Group Discussion Guide

1. Group Discussion
ANJUM ARA
By

2. What is Group Discussion?
• Participation in a systematic way on a particular topic..
• A Group Discussion can be defined as a formal discussion
involving 8 to 12 participants in a group.

3. Family, your first experience of GD
• Acceptance that some people know more than you do. (for example
your parents)
• Your parents not forcing their point of view on you.
• Heard you out and presented their points in a logical and methodical
manner because they had the strength of content and courage of
conviction.
• You would have often felt the desire to prove that you were right and
they were wrong. (Anger builds)
• Remember a GD is only a discussion not a debate. Do not get angry.

4. Difference between Discussion and Debate
• Debate – Either Winning or Losing.
• Discussion – Expression of your point of view and respecting another's
point of view.
• A debate is a perfect situation for expressing intense emotions.
• A GD, however, calls for a lot more maturity and logic.

5. Purpose of a Group Discussion
• Conducted in a competitive mode.
• Not to establish you as a winner and others as losers.
• To help you come across as a person with sound, logical reasoning and
the ability to respect and accept another's viewpoint.

6. Critical Difference between a GD and a Debate
• A debate begins with two groups' bids to outwit each other.
• A discussion is evolutionary; this essentially means participants
have the opportunity to refine their views in the course of the
discussion.
• Every member needs to contribute substantially and add to the
existing knowledge base instead of pulling each other down.

7. Prerequisites of a Group Discussion
• Topics given by panelists
• Planning and preparation
• Knowledge with self-confidence
• Communication skills/ power of speech
• Presentation
• Body Language and personal appearance
• Being calm and cool

8. Prerequisites of a Group Discussion
• Extensive knowledge base related to state, country and globe.
• Areas are politics, sports, science &trade commerce, Industry and
Technology, MNC, etc.
• Analyze the social, economical issues logistically .
• Listening skills
• Co-operation.

9. Why do GD’s happen?
• To prepare you for the future and make you well informed.
• To make you listen and talk in a mature and logical manner.
• If you need to disagree, then doing so in a graceful manner.
• Attacking issues not people.
• Carefully listen to other people's points and try to refine your
own by using other people's inputs on the subject.

10. Personality Traits a candidate should possess in GD
• Team Player
• Reasoning Ability
• Leadership
• Flexibility
• Assertiveness
• Initiative
• Creativity/ Out of the box thinking
• Inspiring ability
• Listening
• Awareness

11. What does the GD test you in?
• Body language
• Communication skills
• Self confidence
• Team skills
• Listening ability
• Ability to present your views logically
• Time management

12. Types of GD
• Argumentative - A Group Discussion that triggers an argument. Here the skill of
assertion in putting your point across in a argument-heated environment is evaluated.
One based on the most recent situation one can be "Should the Older Players Declare
Retirement from ODI Cricket?"
• Factual - In this type of GD, candidate's ability to support his perspective with factual
data gives him an edge over others. Hence, in order to do well in Factual GD, it is very
important to have current facts handy with you. An example of a Factual GD topic
would be "Impact of Decreasing Value of Dollar on Indian Exports".
• Abstract - This kind of GD evaluates the candidate's creativity and lateral thinking. The
topic given in an abstract GD may mean different to different people in the same
group; hence, it is the individual's creativity to direct the GD around his perception. An
example of an abstract GD topic will be "The Hidden Persuaders".

13. Factual Topics can further be classified into the
following categories.
• Current Affairs
• Economic
• Education
• Environment
• IT
• Management
• Political
• Social
• Sports

14. Factual Generic
• Cricket and India.
• Issues of managing diversity in a country like India.
• Honesty is the best policy.
• Living in a joint family is better.
• Guessing is an act of intelligence.

15. Factual Specific
• WTO and its impact on the Indian Economy.
• The Jasmine revolution and implications for the Arab world.
• GAAR
• The Euro crisis: issues and challenges.
• Coalgate

16. Abstract
• Pigs can fly.
• And the clock struck 13!
• Pink pyjamas over the Red Fort.
• Red is red, blue is blue and never the two shall meet.
• Black

17. Case Study
• A printed case study is given to the group and the candidates are allowed a
time limit of 3-4 minutes to read and comprehend the passage. Then the
group is asked to discuss the questions based on the case study given. Here
again the students are given a time of about 20 minutes to discuss the
topic.
• Case studies normally pertain to standard business situations and are full
of facts and figures.
• Thus, the GD coordinator attempts to examine the comprehension power
of a candidate along with the communication skills.

