10 things to succeed in Group Discussion

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Following are some of the things which you must take care off to succeed in the GD.

Read voraciously

Make a habit of reading voraciously on every subject. This will keep you ready for any topic for a discussion in GD Your knowledge is your most important weapon in a discussion. 

Initiate the discussion

Most of us have a misconception that initiating the discussion would give you an advantage over others. It does give you an advantage but only if you know the subject well and have something relevant to start the discussion otherwise it is a disadvantage. 

For e.g. When a group was given a subject “Is Capital punishment right?” some members of the group heard the word punishment and jumped at starting the discussion with out understanding the meaning of Capital Punishment. The evaluators kept hearing for 2 minutes after which they intervened and asked the group if they knew the meaning of Capital Punishment. Not to say, the members who initiated were quite looking at each other’s faces. That is when a quite member of the group got up and explained the meaning of the topic. From this incidence, you can easily tell who must have succeeded in the GD, the ones who initiated the discussion or the one who explained the topic and gave it a right direction. 

They say, “Speaking just for the sake of speaking is noise”. So, don’t create noise in the GD rather make some useful and resourceful contributions to get noticed in the discussion. 

Speak politely and pleasantly

As you speak make sure that you do not speak at the top of your voice. You should be audible and clear. Remember that you are participating in a discussion which is different from a speech given out by the leaders in their rallies. Even if you disagree with the other’s point of view, disagree politely. Use phrases like, I would like to disagree a bit here, I am sorry but I think I have a slightly different point of view here. 

Be précised

Abstain from using irrelevant information and data from your talks during a GD Speak precisely so that others also get a chance to put across their point of view. 

Acquire and apply knowledge

Stay attentive to the ideas put forward by other group members and keep writing the important points discussed during the GD As you get a chance to speak, put forward your views about the topic. You can also agree or disagree with other’s ideas, based on your knowledge about the subject. 

Agree with the right

Don’t take a stand on either extreme when the discussion begins. It might happen that you get convinced by other’s argument and want to change your stand. Respect other’s opinion as well and agree with what is right, even if you initially had a different opinion. 

Speak confidently

Maintain your confidence as you speak. Establish eye contact with other members of the group and do not let your voice tremble. 

Moderate

Try to moderate the discussion if any arguments arise. This is necessary to ensure that the group doesn’t wander from the goal of the GD 

Use positive body language

Your body language should not demonstrate dominance or low self confidence. Show your interest in the discussion through your gestures like bending forward a bit, nodding your head. 

Be a team player

Last but not the least, be a team player as this is a group activity. Be comfortable with the group members and vice versa.

8 things you should NOT do in a Group Discussion

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3

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Group Discussion

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As you fill up a form for admission to an MBA institute or hear that a good company is coming to your college for campus recruitment, you think about the group discussion that you will have to clear to reach the next round of Personal Interview. Here are the answers to the questions you might have at this stage:

Why do companies or institutes conduct Group Discussion?

Companies or institutes conduct GD to find out the intelligent and smart candidates who have a sound knowledge and personal skills to handle any situation.

What traits do they look for in a candidate during the Group Discussion?

During the GD the candidates are evaluated for the following traits:

Knowledge base. Alertness and presence of mind Communication Confidence Leadership Listening Skills Team Skills Goal Orientation

How should I prepare for the Group Discussion?

Your preparation for GD has to be broken down into two parts:

Subject knowledge: Your subject knowledge during the GD can’t be replaced by anything else. Read voraciously on all subjects to have good ideas. Following could be your sources of information:

News Papers Magazines News Portals TV

As you read, keep taking down the points on different subjects.

Developing soft skillsAlong side your subject knowledge you will have to develop your soft skills to carry yourself out properly during the GD. This needs a work on your communication skills, listening skills, body gestures.

How do I improve my communication skills?

Good communication would ensure that you are able to put across your ideas in a short time during the limited time. It will also ensure that the group remains supportive to you.

To improve your communication skills, read books on communication and general subjects. This will improve your vocabulary and give you ideas to speak effectively. Pick up good phrases and use them in your day to day discussion with friends and colleagues. Be polite in your conversation and let the other person finish speaking before you take up. Disagreeing politely is an art which you must have. You can use phrases like: I am sorry but I think I disagree with you a bit here, I have a slightly different opinion here, you have a good point but I think there’s another facet also to it.

