2)How do I say What I have to say?
3)I didn't start the discussion, so how do I enter the discussion?
4)Whatare the attributes expected from the candidates?
5)Shouldmy presentation in the GD change depending on the number of participants?
7)Advantagesof a Group Discussion as a Method over other Methods?
8)Isit correct to change your stand during the course of a GD?
9)How to handle Factual Topics?
10)Ifthe GD is becoming noisy and degenerating into a "fish market", whatshould I do?
11)Whatdoes playing each role mean ?
12)Whenshould you speak and when should you keep quiet in the GD?
15)Domock GD sessions really help me prepare for the GDs?
16)Howdo I assess and improve my performance without affecting the discussion?
17)Whatis more important - manner of presentation or the content?
18)Whatstudy material should I read to prepare for the Group Discussion?
Definition:"Discussion is the process by whereby two or more people exchangeinformation or ideas in a face-to-face situation to achieve a goal. The goal, orend product, maybe increased knowledge, agreement leading to action,disagreement leading to competition or resolution, or perhaps only a clearing ofthe air or a continuation of the status quo. The goal may be prearranged orspontaneous decided ". Eachmanagement school is interested in students who are bright and share commonbasic skills essential in a future manager - being able to work in a team andlead, analyse a problem and come out with solutions. The selection process ismeant to identify the students with at least an elementary understanding andproficiency in these basic skills. The three stage process of written test, GDand interview provides an opportunity to test various skills at different stagesand arrive at a comprehensive evaluation of the students. As can beseen from below, the GD stage helps the evaluators identify the team skills,communication skills and analytical capabilities. During this GD, the evaluators are lookingto see certain evidences, specifically, your ability to interact with others andwork in a team and your ability to think clearly and communicate the same. GD TYPES AND TOPICS:
Group Discussion or GD is one of the 3 stages in admission to managementschools& for placement and is used by most of the schools &companies. Performance in GDs determine your chances of admission to mostschools & job in a company and hence you need to prepare as intensely forGDs as you would have for written tests. This guide is about preparing for GDsand the companion guide is about preparing for interviews
Stage Skills Tested Written Test Reading and Quantitative Skills GD Team Skills, Communication Skills and Analytical Capabilities Interview Analytical Capabilities, Introspection skills (personal questions
Identify the core of the problem
Identify the options considered and evaluate every criteria
Recommend long-term solution
(if possible) Case Study -
Take a direct stand in favour or against
Focus on quantity of points made
Recommend short-term solutions Factual Topics -
Find the stake holders in the issue
Give reference to related issues occurred in the past
Factual Topics -
Don't bluff statistics
Never take a definitive stand Non-factual Topics and Abstract Topics -
Try and link the topic to factual issues
(if possible)
Try to connect others ideas and concepts to yours Non-factual Topics and Abstract Topics -
Stick to your ideas only.
Forcefully reach a conclusion.
The following are theimportant characteristics of Effective Communication:-
P - Pitch
I - Inflection
C - Courtesy
T - Tone
U - Understandability
R - Rate
E - Enunciation
Pitch :--
The different pitches we use in our voices will change the meaning of ourmessages or words. Approximately 38% of our communication is contained in theHOW of what we say. The high-pitched voice can sound weak, on a telephone callit can sound irritating. The lower-pitched voice can sound more authoritativeand can be particularly effective at meetings where we are trying to persuadeother to our point of view. e.g. try reading this sentence in a high-pitchedvoice and then a lower pitched voice : "Shall we go ahead, then?".
Inflection :-
If we talk in a monotone then we will make it difficult for our listeners toconcentrate on what we are saying. The group members will get bored and theirminds will mander off into self dialogue or self talk. However, if we vary theinflection in our voices, what we have to say sounds more interesting and willkeep the listener's attention. Some have suggested that we end sentences byrising at the end. This can have an effect, although falling at the end of thesentence can produce a very strong impact.
Courtesy :-
It is all to easy to forget to include everyday courtesy in our conversations.We
should remind ourselves to be courteous to everybody. Use of "Thankyou" and
"Sorry" does not harm anyone in anyway.
