If you can follow few basic tips during a Group Discussion, you will find a way to be the best in a Group Discussion. Here are some tips that can help you while participating in Group Discussions

Maintain Eye Contact While Speaking

Do not just look at the evaluators. Maintain eye-to-eye contact with all the group members while speaking.

Initiate the Group Discussion

Initiating the Group Discussion can make a big plus point for you. But remember, take the initiation only if you understood the group discussion point, and only if you have proper knowledge and awareness of the topic. Speaking without proper knowledge can bring a bad impression on you.

Allow Other Participants to Speak

Do not try to interrupt someone while speaking. Even if you do not agree with their points or thoughts, do not try to grab the chance to speak. Instead, you can take notes while they are speaking, and raise the point and clear it out during your turn.

Speak Clearly

You should speak loudly, still politely and clearly, so that you can be heard by everyone. Try to use simple words that can be understood by everyone. Do not try to put heavy vocabulary thinking that it can bring a plus. Group discussion not to evaluate your language, rather it is to evaluate your communication skills, where it is necessary to be understood by everyone.

Even if you do not like someone’s point, or if someone’s point hurt you, try to express yourself calmly and politely, instead of being aggressive.

Don’t Deviate from the Topic

Do not try to bring points that are irrelevant to topic. Even by chance someone tries to distract the team from the topic; it is a good move for you to take the initiative to bring the subject back to the topic.

Positive attitude

Speak confidently. Don’t try to dominate other participants. Maintain positive body language.

Speak sensibly

Do not speak too much, just to add time to your speaking duration. It is not about how long you speak, it is about how sensibly you spoke. Though you speak for less time, it should be of sensible and relevant, and should try give an aim to the topic.

Be a Good Listener 

Pay attention while other members are speaking. This makes you involve in the group positively, and it brings a coherent discussion.

No Need of Statistics

The discussion is about how much you are aware of the topic. You do not need to come up with exact figures and numbers. As you have very limited time, just be precise and try to convey your thoughts in a short and simple language.

Formal dressing:

You should always attend a group discussion in a formal wear. No funny and fancy dressing. It is just like a personal interview.

PERSONALITY TRAITS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION

While following the above tips, it is better for you to be aware of some personality traits that an evaluator looks for in the candidate, during a group discussion. Here is the list of the most essential personality traits that the candidates need to possess while participating in a Group Discussion.

Team Player

Business Schools and Organizations put a great importance on this factor because it is very important for managers or any other professionals to be good team players, because managers or other professionals always work in teams, and from team member he can become a team leader one day. Candidates who lack good team skills cannot become good team leaders.

Reasoning Ability

Reasoning ability also plays an important place while expressing your ideas and opinions at a Group Discussion. It is always good to give proper reasoning for your ideas and opinions. It shows your reasoning ability and makes your points reasonable and can be highlighted among the group.

Leadership

Usually three types of situations arise in a Group Discussion.

1. A Group Discussion where participants are not able to speak much or not able to coordinate properly
2.  A Group Discussion where participants may get emotionally excited and the Group Discussion gets chaotic
3. A Group Discussion where participants discuss aggressively on the topic

Here, there is a need of a leader who can facilitate the third situation at a Group Discussion

A leader should have the following traits

•  Get the group back to the track while the group go away the topic
•  Coordinate different team member’s efforts in the Group Discussion
• Contribute to the Group Discussion regularly with his/her valuable approach
• Inspire and motivate other members to express their ideas and views

Along with the above, you should also try to steer the discussion towards the goal.

Flexibility

The candidate should be open to others ideas as well, and balance them with your own ideas. This is what flexibility is about. But it is not at all good idea to start a group discussion with a conclusion or a stand.

For instance, if the topic is ‘Should India declare war with Pakisthan?’, most of the candidates tend to get emotional and take a conclusion either against or in favor to the topic, like ‘Yes, India should declare’ or ‘No, India should not declare’.