Read loudly at times to make your pronunciation and voice clear.

Can I speak in a regional language during the Group Discussion?

No. In a GD you are expected to speak in English only.

Group Discussion, abbreviated as GD is a form of many-on-many discussion. It has become an inseparable part of admissions to management institutes and your selection in campus interviews. GD is held to identify certain traits that the companies and the institutes like to see in their employees and students. Let’s take a look at the traits which the evaluators look out for in a candidate during the GD.

Knowledge

Whatever you do in a GD, your knowledge about the subject can’t be replaced by anything else. You are required to talk in A GD but a talk that doesn’t contain substantial value doesn’t hold any meaning. Be a voracious reader to increase your knowledge on various subjects. T.V., Newspapers, magazines, News portals etc. could be your good sources of knowledge.

Alertness and presence of mind

In a GD you are required to carefully listen to the other person’s thoughts and keep an argument, example or a supportive statement, fact, example ready to participate in the discussion. Here comes into picture your alertness and ability to think & act immediately. As you participate in a

GD, make sure that you sit with an attentive mind and keep taking down the relevant points put forward by others.

Communication

You have a lot of good points to put across but if you can’t communicate them clearly, you won’t stand a chance to impress the evaluators. Practice to communicate in a clear and effective way.

Confidence

Your self confidence adds a lot of value to your candidature. Look at every group member as you speak, avoid too much hand movement and looking at evaluators.

Leadership and team skills

Your participation in a GD clearly establishes not only your Leadership skills but also your capability to work in a team. To meet the objectives, a good leader has to be a team player.  

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Technology Creates Income DisparitiesHemant Sharma 12-30-2011 04:31 AM

Technology is taking us places and in the modern world scenario it is a boon rather than bane but as far as income disparity is concerned it cuts a sorry figure of our government’s insufficiency and its policy crisis. Is technology the real reason behind income disparity?

For

- Technology is uniformly distributed throughout the country, but urban areas are far ahead in technology. Thus more technology results in more employment and more income, thus the difference between the urban areas and the rural areas.- There is a major cut down in the employment charts as technology reduces the dependency on manpower which is favorable to an organization(as it leads to more profit) but it makes lot of people lose their jobs.- This brings in light the difference between the rural and urban people as the urban people have the knowledge about technology, making them the obvious choice of selection by organizations.- Not only does it results in economic inequalities but also social ones. Individuals with high income are given more respect and are looked upon with high esteem in our society.- Companies opt only for those who are technically sound, further demoralizing other individuals and

pointing to some gaping holes in the Indian education system.

Against

- Technology can be used to provide better education and understanding of its applications, making it an effective tool for every individual.- Technology teaches an easier way of doing things effectively and efficiently.- More sources are utilized thus creating more employment. Technology also gives rise to new innovations and it helps in various discoveries.- It plays a pivotal role in developing a country’s economy and also their mind-sets.- Technology gives a man power to be equivalent to a machine.- Inhouse technology helps in getting the country name and fame on international platform.- Improvement in technology today means less dependence on other countries in future.

Technology works as a catalyst in the growth of a country, it bridges the income gap between the poor and the rich by creating employment opportunities but due to the less use of technology in India it is seen as an income disparity. In this modern world where ‘Time is Money’, makes one’s life simple. Thus technology does not create income disparity rather helps in removing it

. fDI in Retail - Will really affect the farmers of India? - Group DiscussionGroup Discussion 06-26-2012 02:00 AM

For

- Farmers might have to shut down their farms due to corporatization of the farming sector.

- It has divided India’s social, political and trading classes. It works on the “divide and rule” concept.

- It would mean depreciation of Indian money which will have a negative impact on the economy.

- The retailers will have an enormous control over their suppliers and indirectly affecting the farmers.

- This kind of structure would result in reduced farm prices and thus, closure of farms.

- It will have disastrous consequences on the Indian farmers as buyers will have total control over the sellers according to this policy.

- FDI will let some major players emerge in the retail segment. Big retail outlets will enjoy monopoly in selling and in buying as well. This means that the poor farmers will not have much optiona to sell their crop in the market causing them to lower their selling price and shrink the margins.

Against

- It will be profitable to the farmers as middlemen will give them a better price for their goods.

