Group Discussion Tips

Many companies and institutes are making group discussion as the first criteria for screening the candidates for face-to-face interviews. And there is reason too for giving huge importance for Group Discussion. First thing Group Discussion is used for mass elimination! And second thing group discussion selection criteria’s are based on actual company requirements.

Communication and Group Discussion skill are two relevant soft skills that are must for software testers.

Why group discussion should be the first criteria for selecting software testers?

Software tester requires communication with different people like team members, managers and customers. So interpersonal skill is very important for tester.

Yesterday one of our readers mailed me about her problem. She is very good at work but when it comes to taking credit for her work, someone else is taking the credit.

Why this is happening? She is lagging in interpersonal skills. Lagging in communication. She might be proficient in many skills, but what if she isn’t able to communicate her thoughts in front of her seniors or evaluators? Simply, she will lose the credits of her own work!

Making a good impression while speaking in meetings or interviews is the basic skill every professional should have. Let’s see how you can make this impression.

What skills are judged in group discussion?

• How good you are at communication with others.
• How you behave and interact with group.
• How open minded are you.
• Your listening skill.
• How you put forward your views.
• Your leadership and decision making skills.
• Your analysis skill and subject knowledge.
• Problem solving and critical thinking skill.
• Your attitude and confidence.

Do’s and Don’ts of Group discussion:

1) Keep eye contact while speaking:
Do not look at the evaluators only. Keep eye contact with every team member while speaking.

2) Initiate the GD:
Initiating the GD is a big plus. But keep in mind – Initiate the group discussion only when you understood the GD topic clearly and have some topic knowledge. Speaking without proper subject knowledge is bad impression.

3) Allow others to speak:
Do not interrupt anyone in-between while speaking. Even if you don’t agree with his/her thoughts do not snatch their chance to speak. Instead make some notes and clear the points when it’s your turn.

4) Speak clearly:
Speak politely and clearly. Use simple and understandable words while speaking. Don’t be too aggressive if you are disagreeing with someone. Express your feelings calmly and politely.

5) Make sure to bring the discussion on track:
If by any means group is distracting from the topic or goal then simply take initiative to bring the discussion on the track. Make all group members aware that you all need to come to some conclusion at the end of the discussion. So stick to the topic.

6) Positive attitude:
Be confident. Do not try to dominate anyone. Keep positive body language. Show interest in discussion.

7) Speak sensibly:
Do not speak just to increase your speaking time. Don’t worry even if you speak less. Your thoughts should be sensible and relevant instead of irrelevant speech.

8 ) Listen carefully to others:
Speak less and listen more! Pay attention while others are speaking. This will make coherent discussion and you will get involved in the group positively. You will surely make people agree with you.

9) No need to go into much details:
Some basic subject analysis is sufficient. No need to mention exact figures while giving any reference. You have limited time so be precise and convey your thoughts in short and simple language.

10) Formal dressing:
Do not take it casually. No fancy and funny dressing. You should be comfortable while speaking in group. Positive gesture and body language will make your work easy.

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GD Important Notes

1. Be as natural as possible. Do not try and be someone you are not. Be yourself.
2. A group discussion is your chance to be more vocal. The evaluator wants to hear you speak.
3. Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of what you are going to say.
4. Seek clarification if you have any doubts regarding the subject.
5. Don't start speaking until you have clearly understood and analyzed the subject.
6. Work out various strategies to help you make an entry: initiate the discussion or agree with someone else's point and then move onto express your views.
7. Opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and recognition. If you do not give valuable insights during the discussion, all your efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.
8. Your body language says a lot about you - your gestures and mannerisms are more likely to reflect your attitude than what you say.
9. Language skills are important only to the effect as to how you get your points across clearly and fluently.
10. Be assertive not dominating; try to maintain a balanced tone in your discussion and analysis.
11. Don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to stay objective: Don't take the discussion personally.
12. Always be polite: Try to avoid using extreme phrases like: `I strongly object' or `I disagree'. Instead try phrases like: `I would like to share my views on…' or `One difference between your point and mine…' or "I beg to differ with you"
13. Brush up on your leadership skills; motivate the other members of the team to speak (this surely does not mean that the only thing that you do in the GD is to say "let us hear what the young lady with the blue scarf has to say," or "Raghu, let us hear your views" - Essentially be subtle), and listen to their views. Be receptive to others' opinions and do not be abrasive or aggressive.
14. If you have a group of like-minded friends, you can have a mock group discussion where you can learn from each other through giving and receiving feedback.
15. Apart from the above points, the panel will also judge team members for their alertness and presence of mind, problem-solving abilities, ability to work as a team without alienating certain members, and creativity.