By concluding, you are already expression your decision, so there is no need of discussion about the topic, i.e. you are indirectly saying you are not interested in considering other participants’ views.

Also, when you encounter a strong point of opposition during the conversation, you will face trouble with the conclusion that you made in the beginning

• If you change your view from your conclusion, you will be considered as a fickle minded
• If you do not change your view even when there is a clear explanation by someone on the topic, you will be considered as stubborn and inflexible candidate.

Assertiveness

The participant should always express the point in a vigorous, confident and positive manner. Assertiveness is often confused with aggressiveness.

Aggressiveness is about forcing your views on the second person, and can look like a threat. Aggressive participant displays negative body language, where as the assertive person displays positive body language.

Initiative

A general belief among all is that, it is a good move to take initiation in the Group Discussion, but it has a risk-high return strategy. You are suggested to take the initiation in a group discussion, only if you are very much aware of the topic. If you start the topic, and if you are not able to contribute in the discussion at regular intervals, it gives an impression to the evaluators that you initiated the Group Discussion just to score marks for the initiation.

Creativity/ Out of the box thinking

A perspective or an idea that opens new possibilities for the discussion is always appreciated. If you express a new idea that is discussed at a long length by the remaining participants, you can be found in the good books of the evaluator.

Inspiring ability

A group discussion is considered as good, when views of all the group members are incorporated. If you see someone trying to say something but are not able to express themselves, by giving them an opportunity to express their opinions and ideas, which will be considered as a positive trait by the evaluator.

Listening

This is where many of the participants get negative remark. Everyone wants to express themselves, but is never ready to listen to others point of view. You need to try to balance between expressing your opinions and considering others.

Awareness

The candidate must be well versed with both the macro and micro environment. Your awareness on the environment helps you a lot on the Group Discussion content, which carries maximum score.

Note: Awareness or content usually contributes 40 – 50 percent score of a Group Discussion.

An effective and good communication is definitely a important key for a successful group discussion. Do not forget, you are not alone who is speaking in the group discussion; there are few other participants too who are competing for the attention. You will never get a second chance to create the first impression. You cannot afford to miss the chance to create the best impression, as they say first impression is the best impression. You may have a complete knowledge on the topic assigned to the group, you might be well aware of what is happening around you. But if you cannot communicate your ideas and thoughts effectively to others, you will fail to create your mark. The way you communicate your ideas up to the expectations of the evaluators make a good impression on you.

For instance, Stephen attended for an interview with a reputed company. It has been his long time aim to work for this company. He passed the entire face to face round extremely well, and looking forward to get selected in the organization. Unfortunately, he could not do well in the Group Discussion round. He is exceptionally good in all his academics, had a good professional experience, and he tried to express his ideas at his best possible way during the group discussion round. Then, why did he fail? It was because of his communication level. Though he tried pretty well to express his views, he could not do it because of improper communication skills, and failed to impress the evaluator, thus lost his dream job.

This scenario obviously proves that an effective communication is the backbone for a successful group discussion. It is not sufficient to have great ideas and views; you should also have an art to convert them into words. You have to master this art to win over the confidence and trust of the evaluator. You need to choose the right words to express and share your thoughts with the others. You need to be very careful and rationale in this and should make your points very clear. You should not use slang and you should not try to crack jokes during a group discussion. These acts are considered as unprofessional. You should no chew the words or stammer during the discussion; speak clearly. Your voice should not be shaky, should not sound like you are afraid to speak.

You should maintain a positive attitude through out the round. You will not get your markets deducted if you greet or handshake your fellow participants. Rather, this will create positive atmosphere for the discussion, also help in breaking the ice to create a good bond among the participants. To have the discussion on, someone has to start to. So, why shouldn’t you be the one to initiate the discussion? Introduce yourself to the group members and take the initiative to start the discussion.