Tone :-
The tone we use can emphasise the meaning of the words used. For
example,say the following words using the tone that matches the word.
(I.e. a sincere tone for the word sincere), sincere, pleasant, happy, sad,
confident, believable
Understandability :-
The understandability part of the acronym has a number of facets:
n We should avoid talking withanything other than our tongue and teeth in our mouths. Chewing- gums etc. should be avoided.
n Understandability also related tothe jargon we use, however familiar it may be at our place of workhome. Jargons can be a double-edged sword. For those in the know, it is not only extremely useful verbal shorthand but can build rapport as thelanguage is familiar to everyone. One of the techniques usedto get the members of the group together is to have a languageall of their own which binds the members together
Rate :-
Rate stands for the rate or speed at which we speak. If we speak too quickly,our
listeners may not be able to follow the content. Similarly if we speak tooslowly,
then people will try and finish off the subject of the conversation orpresentation.
It is the variety of speeds which gives power to our conversation, slowing down
to make a particular point, speeding up to add emphasis and excitement. This
change in rate gives feeling and enthusiasm to what we say
Enunciation :-
We need to be careful how we enunciate what we say. We must speak clearly to avoid misunderstandings. Some people struggle more with numbers than with words, so we take care to cite them clearly to avoid confusion. The letters T and D are often confused, as are P and B. Speaking clearly is the only way to speak if we wish to ensure that what we say is understood.
What are the things I should keep in mind while communicating?
Entering the discussion is an important facet of GD and you should learn thiswell. Some guidelines are
n Don'tjump in. Wait for a pause or a lull in the discussion. In the meantime, keep eye contact with speaker(s) (and the "leader") and activelyparticipate with gestures such as taking down notes and nodding yourhead to points you agree with. As you establish eye contact, you willbe able to identify when to enter.
n Otherwise, when a point you agree with is being made, you can make an effort toadd on to the speakers' points and thus take off from there. However, don't beoffensive and don't cut off the speaker. If you do so, ensure that youbegin with by saying "I agree with …." (or if you are disagreeing, "I am sorrybut I disagree with you, we could perhaps consider the following….").
n Other strategies for entering a discussion could be
ask/seek clarifications from the speaker or any of the previousspeakers or the group in common - for instance, "I would like to make sure I haveunderstood this correct - so far, we discussed the following ……, am I right in thisunderstanding?" could be very effective.
- keep time for the group and if you notice if the group is spendinga lot of time on peripheral issues, you can remind the group by saying "looks to me that wehave spent a lot of time on issues without getting to the core…can we identify themain issue…?" or something similar.
Whatshould I do if nobody speaks up when the topic is given? [top]
Broadly, the attributeswhich are expected from the candidates can be classified into four broad areas:-
1. Communication Capabilities: Ability to communicate effectively yourpoint of view is one of the key ingredients to being successful. The emphasis ison effectiveness - how well have the others understood your point, which isdetermined by issues such as clarity of thought, conciseness, delivery.Communication is not about using big or high-sounding words or being fluent
2. Team SkillsManagement : It is about managing people - either one-to-one orincreasingly, in a team setting. Hence, most schools are interested in knowinghow well you can perform various team roles - a team player (cog in the wheel),a mediator or a leader. These roles are explained in greater detail in the latersections
3.Analytical Capabilities: Being able to effectively communicate and lead ateam requires good analytical capabilities. "Analytical capability"refers to ability to break down the broad issue into its smaller elements,ability to understand these elements fully, identify the core issue, developoptions and being able to decide among these options in a logical way. It is atest of both intellect as well as how you structure your thoughts. Whileintellect is perhaps innate, structure is learnt and we have provided tips inthe latter sections on how you can develop the structuring capabilities.
4.Awareness/ General Knowledge : All the above require no special knowledgefrom the participant. This section is about how well read or aware you are aboutthe issues surrounding you or some very common issues that every student isexpected to know. The test is on the awareness of the most common issues thatget discussed in newspapers and general magazines, and not on some technicalissue related to your background or some such special material.