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How to Face GD

A group discussion consists of:

1.       Communication Skills

2.       Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject

3.       Capability to co-ordinate and lead

4.       Exchange of thoughts

5.       Addressing the group as a whole

6.       Thorough preparations

Communication Skills

The first aspect is one's power of expression. In a group discussion, a candidate has to talk effectively so that he is able to convince others. For convincing, one has to speak forcefully and at the same time create an impact by his knowledge of the subject. A candidate who is successful in holding the attention of the audience creates a positive impact.

It is necessary that you should be precise and clear. As a rule evaluators do not look for the wordage produced. Your knowledge on a given subject, your precision and clarity of thought are the things that are evaluated. Irrelevant talks lead you nowhere. You should speak as much as necessary, neither more nor less. Group discussions are not debating stages.

Ability to listen is also what evaluators judge. They look for your ability to react on what other participants say. Hence, it is necessary that you listen carefully to others and then react or proceed to add some more points. Your behavior in the group is also put to test to judge whether you are a loner or can work in a group.

You should be able to convey your thoughts satisfactorily and convincingly before a group of people. Confidence and level headedness in doing so is necessary. These add value to your presentation. In case you are not good at it, you might gain by joining an institute that offers specialized courses in public speaking. For instance, British Council Division's English Language Teaching Centre offers a wide range of courses like conversation skills, business communication skills, business writing, negotiation skills and presentation skills. Mostly people attend these courses to improve their communication skills. Students here are involved in activities which use communication skills and teachers provide inputs, monitor and facilitate the classes. The course at the Centre makes you confident enough to speak before people without any nervousness.

Knowledge and Ideas Regarding a Given Subject

Knowledge of the subject under discussion and clarity of ideas are important. Knowledge comes from consistent reading on various topics ranging from science and technology to politics. In-depth knowledge makes one confident and enthusiastic and this in turn, makes one sound convincing and confident.

Leadership and Coordinating Capabilities

The basic aim of a group discussion is to judge a candidate's leadership qualities. The examiner withdraws and becomes a silent spectator once the discussion starts. A candidate should display tactfulness, skill, understanding and knowledge on varied topics, enterprise, forcefulness and other leadership qualities to motivate and influence other candidates who may be almost equally competent.

Exchange of Thoughts

A group discussion is an exchange of thoughts and ideas among members of a group. These discussions are held for selecting personnel in organisations where there is a high level of competition. The number of participants in a group can vary between 8 and 15. Mostly a topic or a situation is given to group members who have to discuss it within 10 to 20 minutes.

The purpose is to get an idea about candidates in a short time and make assessments about their skills, which normally cannot be evaluated in an interview. These skills may be team membership, leadership skills, listening and articulation skills.

 A note is made of your contributions to the discussion, comprehension of the main idea, the rapport you strike, patience, assertion, accommodation, amenability, etc. Body language and eye contact too are important points which are to be considered. .

Addressing the Group as a Whole

In a group discussion it is not necessary to address anyone by name. Even otherwise you may not know everyone's names. It better to address the group as a whole.

Address the person farthest from you. If he can hear you everyone else too can. Needless to add, as for the interview, attend the group discussion in formal dress. The language used should also be formal, not the language used in normal conversations. For instance, words and phrases like "yar", "chalta hai", "CP", "I dunno", etc. are out. This is not to say you should use a high sounding, pedantic language. Avoiding both, just use formal, plain and simple language. Hinglish, (mixture of Hindi and English) should be discarded.

Confidence and coolness while presenting your viewpoint are of help. See that you do not keep repeating a point. Do not use more words than necessary. Do not be superfluous. Try to be specific. Do not exaggerate.