Though you should try to inspire someone who is not able to express himself, you should not force someone to speak if he is not willing to speak. If you find someone spoke well, do not hesitate to appreciate him or give him a pat on his back. Such verbal and non verbal acts sometimes may help boosting up self confidence and morale of the group members. You should be confident enough to win the trust of the other participants as well as the evaluator.

You should always take good care of your pitch and tone. You are speaking for others to listen and respond to you. Always make sure that you are audible to everyone. All the participants and the evaluator must be able to hear you clearly, and should understand what you are trying to convey. Art of voice modulation can help you gain more attention. Keeping the same pitch to express any sort of idea is kind of boring for the participants. You pitch should be according to the importance of the word. You need to stress on the word or a phrase that is important.

It is always better to avoid being too loud or shout during group discussions. You are not here to fight on an issue; you just have to put forward your opinion. You should keep your voice pleasant, soft and convincing. Do not sound foolish, as the evaluator has an eye on you. Take care of your words flow. Make pauses when needed. Don’t speak like you are reading something from a book. Also try to avoid repeated sentences, which may lead to monotony; you may be ignored.

Never try to make fun of other participants’ views, though they sound funny to you. They might not be from the same background that you are from, or might be they have some different thought process. It is a good trait to respect others opinions too during a group discussion. If you do not like someone’s speech, do not oppose him in between or do not criticize him. You can speak on it, when your turn comes. You have to have lot of patience while participating in a group discussion. You should be calm, sophisticated, dignified, and over all should have a very professional approach.

It is not a good deed to fight with the group members. You should give value to others opinions too. You should be a good listener. You should be very alert and pay attention while others speak. At the same time, make sure of what you speak, do not depend on guess jobs. You should try to be the best to sound impressive, and your English should be more of articulate. Do not be panic during the discussion, keep control on the words, and stay calm and composed. No one can stop you being the winner in a group discussion, if you have proper control on your communication skills along with some behavioral traits.