- Farmers will get an opportunity to supply their produce to the big chains directly rather than going through intermediate brokers.

- The induction of the foreign investors will definitely help the small traders i.e. the farmers.

- It will deepen the economic cooperation between India and US.

- Agricultural products will form a very small percentage of the products these retail outlets would sell. The majority of products will be the finished goods. Snce these retail chains will source these products from China and other countries, more than farmers this will affect our local industries

Live in relation should be increased or not

Against-Prachi Shakya 11-4-2012 01:19 AM

Hi Everyone !I don't think that live in relationship should be encouraged.There are several reasons for this-(i)If u love someone and trust him/her, then why do you afraid of giving it a name?Marriage is a sacred institution where society celebrates the union of two souls,but live-in-relationship none of family members are involved and are uncertain about their children's future.

(ii)Taking the example of western country does not prove that it is GOOD & should be practicised.Do everything the western people does is RIGHT,so we should follow them blindly ?

(iii) India is always known for its moral values and ethics. When the western people are attracting towards India because the love & warmth they found in Indian families(note family can be created only when a person get married),is it resonable to follow live-in-realtionship ,just to show you modern and trendy?

(iv) Some say that it helps in the growth of an Individual-what it means that marriage does not let grow ? The FACT is that there are plenty of examples where people in the marriage are quite sucessful,in the current context we can see-Chetan Bhagat,Vishwnathan Anand,Sachin Tendulkar...etc.The truth is that growth does not depend on the type of realtionship -BUT on how you handles the difficulties.

(v)Moreover ,live-in-relationship are totaly insecure,they give joy of four days and lifelong stigma of "uncivilised behaviour"..we are humans not animals so should show a civilised behaviour.

(vi)There are no. of cases from small and metro cities where the boy fled after learning the girl's

pregnancy,leaving her alone in the hand of soceity.Some killed the girl for not aborting the baby...so you can imagine what is consequences and future of live-in-relationship.

Facebooking - Time pass actitivity.

For

- It definitely is a time pass activity as it contains lots of fun activities, like games that are used by people on a regular basis to get out of their boredom.

- Being a social networking site it is just a means of communication where people can make new friends or connect with long lost friends.

- People become so addictive towards it that they spend most of their time socializing via facebook.

- People meet new people; make new relationships through this network which increases the healthy interactions among them.

Against

- Individuals connect through facebook to their co-workers or colleagues which helps them to remain up to date.

- Facebook is used to advertise products which are relatively new in the market and can be easily purchased through facebook.

- It is good way to update people about the recent events taking place nearby or in the world.

- Facebook being a quick and effective way of communicating (people separated by time zones) can not be termed as a time pass activity.

- Facebook teaches a lot of new aspects about different websites.RE: Facebooking : A time pass actitivity - Group DiscussionM.DHAMODARAN 07-9-2012 11:20 PM

dhamodaranRE: Facebooking : A time pass actitivity - Group DiscussionPranay 07-31-2012 02:21 PM

It is wrong to say that facebook is a time pass activity.It is simply wastage of time.Most of the students are wasting there time in fb during there exam also .Instead of doing there home work,they are doing fb as there daily work.It is just like an addiction which simply takes a student to the darkest corner of their life.

But if it is used in a limit just to get connected with each other while living in distance , then it is a good one.They can have their friends or relatives in their list and have a little talk .It is just like a coin which have both head and tail .As we know it is the nature of humans to take the negative part quicker than the positive one with few people in exception.So , it should be used by students in a limit or under the guidance of their parents.RE: Facebooking : A time pass actitivity - Group Discussionritika uppal 02-18-2013 12:57 PM Mobile phones - requirement of the day.Rajani Sharma 01-6-2012 04:11 AM

For

- The invention of mobile phones has made life easier. Now we can connect with people in few seconds who are living in other parts of world.- Mobile phones have proved to be a boon for the success of every business as information passes very quickly through this medium.- We can get in touch with our relatives, friends and closed ones whenever we want without waiting for many days which were used to be the situation in the ancient times.- Everyone is available to each other 24*7.- All types of information related to any area are available in few minutes.- Parents feel less stressed as they are connected to their all the time.