Thorough Preparation

Start making preparations for interview and group discussions right away, without waiting till the eleventh hour, this is, if and when called for them. Then the time left may not be adequate. It is important to concentrate on subject knowledge and general awareness. Hence, the prime need for thorough preparation. Remember, the competition is very tough. Only 460 candidates make it to the final list from 2.75 lakh civil service aspirants each year.It may so happen that you are called for interviews and group discussions from three or four organizations but are not selected by any. The reason obviously lies in your not being well-prepared. In a group discussion you may be given a topic and asked to express your views on it. Or in a case study GD, students have to read a case study and suggest ways of tackling the problem. For this you should have a good general knowledge, need to be abreast with current affairs, should regularly read newspapers and magazines. Your group behaviour and communication skills are on test, i.e. how you convince the others and how clearly you are able to express your points of view. You should be articulate, generate ideas, not sound boring, should allow others to speak, and adopt a stand on a given subject. During the course of the GD this stand can even be changed, giving the impression that you are open to accommodate others' viewpoints.Additional marks may be given for starting or concluding the discussion.

Points to Remember
Knowledge is strength. A candidate with good reading habits has more chances of success. In other words, sound knowledge on different topics like politics, finance, economy, science and technology is helpful.

• Power to convince effectively is another quality that makes you stand out among others.
• Clarity in speech and expression is yet another essential quality.
• If you are not sure about the topic of discussion, it is better not to initiate. Lack of knowledge or wrong approach creates a bad impression. Instead, you might adopt the wait and watch attitude. Listen attentively to others, may be you would be able to come up with a point or two later.
• A GD is a formal occasion where slang is to avoided.
• A GD is not a debating stage. Participants should confine themselves to expressing their viewpoints. In the second part of the discussion candidates can exercise their choice in agreeing, disagreeing or remaining neutral.
• Language use should be simple, direct and straight forward.
• Don't interrupt a speaker when the session is on. Try to score by increasing your size, not by cutting others short.
• Maintain rapport with fellow participants. Eye contact plays a major role. Non-verbal gestures, such as listening intently or nodding while appreciating someone's viewpoint speak of you positively.
• Communicate with each and every candidate present. While speaking don't keep looking at a single member. Address the entire group in such a way that everyone feels you are speaking to him or her

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Should the public sector be privatized?

Discussion 1:

Public sector should noe be fully privatized, as major departments like defense systems, Indian railways, and in fields where major chunk of people are simultaneously affected must not be privatized. Instead we should implement certain policies in Public sector also so that there work efficiency can be increase like pvt.

Discussion 2:

Hi friends as the topic is that should public sector be privatized. In my opinion it should not be privatized. As we all know that there are already so many private companies who are doing well and contributing to our economy. The only thing is that we should change the process and working culture of the sectors. Whether it is private or public.
The other issue is corruption. According to me there is not only one player involved in it. If one will stop to give other will automatically not able to receive. Its not time to change the system, its time to change yourself.

Discussion 3:

  In my perspective not all the public sectors should be privatized the sectors which directly deals with the people should be privatized. There are two major advantages in privatizing the public sectors, first the work process can be made faster than in public sectors because the people work in private sectors have to do their jobs well because the wages in private companies depend on the performance which is totally contradict to the public sectors. In private sectors the employees are strictly prohibited to get bribes for people and if they do so we can immediately approach their higher officials without any hurdles or long procedure unlike in public sectors. Thanks.

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Is Globalization Really Necessary?

Yes Globalisation is necessary, for an economy to grow. Globalisation refers to the integration of economic, technological, socio-political factors with the world. And with globalisation, with the mutual co-operation and assistance -particularly with reference to the law of comparative advantage- it is going to be beneficial. Globalisation also helps reducing the poverty level in the country-there are plenty of evidences and record to support it.Developing countries specially require globalization. Because Indians are very rich in resources of skilled manpower.So Other countries are interested to invest in India.We don't have that much funds/money to make very huge industries or developments.There is no shame to invite other countries for investing.lot of advantages are there..employment,infrastructure development,tourism , foreign exchange and etc..Even America would be nowhere if globalisation was an imaginary concept never put forward. Half the world's countries would be reeling in depression right now if not for globalisation. For example, petroleum, most countries are on the verge of depleting their entire reserves and some countries don't have it at all. Seeing this if not for globalisation the entire world would be left crippled due to the massive energy crisis facing them. while globalisation is necessary it is not sufficient to ensure communities gain from globalisation. To keep and spread the gains,government must not only reduce barriers to trade and investment, they must also get domestic policies right. Many people may think that globalisation is making poor countries poorer. However the evidence is very convincing that developing countries that globalise grow and reduce poverty level faster than those that do not. For example, recent study of 72 developing countries shows in the 1990's globalisng developing economies real incomes and output grew faster, on average about 4 times faster, than inward looking economies' output.