• Technology Creates Income Disparities
• Skilled Manpower Shortage in India
• Use of Force by Banks to Recover Loans
• Should India break Diplomatic Ties with Pakistan?
• Is Swadeshi Relevant for India Today?
• Privatization will lead to Less Corruption
• Advertising is a Waste of Resources
• Change from Public Sector to Privatization (as in the U.K.) is the Right Answer for India’s -Instant Economic Breakthrough
• Stock Market Crash – Sub Prime Crisis in US
• Consumer is God in Today’s Market
• India will be a Superpower in 21′st Century with 40 Crore Hungry People
• Public Sector is more a Hindrance than Help to Promote Socialism
• Should PSUs be divested through Strategic Sale or Public Offer?
• Steal a Few Lakh and you’re a Criminal; Steal a Few Hundred Crore and you become an industrialist
•  Are MNCs Superior to Indian Companies?
• Will Market Reforms Enrich RichStates Further, while Poorer Ones Lag Further?
• Should Agricultural Subsidies be stopped?
• Is the Budgeting Exercise of any Use?
• Government Pumping Money into the Economy is not the Solution for our Economic Problems
• How can a Business get rid of the Bad Name that it has earned?
• Capitalism is a very Flawed System but the others are so much worse
• Public Sector being a Guarantor of Job Security is a Myth
• Is the Business of Business only Business?
• Is the Patents Bill Good for India?
• Is there any Point in having a Business Strategy when the World changes from Month to Month?
• Commercialization of Health Care: Good or Bad?
• Is the Consumer really the King in India?
• Ethics in Business are just a Passing Fad
• Are Indians Less Quality Conscious?
• Multinational Corporations: Are they Devils in Disguise?
• How to Deal with High Oil Prices?
• Should the Public Sector be Privatized?
• Rise of Regional Blocs Threatens Independent Nations like India
• We Need Drinking Water and Not Coke & Pepsi in Rural India
• Why can’t India be a World-Class Player in Manufacturing Industry as it is in IT & BPO Sectors?
• Banning of Trade Unions will be Beneficial in Growth of the Economy
• What shall we do about our Ever-Increasing Population?
• Is Globalization Really Necessary?
• A Unipolar World Spells Disaster for Underdeveloped Countries like India
• Indian Economy: Old Wine in New Bottle!
• Poverty in Third World Countries is due to Prosperity in First World Countries
• Developing Countries need Trade, not Aid
• Private Participation in Infrastructure is Highly Desirable
• SEZs: Boon or Bane?
• Retailing is killing the Neighborhood Kirana Shops
• Space Missions are a Wastage of Resources for a Resource-Starved Nation like India
• Foreign Aid is a Dangerous Drug: Stimulates in Small Doses but becomes Fatally Addictive in Larger Ones
• Are Co-operatives Relevant in Today’s Global Environment?
• All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy
• Nice Guys Finish Last
• A Person should not be too honest; Straight Trees are cut first
• Cleanliness is a Fundamental Responsibility of an Indian Citizen
• Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus
• In Today’s World, Everything is Uncertain except Death & Taxes
• Good Things Always Come from Good Thinking
• Is God Male?
• Is Love Precious or Poisonous?
• There is No Right Way of Doing the Wrong Thing
• Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
• Food Comes First, Ethics Later
• Rules are Meant to be Broken
• Every Cloud has a Silver Lining
• Do Beauty and Brains Go Together?
• A Ship Docked in Harbor cannot face the Storms
• Cricket as a National Obsession is a Detriment to Other Sports
• Modern Day Sport in Industrialized Society is an Industry
• Are Cricketers to be blamed for Match Fixing?
• Six Billion and One Bronze!
• Is T20 Cricket killing Real Cricketing Skills?
• Cricket in India has lost its Sheen
• If Winning isn’t everything, why do they Keep the Score?
• Is it Necessary to Rename India’s Well-Known Cities in the name of Indianization?
• Reservations in the Private Sector
• Presidential v/s Parliamentary Form of Government in India
• Should Tainted Ministers Allowed to Contest Elections?
• Doctrine of “Limited Nuclear War” is an Ill-Convinced, Illogical, Irrational & Extremely -Dangerous Concept
• Democracy is Hampering India’s Progress
• Indo-US Nuclear Deal – Congress v/s Left
• Religion should not be mixed with Politics
• Value-based Politics is the Need of the Hour
• What India needs is a Dictatorship?
• Should Women have Reservation for their Upliftment?
• Corruption is the Price we pay for Democracy
• Retirement Age for Politicians
• Politics is Run by the Barrel of Gun
• Need for Good Leaders in India
• The Way Forward for India is to Join Hands with Pakistan on Nuclear Matters
• Should We Pursue our Policy of Dialogue with Pakistan?
• Voters, not Political Parties, are Responsible for the Criminalization of Politics
• Reserving Seats for Women in Panchayat not only a Farce but Distracts from Developing a more Genuine Voice of Women
• Necessity of Women Quota Bill for Women Empowerment
• Is our Political System Reason for our Backwardness?
• Rules & Regulation Breed Corruption
• Is Paperless Office a Reality or Not?
• Individual Brilliance Certainly makes a Difference
• Flexi Timings or Fixed Timings – Which is better at Work?
• Unrest in Countries around India
• India at 60: A Senior Citizen?
• Should Guys Expect their Educated Wives to be Virgins?