Against

- Mobile phones are instrument of health hazard as the electro magnate waves which are transmitted through it cause harm to the body.- Due to the unlimited connectivity mobile phones has made life miserable for the people who are over using it.- We don’t have time for ourselves as all the time we are busy over due to one reason or the other reason.- Today many accidents are caused due to use of mobile phones while driving.- It is deterring the office atmosphere as most of the people are spending their time over phone instead of working. - Mobile phones have ruined the social life of people as they communicate with their friends and relatives over phone instead of meeting them personally.- The radiation generated by the towers of mobile phones has disturbed the balance of the environment. More and more birds everyday die everyday due to the effect of this radiation. - Children having an access to mobile spend more time in talking with friends rather than on studies and with their family.

Mobile phone has its own advantages and disadvantages. With the help of it we can get connected to any part of the world. On the other hand it has many health hazards attached to it. Somewhere our life has become dependant on it. We have become its slave. Hence, it can be concluded that it is a great invention but its usage should be controlled.

More Group Discussion topicsGroup Discussion 01-12-2012 01:23 AM

Depreciation of Indian Rupee has only negative impact on the economy

For

- Due to European financial crisis the value of Rupee has been depreciated which has resulted in an increase in the value of dollar. Thus, affecting the economy.

- The demand of dollar has increased in contrast to that of Rupee and has startled our economy.

- It has resulted in the depreciation of the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).

- Depreciation of Indian Rupee has resulted in increase in inflation and thus, stagnant growth of the economy.

- Dollar is being appreciated amongst all the currencies including Rupee and has marked an increase in its buyers.

- These frailties and volatilities among the European market is sure to have an impact in the entire Asian markets including India.

- Government would have to pay more in terms of Rupee for its imports. This would lead to rise in fiscal deficit which in turn will raise the level of inflation.

Against

- The exporters gain from the depreciation of Rupee as they get more of the local currency in exchange of the foreign one.

- The depreciating value of Rupee is like a boon to Indian IT sectors as it generates more than 80% of their revenue from overseas market and this will enhance their actual realization of revenue.

- Emigrants living outside India also benefits from this depreciat

Celebrities should be welcomed in politics.Group Discussion 06-18-2012 04:34 AM

For

- They attract a mass following and can sway public opinion in the right direction.

- The celebrities have been successful in their respective field and have the right ethics required being successful in politics.

- Celebrities can do a lot for the welfare of the people as they also live in amongst the common people.

- They have the power to persuade or convince the majority to work in favor of development of the country.

- They have a huge fan following which only makes it easier for them to operate.

Against

- Whether it is Govinda or any other actor for that matter, no one’s attendance has been up to the mark in parliament.

- No one has really raised a particular issue, which has worked in the favor of the nation.

- If you were to analyze the achievements of the actors present in politics, it has been close to negligible.

- They are already so engrossed in their lives, that it has been seen over the years that they don’t have the political mind frame to perform in politics.RE: Celebrities should be welcomed in politics.Shreyan 11-26-2012 12:36 AM

Not the celebrities, but the specialized ones should welcomed to the politics. Yes! In that case if any celebrity is specialized in any one he/she should mostly welcomed, otherwise the situation may like this, today who is coal minister tomorrow he will become education minister, no matter what the department is. The talkings may sound harsh, but it is the only reality that in India,nowadays the ministers are only to loot the departments not to look after. whatever it may be coal or education? only material will change from coal to books..! But what the celebrities will do? Is the parliament house is a theater hall to show the drama on aam-aadmis harassment and poverty in India? The man become change but the chair remains same. Only the outburst of power. Every minister and ministry should take oath before they sit on the chair of their dept. own, any any one line of the oath if they make in real the present situation of India will change in near future; whatever it any celebrities or any other citizens of our country. By whom they are in power they must know how to serve them, not only before the vote but also the five year long.. If not, throw them out of chair!RE: Celebrities should be welcomed in politics.sushma 11-27-2012 08:33 AM

according to me if minister is agud person then that place haveto come becoz they have more money to help poor peple n by coopetate each other they shoud make a gud life for all.some celebryty are gud n some are not .some celibrity are looking for ther publicity only they have no

realy heart tu attend nice thing.n some are realy like to help like salman khan he is realy nice man. at last woud like to say if our political peple become gud n truth man n protecting our nation from every thing then every one have to join that realy works.