ view and make an entry when the noise level is low in Group Discussion. Group Discussion(GD) - Skills Evaluated Group discussion is an important dimension of the selection process. Any organization requires students to work with others for effective functioning. In today's context, the educational institutes and organizations are interested in team players rather than individual contributors. During the Group Discussion, the panel essentially evaluates the candidate's potential to be a leader and also his/her ability to work in teams. Remember that organizations are typically on the look out for candidates who will inspire to lead and succeed and for that you need to be a good team player. Here is a sample list of skills assessed during a group discussion: Leadership skills: Ability to take leadership roles and ability to lead, inspire and carry the team along to help them achieve group's objectives.Example: To be able to initiate the group discussion, or to be able to guide the group especially when the discussion begins losing relevance or try to encourage all members to participate in the discussion. Communication skills: The participating candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought, expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a willingness to accommodate others views. Example: To be able to use simple language and explain concepts clearly so that it is easily understood by all. You actually get negative marks for using esoteric jargons in an attempt to show-off your knowledge. Interpersonal skills:This is reflected in the ability of the individual to interact with other members of the group in a brief situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal relationships. The person has to be more people centric and less self-centered. Listening skill is an important requisite. Example: To remain cool even when someone provokes you with a personal comment, ability to remain objective, ability to empathize, non-threatening and more of a team player. Persuasive skills: Ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple perspectives without hurting the group members. Example: While appreciating someone else's point of view, you should be able to effectively communicate your view without overtly hurting the other person. Problem solving skills:Ability to come out with divergent and offbeat solutions and use one's own creativity.Example: While thinking of solutions, don't be afraid to think of novel solutions. This is a high- risk high-return strategy. Conceptualizing skills :The ability to grasp the situation, take it from the day to day mundane problem level and apply it to a macro level.Example: At the end of the discussion, you could probably summarize the findings in a few sentences that present the overall perspective. Group Discussion(GD) - Common Mistakes Wise men learn from others mistakes, while the less fortunate, from their own. Here's a list of the most common mistakes made during group discussions:
Emotional outburst : Simran was offended when one of the male participants in a group discussion made a statement on women generally being submissive while explaining his point of view. When Simran finally got an opportunity to speak, instead of focusing on the topic, she vented her anger by accusing the other candidate for being a male chauvinist and went on to defend women in general. What Simran essentially did was to Deviate from the subject Treat the discussion as a forum to air her own views. Lose objectivity and make personal attacks. Her behaviour would have been perceived as immature and de-motivating to the rest of the team. TIPS FOR PARTICIPATING IN GROUP DISCUSSION Group Discussion is relavely a new concept introduced by our bank to assess the potenal of the employee. Following potenal competencies shall be assessed by the group discussion : 1. Managerial Competencies - Planning, Organizing, Decision making, Risk taking, Delegaon & Control 2. Client Management - Customer Orientaon, Quality Consciousness Markeng & Profit orientaon 3. People Related - Leadership, Team Building and Communicaon Skills 4. Personal Competencies - Iniaves, Resilience (Self renewing capability) Organizaonal Sensivity HOW GROUP DISCUSSION IS CONDUCTED? 1. Each group consists of minimum 8-12 parcipants but it can go more than 20 also. 2. Parcipants taking part in group discussion are seated in a semi-circular seang arrangement. 3. There will be 4 observers (one Observer may be as Guest Observer) who will keenly observe and rate the parcipants on pre-idenfied parameters. 4. Group discussion will be held as below : A Topic is given with 8-10 aributes, it can be more than 20 parcipants which are to be priorized individually at the first instance; Then group has to discuss and priories and try to arrive at a consensus. Time allowed for this exercise is about 20-30 minutes. Parcipant's performance will be observed and recorded by the Observers Tips on Subject You should be well aware of the latest happenings around you, not only pertains to our Bank but also banking industry as a whole. To be in a better position, make sure that you have in-depth knowledge on the topic. Often, the GD topics are generic banking topics with contemporary flavours. There are topics which re-appear with minor variations. Be aware of such topics well in advance so that you have ample time to prepare for the same. The indicative topics are Stressed Assets, Strategies to augment profit, Alternate Delivery Channels, Digital Payments, Challenges before Public Sector Banks, Opportunities in Gen-Y Banking, Risk Management, HR issues in Banking, Life Cycle Product approach, Consolidation of Banks, Branch Profit Planning, etc., often appear as GD topics. Make sure you know these topics well and can come up with some unique, insightful points along with dates, stating facts. Subject knowledge is a pre-requisite while you are preparing for a group discussion because you will then have the power to steer the conversation to whichever direction you want to. If you can memorise some relevant data, it will be an added advantage. Indeed, initiation of discussion is an advantage and closing it too also adds brownie points. If you can grab the opportunity to close the discussion, then you should summarise it. If the group has not reached a conclusion try concluding it. Accomplishing in a group discussion is like driving a car and should aware when to apply brakes or accelerate depends on the conversation to turn onto your side
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