Kishor Bhave

102, Kanchan Junga Apartments, Kanchan Gulli, Erandawane, Pune 411004

Tele: 25449686 T/Fax:25674407 E-mail: [email protected]

Group Discussion

Organizations have always been in search of selecting “right man for the right job”. But it need
not always be for employment and organizations are not always the conventional organizations
from industry.

What is important is to accept that achievements beyond individual capacity are possible
with only with Teamwork. This is best understood when we realize that the total is always
greater than the sum of its parts. But this requires that the team members complement skills;
enjoy compatibility and a common commitment.

In fact a group is a set of individuals who work together for a common task and share
common values despite having different skills. Experts, to learn more about the individual
than is evident from the bio-data, use psychological tests, aptitude tests or even the personal
interviews, often rely upon the group discussion process. If collective achievement is the goal or
a necessity, then the collective efforts are simply unavoidable.

But working in the groups is not that everyone finds easy. Even the most competent people have
proven to be worst team members. Take for example the musical concert. All individual experts
cannot necessarily produce music. If the teamwork is lacking, we will get “noise” and not music.
Highly skilled/trained people, who fail to work together, fail to produce music. Another very
convincing example is Indian cricket team. If the world renowned and acclaimed players cannot
perform as a team, then India (or for that matter any team) will usually lose the match. Have we
not experienced this often?

A group is expected to produce greater results than what the individual can. For the group to be
effective, we have to therefore, ensure certain qualities in the team members.

The group processes are fluid and the individuals participating in the group situation may be
carrying individual agendas. We have to be conscious of these two fundamental facts.

A group discussion must have clear purpose/s to achieve. These could be defined beforehand or
will have to emerge.

The purposes of the group discussion could be:

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1. To find a solution. 6. To share experiences.
2. To develop newer perspectives. 7. To take a decision.
3. To contribute further knowledge. 8. To create common commitment.
4. To brainstorm on the given topic. 9. Or any thing else.
5. To evolve a strategy to meet the
given situation.

While short listing suitable candidates is the main purpose of a group discussion
situation in matters of selection & recruitment, the main areas of observations
are structured around the following:

1. Evaluate performance of individuals without intervening.

2. The ability to martial useful and convincing arguments.
3. Interpersonal communication skills.
4. Value addition to the group processes.
5. Knowledge and skills deployed to get others to see and accept own
viewpoints.
6. Generosity and receptivity towards the viewpoints of others.
7. Ability to maintain decorum in the discussion and to ensure that
members of the group who are otherwise not very communicative also
get involved in the discussion.

The common experience:

In a group discussion situation concerning selection, it would involve discussion of

any topic, as may be given or as the group may be asked to select. The observer’s role
is to NOT intervene or interfere, but to closely watch all that is happening in the
group processes and to draw objective inferences about each participant in terms of
selection criterion that have been pre-set by the organization.

In a selection situation, as far as possible, aid, assist or guide the group processes are
not available, but the group is allowed to perform freely. This approach helps the
observers to understand the demonstrated skills of communication, dialogue,
marshalling convincing arguments, demonstrate convictions, knowledge, grasp,
quality of thinking besides resilience, receptivity, reciprocity

What the observers’ value is the participant’s skill in identifying/promoting/assisting

and adding quality. Value addition is most critical of all that is observed.

As a participant one has to know that the path to success in the Group
Discussion is dependent upon many of the following traits.

1. Organized thinking. 9. Building comfort relationships.

2. Analytical Ability. 10. Earning Acceptance.
3. Fluency in communication. 11. Leadership potential.
4. Willingness to listen. 12. Expression.
5. Dominance. 13. Choice of words.
6. New Ideas. 14. Patience.
7. Persuasion. 15. Commitment to task.
8. Knowledge content. 16. Inspiring Confidence.
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17. Rapport building skills. 19. Ability to handle abstractions.
18. Conceptualization skills. 20. Value Addition.