• Are Live-in Relationships better than Marriage?
• Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants in India
• Exit Options for the US from Iraq
• Is India Aping the Western Obsession with Celebrities?
• Universal Disarmament is a Must
• Doctors’ Accountability to Improve Health-Care
• Brain-Drain has to be stopped
• Is Swapping Terrorists for Hostages an Encouragement to Plane-Hijackers?
• Nuclear War cannot be won and should not be fought
• Conditional Access System for Cable TV Watchers: Boon or Bane?
• How safe is Unmarried Fairer Sex?
• Should Sting Operations be Carried Out?
• Should Research on Human Cloning be banned?
• Is India a Soft Nation?
• Is Dependence on Computers a Good Thing?
• Capital Punishment should be Banned or Allowed?
• Indian Army as a Career Option
• Are Peace and Non-Violence Outdated Concepts?
• How to Deal with International Terrorism?
• Beauty Pageants are a Must,
• Corruption is a Necessary Evil for Success in Any Sphere,
• What is the Difference between People who do Things Rightly and People who do Right Things?
• Secularism has become a Tool to Justify the Wrongs done by the Minorities
• Borderless World: A Myth or Reality?
• Borderless World: A Threat?
• Advertisements Cheat People, Hence Should Be Banned
• Security Cameras & Privacy
• Do NGOs in India Really Work for Others OR Work for their Own Vested Interests?
• Should Animals be used for Testing New Drugs & Medical Procedures?Rivers are our natural resource. All states have equal rights on them.
•  How effective are Indian B-schools?
• Should Management Education be subsidized?
• Private Educational Institutions: Good or Bad
• Is Reservation in Higher Education Only Alternative for Social Equality?
• E-Learning: A Substitute for Classroom Learning?
• Foreign Universities in India
• Should the Government Set-up More IITs and IIMs, OR should it be use the Money for Primary & Secondary Education?
• Privatization of Higher Education
• Should Sex Education be really made Compulsory?
• Government Control in Higher Education is Interfering and Not Required
• Do we really Need Education to be Successful?
• Are Ethics just Business Pretence?
• Positive Attitude and not Knowledge is required for Business Success
• Indians Perform Better as Individuals than in Groups/Teams
• Are Leaders Born or are they made in Business Schools?
• Will Mumbai’s Film Industry ever evolve into a Truly Modern Corporative One?
• The Rush for MBA is really a Rush for Big Money
• Can One Contribute to the Social Sector while Being Employed in the Corporate World?
• Rise in MBA Salaries is Not Sustainable in the Long Run
• We Need More Entrepreneurs than Managers
• MBA in India is highly Over-rated
• Engineering Students are wasting their Time in Management Studies; they have Another Way to go.
• The Salaries that MBAs Get is more than they deserve
• Celebrity Brand Endorsement: Effective Advertising?
• Do Women make Good Managers?
• Retention of Employees
• Does Morality have an Essence in Corporate Life?
• Women are better at Multi-Tasking
• Whether Hard-Working or Smart-Working is Desirable?
• Is Management Education Required for Business?
• Role of Ethics in Business
• Should GD be Part of Campus Placements?
• Is Management an Art or a Science?
• Management Education in India
• Is Remixing Good Trend in Music?
• The De Vinci Code: Truth or Lies about Christ
• Influence of Online Social Networks on our Youth
• Do Celebrities have a Right to Privacy?
• Should Prostitution be made Legal?
• Arranged Marriages are better than Love Marriages
• Should there be a Restriction on Permissiveness Being propagated by the MTV Culture and – Foreign Media
• Conventionalism and Modernity: The Ever-going Debate
• Individual Freedom and Civil Society
• Classical Music Heritage and the Growing Pop-Culture
• Excessive Depiction of Sex and Violence in Films
• Women Empowerment – A Cause for Increasing Divorce Rate in India
• Women are not fit for Defense Services
• The Impact of MTV on Our Psyche
• Do Banning Girls’ Entry into Pubs, Celebrating Valentine’s Day, Holding Fashion Shows and -New Year Parties Save Our Culture?
• Should there be Limits on Artistic Freedom (the Controversies on Movies like Water, Fire, etc.)?
• Beauty Contests Degrade Womanhood
• Euthanasia: Is Mercy Killing Justified?
• With Media Publishing and Telecasting Trivia, Censorship is the Need of the Hour
• Rapists should be given Death Sentence
• Foreign Television Channels are Destroying Our Culture
• Should FTV be banned?
• Worsening of Female to Male Ratio in India
• Censorship in Movies & Our Culture
• Should Dance Bars be banned?
• Morals & Values among Indians is Degenerating
• Effect of Television on Youth
• Should Smoking be Banned Completely?
• India shall Adopt China’s Model of Growth
• Corruption is an Inherent Part of Democratic Set-up
• It’s not Politicians but Bureaucrats who are Responsible for Decay in Public Services
• Existing Model of Growth will lead to Greater Digital Divide
• Reservation a Tool for Creating Social Divide or Rectifying for Past Problems
• Should Education be privatized?
• Terrorism and India
• Is there a Need to Protect Indian Culture?
• Privatization is Boon or Bane
• Global Impact of a Local Problem like Sub-prime Crisis
• Globalization, in Long Term, will Cause More Harm than Good in View of Job Losses
• Satyam Scandal would Impact Foreign Investments in India