Let us see as what each attribute means indetail with examples and provide some tips on how you might develop these.
Do's:
Be clear on your thoughts
Believe firmly on what to say
concise on yourdelivery of thought
Play different rolesaccording to the situation
State statistics tosupport your view point
Don'ts:
Be too humorous
Speak for long
Try to raise irrelevant issues
Use too many examples tosupport your views
Bluff statistics
Yes,because the time available to speak reduces with the increase in number ofparticipants. In this case, you need to prioritise the issues and speak onlythose that merit mention in the shortened time frame. Also, number of persons inthe GD and the seating arrangement impact audibility and hence the level ofparticipation in the GD.
If the number of persons are more (10+), you will need to speak slowly andloudly so that every body can speak. Similarly, if the group is small (about 5),then you need to lower the voice. Also, you should addressing the group incommon as "Friends, ….." - addressing the group in suchcollective fashion is fine only in a large group; in a smaller group, you canjust establish eye contact with the individuals and get going.
Maintaining eye contact is an essential element to good presentation ,apart frombeing able to retain group's interest. Typical seating arrangement is circular(below are shown the 3 most common arrangements). In any arrangement, it isimportant for the participant to make eye contact with all the otherparticipants. As the group becomes big, making eye contact requires extraeffort. Make sure you take this extra effort.
Our experience suggests that everybody will get a chance to speak for at least aminute and a half which is sufficient to create an impression. So, don'tpanic
*Above are thethree most common arrangements. In any seating arrangement, it isimportant for you (grey box) to make eye contact with the persons in theextremes identified by a,b and c. Remember, the need is to keep making contactwith all the members. Making eye contact with the extremes would normallyhelp you do this better.[top]
It is quite possible thatthe person(s) are opposed to your view point rather than to you, as a person.Also, it may be a genuine opposition rather than an emotional reaction. It isimportant to keep this in mind. Actually, a situation like this is a goodopportunity for you to demonstrate you conflict handling skills and maturity,factors which are considered important by the evaluators.
Be calm and relaxed, and don't let this get to you. If you get aggravated, youwill be seen as incapable of handling stress and this might go against you
If the arguments areagainst your argument, then
n Is thecounter-argument valid? Would you have accepted it if it had come from your best friend?If yes, then concede the point gracefully through "I think you have animportant point there that I did not think of"
n If thecounter-argument is not valid but the discussion has been going on for sometime, then defer the issue in the interests of the group, with statementslike "we have discussed this issue and it appears to me that we seemto have some differences…can we defer it for the time being so thatwe may move forward?" or you can seek others' opinion by turning to others and seeking their opinion with statements like "we seemto have different views here…what do you feel?"
In some cases, more thanone person may be having an opinion different to yours. In such cases, you maywant to really rethink your stand with statements like "I see that some ofyou have an opinion different than mine. While I am not able to reconcile thetwo immediately, can we defer it for the time being and return to itlater?" There is really no point in taking on a group, no matter how strongyour point is.
If the attack is directed against you as a person, then the best strategy is tojust ignore it and get on with the discussion, without any animosity towards theattacker. This is hard to do but if you manage, it will be the bestadvertisement for your maturity.
Be assured that "losing" an argument is not bad - even if you areconvinced about the correctness of your stand, don't stand on it - let the otherperson "win" it (just say "I know that you may disagree, but mypoint is….., however, we need not keep debating this, may be we need toproceed"). Losing an argument does not lead to loss of points. Sometimes,it even helps demonstrate your flexibility and maturity. [top]
The following are theprincipal advantage of discussion:
a) Two headsare frequently better then one
(i) Extreme judgments tend to become less extreme
(ii) Judgment tends to improve
(iii) The majority influences the individual judgments
(iv) Right answers are supported more tenaciouslythen wrong answers.
b) People tend to carry out decisions they make.
c) Discussions canchange individual attitudes and behaviour
The discussant whose mind is made up before thediscussion is not likely to hear new ideas or to be open to change. On theother hand, few of us are completely open-minded. Most of us arrive atGroup Sessions with at least some tentative learning's we have alreadyformed from our previous knowledge of the subject.