Myths about Group Discussions:

1. One who speaks first wins: WRONG. Being first is not the most important thing
in group discussion. Whether you speak first or otherwise is not the issue. What
you speak is important.
2. One who speaks most wins: WRONG. It is not the quantity, but the quality that
matters. Your verbosity can be quite boring. A few meaningful contributions will
go a long way. So be obsessed with your ability to value addition.
3. One who speaks the loudest is heard and therefore wins : WRONG. Loud
speech suggests tendencies to dominate and intolerance towards others and what
they wish to add to the group process. This may amount to depriving the group
from benefiting from other viewpoints.
4. Domination in a group situation is a sure indication of leadership : WRONG.
No one likes overbearing leaders, as they tend to suppress anything that does not
match what the leader is attempting to force the group accepting his own
viewpoints. This defeats the very purpose of group process.
5. Coordinating and balancing the group processes is valued very high : NOT
NECESSARILY. Intelligently handled, it can get you noticed, especially when
the group processes are going haywire. That would be an act of maturity. But this
kind of maturity does not always help you to win. Your enthusiasm in the process,
the value addition and your skills in generating consensus within the group count
in a material way.
6. Summing up the discussion either at the end or periodically wins : WRONG.
This is a very useful strategy. But one can not depend upon it alone. So long as
you are able to ensure the forward movement of the group towards the goal, other
things fade into significance. However, even in this path, quality your
contributions and your ability to win acceptance from the group without
destroying the group field are of utmost importance.

What should individual participants remember?

If you are keen that you must stand out in group discussion test, then first internalize
the points made herein, but a few tips given below will help you build a success
strategy.

1. Be friendly: We are ourselves receptive to whatever our friends may have to say.
If the members of the group perceive you as friendly, the chances are that the
group will lend their ears to you. But do not put on an appearance of friendliness.
Be genuinely friendly!
2. Listen: While it important to make valuable contributions tot he discussions, it is
equally, if not more important to listen to what other are saying. The members feel
included and become cooperative. So, it is a good plan to listen, to support when
necessary, compliment when a good point is made by anyone and thereby win
their support without actually asking for it.
3. Be generous in praise: Acknowledging good contribution spontaneously will go
a long way in building bridges. Each of us likes to be praised. Unless you give,
you don’t get, remember? But don’t be pseudo in your approach. Do not dilute
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 your compliments by adding conditionalities. In praise never be condescending
towards others.
4. Never express disagreements without suggesting alternatives: Do not avoid
stating reasons for your views especially when your views could possibly generate
misunderstanding. To say that you do not agree with something and not stating
the reasons for your disagreements is sure to generate hostility to even the good
points from you.
5. Confine to dignity in speech and conduct: Your language, tone, tenor,
expressions, and gesticulations all count. Tact is superior to force, especially in a
group situation. Tact is persuation and force is compulsion.
6. Repartee is better than sarcasm: But are you equipped to carefully handling
these two skillfully. If in doubt, leave them alone, otherwise, the repartee could
land you in trouble. But handled expertly, it can win you a lot admiration from the
members of the group.
7. Control your negative responses even if you thought these were justified:
While positivism breeds positivism, negativism comes back in double measure.
Again, you must be genuine and authentic. If your positivism is perceived pseudo,
then you are sure to be in trouble.

Group Discussion is a very useful scrutiny in assessing if the participant could be an

effective member in a group. Like in any testing, the selectors may make mistake in
judging, but do not like to be fooled and this they can easily detect. Even if you are
able to hoodwink the selectors, in the reality of the situation you might prove to be an
obstacle to achievements of the organizations or of the group that you may be part of
and vitiate achievement possibilities.

Respect the process, give your best to the process. If you are a genuine person, then
the tips herein will help you improve your performance, but you may ever be able to
use these to create the make-believe. Sooner than later you will be found out to your
irreparable loss.

But getting through the Group Discussion scrutiny is not impossible. Sincerity and
genuine efforts based on study, thought and dedication will lead you on to success.

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