The following video demonstrates about the myths and facts of the Group Discussion.

From the following video, you can learn few tips to get noticed in the Group Discussion.

The following two videos (Part 1 and Part 2) are of a group discussion on the topic ‘Arranged Marriages Vs Love Marriages’.  These videos demonstrate very well how a candidate should be during a group discussion. Both the positive and the negative traits of the candidates are clearly pointed out here. These are real help for you to know how to participate and behave well during a typical group discussion, also you will learn what are the things that you need to avoid during the discussion. Finally, the points for a candidate’s selection and rejection are also explained very clearly in these videos.

Below, you can find a video of a Group Discussion on the topic ‘Is India getting westernized?’ From left to right the candidates are Amit, Sayan, Asutosh, Vaibhav, Akash. Though Asutosh takes initiative of the topic and speaks very well on it throughout the Group Discussion, he goes into statistics that he may not be sure about. He needs to maintain voice modulation as well while speaking, which will be an added advantage for his knowledge. Akash is another person who contributes good points to the group and speaks well on the issue. Both Amit and Sayan maintained silence during the first half of the session.  Though Amit comes up with good points later in the discussion, his voice sounds shaky and he may be considered as a person with lack of self confidence. Sayan too comes up with good points, but few points are somewhat irrelevant to the topic. Instead of getting deep into those points, he can bring the group discussion back to the track. Vaibhav does not make enough contribution to the group. Overall, the best thing about this video is lot of relevant points are discussed within the group, and stands as a good group discussion session

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIB4S7VilFI&feature=related

Importance of Group Discussion for MBAs

Communication skills are considered as second life to MBA graduates. They should be flexible and should be able to put forward their opinions and thoughts in an appropriate way. No one is a good communicator or speaker by birth; one has to polish one’s communication skills. Group Discussions in MBA are a good way to polish both communication and behavioral skills, which help the candidates to get benefit throughout their careers.

Group Discussion has become an essential and major part of admission process of many Indian Business Schools. Once students get short-listed through CAT or SNAP or XAT or some other MBA entrance, the next stage is to go through a Group Discussion stage. The Group Discussion is conducted in order to find out the candidates skills and traits, which will play an important role in their MBA career.

Everyone at some point of time comes through discussions as a part of life in home, college, or cafeteria. Few are not able to be part of the discussion because of lack of knowledge or lack of proper communication skills. They feel difficulty in selecting right words to express their views. You may need to involve in regular interactions with different people throughout you career when you choose MBA. Then, how will you handle these types of situations? This is where Group Discussions help the MBA candidates.

If you are participating in Group Discussions regularly, you will automatically feel more comfortable and confident in expressing yourself, at the same time you will become a good communicator too. During a Discussion, there are different views opposing from each other. Group Discussion help you be able to listen patiently to others point of view, and then express your opinions. This way, you will have knowledge on different multiple topics. Sometimes, you may be impressed with others views, and may even change your point of view on that particular issue. In such case, you need to accept the facts, and you need to be as natural as you can be during a group discussion. You should not try to be someone that you are not.