d) Discussioncan Frequently develop the individual
First, the individual is able to learn fromparticipation. In many ways this can be more effective than learningfrom reading or listening to lectures because the information and ideascontributed by others are considered in the dynamic framework.
e) Discussioncan help satisfy social needs
There is more than just psychological support inthe fact that it is a group rather than an individual whobelieves in a given cause or is working to solve a certain problem.The visibility of numbers is a message in itself. [top]
Yes,if it is genuine and you can rationally explain why you have changed (you maynot be asked this during GD but you could be asked during the interview).Changing your stance due to genuine reasons conveys flexibility and openness/objectivity on your part. However, it should not arise out of confusion. If youdo change, it is recommended that you do not change again.
A good way of changing your stance would be to say "When we began thediscussion, I believed ….. to be so; however, considering …..stated in thediscussion, I think …..to be more appropriate". An improvement over thiswould be an ending question such "do you agree?" or "am i rightin my conclusion?". This leaves the conclusion open for discussion andallows a more gradual transition of your stance. This is better than announcinga changed stance abruptly.
For example, if at thebeginning of the discussion you believed that women ought to be givenreservation in elections and subsequently changed your opinion to againstreservation, you can say "Initially, I believed that we should havereservation for women. However, I am now persuaded by the argument that therecan be no basis for differential treatment, which is what the reservation is allabout, in a democracy. On this basis, I think I would prefer a different meansto uplifting the lot of the women. May be we could look at subsidising theeducation of women up to graduation or make it mandatory for girls to study upto 12th. There may be other such measures which may be more effective. Can weidentify such?" [Note the statement ending in a question, thus throwing theissue open for discussion. Also note that the opinion has been changed withoutbeing too open about it.]
If, instead of changing the stance and arriving at a new, firm stance, you havejust become unsure about your original stance, you can say this (if at allnecessary) with something like "I did believe that reservation wasnecessary but some of the issues raised here seem to contradict the need and arecompelling."
There can be no one-size-fits-all solution but you can practise in the mockrounds. However, you wont hopefully have to use it!!
ShouldI have strong views for or against a notion or should I be more conciliatory
1.Communication Capabilities
1.1 Speak in briefand concise points
Try to put your views in specific points, each point could be about 2-4sentences long. Before you start speaking, mention clearly to the group that "Friends, I have 3 points to makeabout the issue. Firstly,...... Secondly,.......... Thirdly,.......". Thesepoints can be shown in your fingers so as to clearly differentiate between thedifferent alternatives. Also, when you use such hand gestures, you keep theattention of the listeners to yourself, making interruptions that much moredifficult.
Putting your views thus serves two main benefits:
(i) Others in the group wait for you to complete your points - so you couldspeak for a longer period of time without interruption.
(ii) It lends a structure to your views and makes whatever you say more orderedand elegant
| Example : GD topic is "Should India develop nuclear bombs?" There are three issues because of which I feel India should go nuclear - security, cost and world reaction. Two, Cost. Earlier, it was believed that if a poor country like India was to go nuclear then people of the country would have to eat grass. This view is very misleading. India was able to manufacture nuclear weapons without any substantial increase in the defense expenditure. So, costs for nuclear capability is not much. So, I feel that even if India makes nuclear bombs, there would not be a lot of adverse reaction because India is a potential economic power. So, in a crux, I feel that India should manufacture nuclear weapons. |
How do you prepare forthis?
The following is a verysimple but effective method - take today's newspaper, read the editorial oncevery carefully and then close it. Now, if force yourself to summarise the wholeeditorial into 3 (or maximum 4) points/issues raised. What would they be? Such aprocess, you will realise, brings a lot of clarity to your thought. You canimprove your performance if you add another constraint - that the three pointsshould not take more than 1 minute for you to say! Remember, the thoughts arenot yours and you are only summarising what another person has said. Even if youperfect this, only half the challenge would have been overcome - you still needto be able to develop on your own the thoughts and ideas in the first place.