18. Role Play
• A role-play type of GD is one wherein a situation is described and each
person in the group is asked to assume a specific role in a situation.
• In such cases, you must completely step into the role and your reasoning will
have to be consistent with the role you have assumed.
• The participation, in this specific case, needs to appreciate the gravity of the
situation and generate appropriate reasoning to facilitate decision making
for the group.

19. Categories in GD
1. Sequence
• For & Against in 2 Cycles
• For & Against in single cycle
2. Random
• For & Against in 2 Cycles
• For & Against in single cycle
3. Battle

20. Important points to remember
• Build your knowledge base.
• Analyze issues from various angles.
• Maintain a positive attitude.
• Stay motivated and excited about the upcoming challenge.
• Stay focused and competitive.
• See things from the other person's viewpoint and respect it even if
you strongly disagree.

21. Practice make perfect
• Participate in a few mock GD’s.
• Identify your areas of strength and areas for improvement and work on
them consciously.
• Outgrowing old habits like indulging in small talk with a group of friends
and instead FOCUS on discussing a topic of current relevance.
• An informal gathering of friends can be converted into a GD practice
session.

22. What actually happens in a GD?
1. Initiation / Introduction
2. Body of the group discussion
3. Summarization / Conclusion

23. Initiation Techniques
• Initiating a GD is a high profit-high loss strategy.
• Initiate one only if you have in-depth knowledge about the
topic at hand.
• Do not stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures.
•

24. How to make a good first impression?
• Quotes
• Definition
• Question
• Shock statement
• Facts, figures and statistics
• Short story
• General statement

25. Quotes
• Quotes are an effective way of initiating a GD.
• If the topic of a GD is: Should the Censor Board be abolished?,
you could start with a quote like, 'Hidden apples are always sweet‘.
• For a GD topic like, Customer is King,
you could quote Sam (Wal-Mart) Walton's famous saying, 'There is only one
boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company -- from the
chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.'

26. Definition
• Start a GD by defining the topic or an important term in the topic.
• For example, if the topic of the GD is
“Advertising is a Diplomatic Way of Telling a Lie”
why not start the GD by defining advertising as,
'Any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas,
goods or services through mass media like newspapers, magazines,
television or radio by an identified sponsor'?

27. Question
• Asking a question is an impactful way of starting a GD.
• It does not signify asking a question to any of the candidates in a GD so
as to hamper the flow. It implies asking a question, and answering it
yourself.
• For a topic like, Should India go to war with Pakistan, you could start by
asking, 'What does war bring to the people of a nation? We have had
four clashes with Pakistan. The pertinent question is: what have we
achieved?'

28. Shock statement
• Initiating a GD with a shocking statement is the best way to grab
immediate attention and put forth your point.
• If a GD topic is,
“The Impact of Population on the Indian Economy”
you could start with,
'At the center of the Indian capital stands a population clock that ticks away
relentlessly. It tracks 33 births a minute, 2,000 an hour, 48,000 a day. Which
calculates to about 12 million every year. That is roughly the size of Australia.
As a current political slogan puts it, 'Nothing's impossible when 1 billion
Indians work together'.'

29. Facts, figures and statistics
• If you decide to initiate your GD with facts, figure and statistics, make sure
to quote them accurately.
• Approximation is allowed in macro level figures, but micro level figures
need to be correct and accurate.
• For example, you can say, approximately 70 per cent of the Indian
population stays in rural areas (macro figures, approximation allowed).
• But you cannot say 30 states of India instead of 28 (micro figures, no
approximations).
• Stating wrong facts works to your disadvantage.

30. Short story
• Use a short story in a GD topic like, Attitude is Everything.
• This can be initiated with, 'A child once asked a balloon vendor, who was
selling helium gas-filled balloons, whether a blue-colored balloon will go as
high in the sky as a green-colored balloon. The balloon vendor told the child,
it is not the color of the balloon but what is inside it that makes it go high.'

31. General statement
• Use a general statement to put the GD in proper perspective.
• For example, if the topic is,
Should Sonia Gandhi be the prime minister of India?
You could start by saying, 'Before jumping to conclusions like,
'Yes, Sonia Gandhi should be', or 'No, Sonia Gandhi should not be',
let's first find out the qualities one needs to be a good prime minister of
India. Then we can compare these qualities with those that Mrs. Gandhi
possesses. This will help us reach the conclusion in a more objective and
effective manner.'