Just expressing yourself is not alone that helps you to be the best in Group Discussion. You have to express your opinions and thoughts in a sophisticated way, where you need good communication skills too. Group Discussion aims to let the evaluator know how you speak and behave as a part of the group, how you are accepting or opposing others views. Your abilities are judged depending on many factors like your selection of words, tolerance level, initiation ability, listening skills, how alert you are, and clarity and justification in your thoughts. Clash of thoughts and aggression are suggested to be avoided while participating in group discussions.

Group Discussion Process for MBAs

There will be 10-12 participants in a Group Discussion, but may vary if number of candidates for the selection process is huge. Usually, the participants are seated in U-shape or circular arrangement; this is to facilitate the candidate’s interaction with the entire group. If there is a space constraint, they may be seated in rectangular arrangement. In any arrangement, it is better to choose a seat from where you can maintain eye-to-eye contact with all participants of the group. If the seats are pre-decided, just do not worry.

You need to attend a group discussion in a formal wear; just the same way you would attend a personal interview.  Normally, the participants are given about 15 to 20 minutes time to discuss on the given topic, sometimes it may be 10 minutes. The group has to complete the discussion within the time frame. There is no particular time that a participant should utilize from the given time frame, the participant has to grab the opportunity and speak accordingly. You will anyways have time to think on the topic before getting into discussion. Probably, you will be given some 2-5 minutes to think on the given topic or issue.

The evaluators may give either topic or a case study for the group discussion. Topics mostly deal with the current affairs. They may be dragging issues in the world or they may be from the pages of news magazines on newspapers.  Sometimes topics can be abstract to test the creativity of the aspirants, or may be economic topics to target your knowledge and confidence in finance.  On the other hand, a case study is usually a description of real-time scenario or incident that the group has to discuss on, and come up with a solution.

Sample Group Discussion Topics for MBA

• Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the need of the hour
• Reason for tourism in India –business or tourist place?
• Blue eyes.
• Management or technology –contributed to Indian development?
• Interview or GD?
• Role of IT in other managerial functions (required)?
• Davinci code.
• Team worker or a Leader?
• Rajneeti vs. kites.
• India leader or follower in 20th century?
• “Avatar” a turning point.
• Dose really Placebo affects?
• A fool or a competitive jerk?
• MBA or PGDM?
• Theory or practical?
• Sex conversion –way to reach goal or feel good factor?
• 2012 certain or uncertain?
• Prostitution excuse or intent?
• Tranquility satisfaction or success?
• We or you?
• Spiritualism is a curtain to crime?
• Discovery vs. invention.
• Innovation –how much is it required?
• Models turn actors.
• Movies made in Bollywood for Hollywood
• Machine over man or man over machine?
• Credit card spoiling habits?
• CCR –SLR which should be given more important?
• Study or extra curricular activity is the driven force to success?
• A fool or an arrogant star?
• Pygmalion affects how much effective?
• Politics another career option?
• Reality shows.
• European management system in Indian management system.
• Kids are more careers oriented.
• Women –burden or backbone?
• Death of Socialism
• NGOs or Independent helping.
• Taxation policy (2010) savings or fascination?
• Business money or fame?
• 2012 is rumor or reality?
• Aviation needs good engineers or management?
• Indian agriculture system.
• Is rural India strength for India?
• Unique identification number.
• History spoils us or built us?
• Education vs. literacy.
• Black-darkness or beam.
• Globalization how real is it?
• Human relations vs. Materialistic things?
• Indian Philosophy in the world?
• IT chain puller of Indian economy.
• Football means to India?
• Education in India – burden or opportunity?
• Is India moving towards people management?

What is a Group Discussion?

 A Group Discussion is a method that is used to find whether the candidate possess certain qualities and skills that the organization is looking for. In this method, all the candidates are given with a topic or a scenario, given some time to think on the topic, and then they are asked to discuss about it among themselves for a certain period of time.