1.2 UseOccasional Quotations to add a bit of glamour to your points
"I quote others, only the better toexpress myself." - Byron
Above you see one point already made. Using quotations makes what yousay much more eloquent and puts your points through forcefully.
Example : GD Topic :Should capital punishment be banned?
And a candidate quoted Oscar Wilde to support his point "The vilestdeeds, like prison weeds, bloom well in prison air. It is only what is good inman, that wastes and withers there." Impressive, isn't it...
GD topic : "Indian example should be followed by ASEANcountries to macro-manage their economy."
This topic was given when ASEAN crisis was at the peak, and everybody was insupport of the notion.
The protagonist interjects : "Friends, my views are almost contradictoryfrom that of yours. Let me first quote Whittier "Who never loses,can rarelywin, Who never climbs, as rarely falls." The ASEAN countries are winnerswho took the risk of opening up their economy and clocked close to doubledigit growth rates for 15 years or more. India then was growing at the 4%"Hindu" rate. As the per-capita income of those countries almostquadrupled in the period, India's per-capita remained the same.
True, if you take the risk of climbing the ladder of prosperity, you mayslip sometimes like the ASEAN countries have. But I feel that ASEAN countriesare much better off than India which never took the risk of opening up of itsmarkets - a country that never started climbing cannot fall much.
So, buy a book of quotes,and start remembering the interesting ones. Then, check out list of GD topicssection on the website and see if you can add some of the quotes to thosetopics.
Note : - We alsorecommend you that do not entangle yourself with the thought of recollectingsome Quotations. Also we recommend you use it according to the occasion.
1.3 Use wit andhumour
Group Discussions are usually a serious affair. But, anycandidate who can use his presence of mind to bring some laughter to the solemndiscussion definitely gets the appreciation of the team members and the bonusmarks from the evaluators. Humour is particularly useful when
(a) there are conflicting view points due to which the discussionstagnates,
(b) everybody has said their points and there are no more points to beadded (it brings in a new dimension), and
(c) somebody is going tangentially off the topic, to bring him/her backto the topic gently (this needs to be handled carefully to not offend thespeaker; also, if it is not delivered properly, it may lack the punch; handled carefully, this can bea very effective tool and will get the attentionof the evaluators as well).
Typically, wit/humour can be in the form of:
n An interesting anecdote -
If the discussion about problems on waste disposal within the city limits, doyou know of how another city handled this problem innovatively? may be some citypassed a law that made it illegal to generate waste? Or may be some citypassed a law that limited per capita waste generation? Such anecdotes arevery hard to specifically prepare for - if you know one, you can use themand this adds flavour to the discussion. It would also enable you to enter theconversation more easily.
nA relevant witty quote -
It can be either in English or Hindi (make sure all in the group will be able tounderstand Hindi before using one;for a good measure, follow it up with itsmeaning in English).
nA statement about self -
"I am not a little confused about this topic and I think I am really dumb -I didn't understand why (some point raised during thediscussion) is so". For instance, if some one has been talking about howreservation for women is going to improve the quality of life in general,you might interrupt with saying "I am not a little confused about thistopic and I think I am really dumb - I didn't understandhow reservation for women in parliament is going to improve quality of lifein general". Remember, there is a thin line between humour which willmake every body laugh and humour which will offend others.So,unless you are sureyou can carry it off without offending others,stay away from this.
Note :- Using humor,quotations and anecdotes is a part of an individual's personality. Do not usethem if you do not feel comfortable. Using them for the sake of making youranswer interesting can sound artificial.
2.Team Skills
2.1 Willingness toaccept different view points, handle conflicts and build consensus
Being a good team player calls for an ability toaccept different view points and handle conflicts that are inherent in anygroup behaviour. The key to winning is staying completely objective andevaluating each idea/thought expressed either in favour ofor against your idea as if it occurred to you. For instance, you maybelieve that reservation for women in parliament is good and is morallycorrect. There could be another person who really feels that it is incorrect toreserve seats in parliament for women.So how do you tackle suchconflicts?