32. Summarization Techniques
• Most GD’s do not really have conclusions.
• Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion:
1. Avoid raising new points.
2. Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
3. Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD.
4. Keep it brief and concise.
5. It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD.
6. If the examiner asks you to summarize a GD, it means the GD has come to
an end. Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized.

33. Not the End but a New Beginning
Be DESPERATE in what ever you want to do in life.
Act according to the situation, whether it is being polite, assertive or
aggressive.
Always be natural, otherwise it will backfire.
Knowledge is the key and so is Focus.
If you are an introvert, start practice NOW.
Three P’s to keep in mind: Patience, Participation, Projection.

34. Benefits of group discussion
• provides chance to Expose
• Language skills
• Academic knowledge
• Leadership skills
• people handling skills
• Team work
• General knowledge.

35. Salient features of G.D
• Topic may be given to judge your public speaking talent.
• Discussion revolves around a specific subject.
• The examiner does not interfere once he announced the topic.
• Maintain cordiality and free expression of thought and opinion.

36. Do`s in group discussion
• Appropriate to the issue .
• Make original points & support them by substantial reasoning .
• Listen to the other participants actively &carefully.
• Whatever you say must be with a logical flow, validate it with an
example as far as possible.
• Make only accurate statements.

37. Do`s in group discussion
• Modulate the volume, pitch and tone.
• Be considerate to the feelings of the others.
• Try to get your turn.
• Be an active and dynamic participant by listening.
• Talk with confidence and self-assurance.

38. Don’ts during group discussion
• Being shy /nervous / keeping isolated from G.D
• Interrupting another participant before his arguments are over
• Speak in favor ; example: Establish your position and stand by it
stubbornly
• Changed opinions
• Don’t make fun of any participant even if his arguments are funny.

39. Don`ts during group discussion
• Don’t engage yourself in sub-group conversation.
• Don’t repeat and use irrelevant materials.
• Addressing yourself to the examiner.
• Worrying about making some grammatical mistakes, for your interest
the matter you put across are important.

40. Important points in group discussion
• Be assertive: An assertive person is direct , honest careful about not
hurting others ‘self-respect’.
• A patient listener: listening to another person is one way of showing
appreciation.
• Right language : Words can make friends & right words at the right time
make the best results.
• Be analytical and fact-oriented : It is necessary to make relevant points
which can be supported with facts and analyzed logically.

41. Accept criticism
• If any member of the group criticizes or disapproves a point, it is
unwise to get upset or react sharply.
• In case the criticism is flimsy, the same can be pointed out politely.
• Maximize participation ; one must try to contribute fully, vigorously &
steadily throughout the discussion.
• Show leadership ability: A group discussion also evaluates your
leadership qualities.

42. • Accept someone's point of view
• Praise the argument
• Example:
1. Remedial English communication is necessary for college students
because they fail in communication skill test.
2. Status of literacy of women , is increased from 30% to 70% when
compared to past years, in employment sectors organized ,in the IT &
ITES field.

43. • Accept the contradicts view
• Express your argument with few facts, cases, %,
• Newspapers publications etc.
• Express without hurting others feelings.

44. Suggestions
• Never try to bluff.
• Practice group discussion with friends on different subjects.
• Remember !speech is a powerful weapon.

45. Topics of Importance frequently discussed
1. Is India Shining
2. Mobile phones / Internet – a boon or nuisance
3. Students focusing on software industry-good or bad
4. Child marriage
5. India 2020
6. Daughters are more caring than sons
7. Influence of western culture in Indian Universities
8. Influence of computers in medical sciences

46. • How to deal with high oil prices?
• Is Globalization Really Necessary?
• What shall we do about our ever-increasing Population?
• Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy
• What India needs is a Dictatorship.
• With media publishing and telecasting trivia, censorship is the need of the hour.
• Is dependence on computers a good thing?
• Should the public sector be privatized?
• China and India are similar nations with contrasting ways
• Value based politics is the need of the hour
• Religion should not be mixed with politics
• Why can’t we be world players in industry as we are in software?
• Multinational corporations: Are they devils in disguise?

47. All The Very Best
&
Thank You