Group Discussion has become a part of recruitment process in today’s competitive world. It plays a very vital role in choosing the right candidate among the participants. It helps in the selection of the most socially suitable person for the position. Having high score in the academics, students those who get selected for the position may get equal priority. Even after considering their age, qualification, and their experience, sometimes they may be still on equal position. In this case, it is required to conduct additional screening for selecting a few candidates among all. It’s here, Group Discussion helps choosing the best candidate among the best.

As being not a part of academic curriculum in many universities and colleges, Group Discussion sounds like a problematic issue to students. They face a lot of discomfort during Group Discussion part of Selection Process.

Nowadays, most of the companies are clear about the knowledge and skills that they want in the candidate during screening. Earlier it was not like this, Group Discussion was only a part of admission processes of the top ranked Business Schools. Few other companies used to follow Group Discussion in order to select candidates for the marketing posts. But, today, all the IT and Non-IT companies are conducting Group Discussion as the part of their selection process for most of the positions.

The following are the skills which are typically assessed during a Group Discussion:

• Communication Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Assertiveness
• Initiative
• Flexibility
• Team Building Skills
• Motivational Skills
• Presentation Skills
• Listening Skills
• Ability to Tolerate
• Analytical Skills

So, it is suggested to assess your strengths and weaknesses in all the above areas by yourself, thus you can put efforts accordingly to improve yourself to be ready to participate in a Group Discussion confidently.

WHY GROUP DISCUSSION?

 Institute’s Point of View:

 Once after testing you thoroughly in your conceptual and technical skills, many institutes put you in an interview and a group discussion. This is to test how well you can fit in the institute. Group discussion helps them to test your ability to work as a part of team. As a professional after finishing the education, you will always have to work in teams either as a leader or as a member. Therefore your ability to interact in a team is an important aspect for the selection.  This is the reason why many management institutes consider Group Discussion as a part of their selection procedure

Company’s Point of View:

 Companies usually conduct a group discussion after the completion of written test. This is to check your communication skills and interactive skills, which help them to know how well you are communicating with others. It also lets them know how well you are behaving, participating and contributing in a group, and how you are balancing group’s objective and your objective. It shows how well you are in accepting contrary views to your views.

 Is Group Discussion helpful only in Selection Process?

 No. As a professional also you may have to participate in group discussions in your working field. If you have trouble in expressing yourself properly, interrupting others, trouble speaking during your turn, lack of confidence, then it is a good advice to learn techniques to handle yourself in group discussions. This is a very helpful advice for all the individuals who work in a group in any industry. This is because, many companies believe that discussing ideas and problems in a group help them solving any issue; they conduct group discussions time to time. You may become a burden in the group discussions because of lack of proper contribution, lack of social abilities, and lack of knowledge; you may be viewed in a different perspective by your superiors and colleagues.

 TYPES OF GROUP DISCUSSION

 Basically there are two types of Group Discussions, one is topic-based and the other is case-based. Topic-based is further divided into three types, Factual Topics, Controversial Topics, and Abstract Topics.

Factual Topics:

 As the name says, it is based on the practical things that an ordinary man has knowledge in his daily life. Usually these are of socio-economic topics. A factual topic in a discussion offers a chance to the candidate to prove himself that he is sensitive to and aware of his environment

E.g. Education System in India, Indian Tourism

Controversial Topics

 Controversial Topics are argumentative type. These are meant to bring controversy. When these type of topics are given in a group discussion, you will observe a high noise level in the discussion. Usually these topics are given to analyze how much a candidate is mature enough to control his temper, and how he still continues the argument logically and rationally.

E.g. Girls do well in the academics, There should not be any reservations

Abstract Topics

 These are about indefinable things. Mostly these topics are not given for a group discussion, still there is a possibility. Abstract topics help the interviewer to test the creativity and lateral thinking of the candidate.

E.g. B is an alphabet, The number 9

Case-Based

 Here a case is used instead of a topic. The case study usually suggests a real-life scenario. You will be given with the information about the situation, and as a group you will be asked to resolve the situation.  The idea of this type of group discussion is to make you think about the case study from various angles.