More :
http://pol-check.blogspot.com/2011/11/globalisation-and-great-depressions.html

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Ethics in Business are just a Passing Fad

Discuss 1 :

As per my point of view ethics is the key for success in business and to win the believe and faith of customer.Ethics is the primary consensus towards our responsibility and role for business or organization. Without ethics only we can create a lethal condition for us and our organization as well (satyam case,2g scam).ethics help us to reach at our mission.can any organization can stay in the market without ethics? Really it is a very big question and answer of that is "no". If not like that than i am damn sure that Wipro, Accenture,TCS,ITC,and other reputed organization were closed at their starting time ...thanks

Discuss 2 :

  

Ethics of business includes both profit as well as moral values. One should not go for a loss in business seeing only the moral ethics, also one should not give up his values and look only for profit. There are variety of business activities which are strictly based on profit like real estate constructions where selling is done seeing the standard of the consumer. But others like commecialised hospitals should be based on moral values at first then profit. What is really important to know is that making profit is not losing moral values, rather if you make profit in your business you can do several works which will enhance you as a person as well as social being. There are many business which degrade one's moral ethics like black marketing, smuggling etc but otherwise business is so run by certain sense of ethics.

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Is the Consumer really the King in India?

Discussion 1 :

Hi friends, I have read a lot of opinion on this topic.

Actually it depends on the condition that which type of product the company want to sell. If we observe, a car company always think about the quality of the product. Its a luxuries product so if the customer is not satisfied then he will not buy the product. Hence at that point of time the customer is the king.

But if the customer is in need of buying that product like he is in need of buy a soap, according to situation it is his need, hence the company can sell his product with some sort of less quality, either by just cheating the customer by advertisement or by anyhow. So it depend on the situation and the type of customer.

Hence situation and type decides whether the consumer is king or not
.

Discussion 2 :

Consumers ! They play a significant role in the economic system of our nation . If their is no effective demand that emanates from them , the economy would collapse .

However , let's get real !

Consumers are the " KING " on paper ! Various laws have been made giving consumers numerous rights but the laws merely stay on paper. They aren't effective in practical life .

Any entrepreneur is not carrying out business to fulfill the needs of the society rather society is only a medium in the name of which he can mint profits and earn himself a luxurious living .

Think for yourself, how many business man really think of developing consumer friendly products ! At the end of the day, they will compromise with the quality to bring down the per unit cost and increase the profits !

However, exceptions are always there ! No doubt .

I would strongly say, Consumers bear an INVISIBLE tag of being "KINGS" ! They actually are not .

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Commercialization of Health Care: Good or Bad?

Discussion 1: 

As India is a develpoing country, where 40-45% 0f total population is below poverty line, and rest are middle class and rich people. For people those are above BPL generally likely to move to private hospitals because of the novel tecnic and latest facility provided by them. But at the same time for the poor and middle class people govt hospital acts as blessing and a place where they can afford for their treatment.

But because of unhygenic condition and pathetic condition of govt hospital, private hospitals are rising day by day. So, goverment should take action regarding all the drawbacks of govt hospitals and put forward to overcome the drawbacks. So, India is a country of rich and poor hence, commercialization of health care is good but govt hospitals should always taken under consideration, because it is only the place for poor patients.

Discussion 2 : 

Running away from a problem is not the solution of that problem. We know that there are some defects in medical facilities provided by the government, but making it privatization will not help. We have to point out out that defects and with the help of government and social organization tackle that problem and solve it. In India 42% of people lies below poverty lines, they don't have sufficient food to eat how they afford the bill of private hospital. The main objective of private hospitals is to make profit by extracting as much amount of money from the patient as possible. So commercialization of health is not good.

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Is there any Point in having a Business Strategy when the World changes from Month to Month?

Discussion 1: 

Business strategies are like ERP packages. They need to be upgraded and customized from time to time. The concept of change management conveys us to run with the world otherwise the organization will loose the race of cutting throats. who says you need to have a long term strategy? If the world is changing from month to month , you develop a habit of making monthly (Short term) strategy. Ultimately you have to keep your plan ready whatever may be the situation of the world. so the topic of discussion is merely an excuse.

Discussion 2:

Anything which is constant in this world is the "change", and so is the case with the market in the present scenario. But when it comes to designing a strategy by a company towards launching of a new product or foraying into the different market etc, it aims towards the long term goal. Designing a strategy involves preparing a competitive intelligence report that shows the present market position of the company by doing SWOT, PESTLE and PORTER 5 force analysis, which is very important for long term sustainance of the company, irrespective of the market changes which are short term in nature

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Is the Patents Bill Good for India?

Patenting is definitely a good thing and may help a innovative mind reap the profits for the hardwork he has done.But there should be a limit on the items or ideas which can be put under patenting law.

We cant afford to patent medicines in a poor country like ours, we cant think of patenting healthcare services in our country, we should not patent education. In short govt must not allow patenting of things that affects life of a poor and common man.

Plus we shud not patent things which are related to cultures and religions. E. G. What happened in usa where a man patented yoga asans.

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Is the Business of Business only Business?

Discussion : 1

Hello friend i am not agree with this phrase that "Business is business of business" why because ..our so many friend have all ready keep their point in front of us. but i don't think so ...if it's true than why organisations come up with the corporate social responsibility.take the example of Indian Tobacco company which is the worlds no. one company in the job satisfaction .. they also taking care of society. Take the example of wipro, infosys ,Tata, they all expend there money for the society in different way like school, hospital, library, etc. so we can't say that Business is business of business..thank you.

Discussion 2 :

When you go about starting a new business, you do a huge amount of capital investment along with investing your time and energy hence in this scenario it is very logical to think about the return on those investment. A business for business is to do business or profit and it is well accepted unless you don't compromise on your ethics, provide quality product, price them accordingly etc.

Many firms are into CSRs but that has also become a brand building strategy. Nd I don't c ne harm in that unless a business is done at a social cost.

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Public Sector being a Guarantor of Job Security is a Myth

Discussion: 1

Yes I feel the myth has been broken thanks to the mnc and other private organizations where there are no reservation the person is choosen on his ability rather than bribing the uncapable corrupt pulblic officer. Most important reson of getting a job in public sector was pension that governament use to offer now a days no longer there. Thanks to the banks which is offering pension plans for private sector to save for the rainy day and the exposure you get and the knowledge you can acquire in private sector can never be achived in public sector more over one become corrupt and lazy.

Discussion 2: 

I agreed that public sector job is good in various concerns such. Suppose some one is getting ill and he is not in condition to work for a long period of time than these private companies fired that person and think that the person is not more useful, then what can a person do? how his family will survive? this is the major disadvantage of private sector.

But if we talk about the public sector then the person has the job surety and can paid full salary by the government during his illness, now tell which sector is better?

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Capitalism is a very Flawed System but the others are so much worse

Discussion 1: 
There always are certain merits and demerits in any form of government. Capitalistic government implies power being in the hands of every individual (not in the true sense as there are players who try to maximise their profits, but there atleast is more transparency).
And in case of a democratic government there is no transparency, even though it is said that we choose our own leaders but we know in our country, India, the scenario is different.
Comparing China with India, China's population is way ahead of India in figures in population, but the development they r having is pretty ahead of India.
So u don't have to wait for all the procedures in a capitalistic government, like we have to.
So m not saying that capitalism is free from flaws, but its the best compared to the rest.

Discussion 2 :

Capitalism is a flawed system but every system has its flaws. Example-in communism everything is controlled by government so sometimes people are forced to things which they are against of. Example in china nowadays there are revolts taking place were people are revolting against the government as they are not satisfied with it. There is no transparency in media so world dosen't know about the happenings in the country

Comment Your Feedback And Don't Forget To Share Us! :-)

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How can a Business get rid of the Bad Name that it has earned?

Discussion 1: 

  For a business, it is not so easy to get rid of the bad name it has earned earlier. But it is not impossible kind of thing. it can be done by taking few basic steps such as-

1. Identify the facts that causes in this failure,
2. Take appropriate solutions in order to remove these failure
3. Advertise about the improvement
4. Company may also give some offers to attract their customers.

I think that these steps must be followed in order to get rid of bad name earned earlier.

Discussion 2:

  A bad reputation to the business is one of the major reasons that would reduce the turnover as a whole. Doing a business on loss is of no use. First, I will make a study on the causes and see how it can be rectified. To make people/clients/customers or whomsoever to gain their confidence back on my business deals with them. Change the name, like the axis bank did. Make people believe that its an entire different company. Implement new marketing and advertising strategies to attract more people. Lastly, that should be a lesson. I will never ever let it happen again.

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