Willingness toaccept/accommodate different view points call for:
n Being objective - Beingobjective is about being right or wrong. Can you identify whether the person is against you or your points? Have you understoodwhat he/she is saying? Is there merit in the counter-argument?Or is there some problem with the logic? Given the facts,which position is factually,logically correct?
nBeing sensible - Being sensible is not being right or wrong, but aboutwhat is appropriate to a given situation. Even if yourposition is correct and the other is patently wrong, is it appropriate now to mention this? May be the group has already spent a lotof time in the conflicting view points and it is time tomove on or may be, even though not much time has been spent, the other person seems to be wanting a conflict. In suchcases, it is far more sensible and practical to avoid theconflict rather than escalate. A long-drawn victory is worse than a loss.
nBeing sensitive - Is about respect for others. Even if the other personis rude, can you rise above and continue to be wellmannered?Can you request explanations rather than demand? If you are adding a point to what another is already saying, canyou say it in such a way that he/she does not feelcheated that you took away his/her opportunity? For example, you might start with saying "that's a good point you have…I alsofeel that…." which ensures that the other person doesnot lose credit for making the point. Similarly, when you disagree youcould say "I appreciate your point but I thinkotherwise….".
So, what is the bottomline?Your responsibility as a team member is to create and maintain a comfortableatmosphere during the GD and not let small differences of opinion destroy theatmosphere. It is important to have some sort of consensus within the group.
2.2 Active Listening
Active listening is not the same as listening - when you are actively listening,you not only hear what is being said, but you simultaneously evaluate theidea/issue being raised, identify the pros and cons, and make mental/physicalnotes of the idea. An active listener is a part of a group even if he/shedoes not say anything. Being a good team player is not about just being a goodtalker but in equal parts about being a good active listener. So, how doesone develop this skill?
Listen to the discussionprogrammes aired on TV. As you listen to the discussion, try and identify whatthe invited guest is really saying. For example, if the show hosts NarmadaBachao Andolan activists, try and identify what they are essentially against -are they against dams in general or dams which damage environment? Arethey against any dam which damages environment or only those damswhich damage environment extensively and irrecoverably? What is correct andwrong about such stances? You must do this even as you keep listening tothe discussion. This is tough but becomes easy with practice. In the initialstages, you might jot down important key words so that you cananalyse the discussion after it is over. However, it is important for you todevelop the capability to do this on-line.
3.Analytical Skills
3.1 Define ambiguousterms in the topic "Most arguments in the world can be easily resolvedshould the two parties first define the terms. "- Aristotle
Indeed, most of the GDtopics have ambiguous terms. Try to go through the GD topic and in case you findsome ambiguous terms, do define these terms.
Example : "Hindutva fosters love and brotherhood among people."
How would you define "Hindutva" - Hindu religion, the spirit ofHinduism... If you know Sanskrit, what does "Hindutva" really mean.
If you can help indefining the terms used in the GD, maybe you could change the very way in whichthe GD progresses - This will also make your points seem very interesting andothers listen to you. So, once you get the GD topic, start looking for thosewords which could be interpreted in different ways
3.2 Look at the topicfrom different perspectives
This relates to doing some lateral thinking about the topic and coming up withdifferent ways to look at the issue being discussed. Earlier on, we discussedhow defining ambiguous words could change the way the GD progresses. Similarly,examining the GD topic from diverse perspectives could have a great impact onthe GD. In controversial topics, if you could take a middle-path, it could makea good impact on the GD.
GD Topic : Should English or Hindi be made the medium of instruction?
The candidates started taking sides - those supporting English and thosesupporting Hindi as medium of instruction. Winning candidate : Friends, I do not feel that this should be a question of"English" Versus "Hindi" - India's main strength is"Unity in Diversity." From time immemorial, India has supportedmyriad religions, cultures and languages. I believe that both English and Hindican co-exist. English could be the medium of instruction in Technicalcourses - it could also be used for correspondence betweengovernment bodies and corporates. Hindi on the other hand continues tobe the mother tongue of the larger masses of India and the colloquial languageof communication between Indians.Thus, I believe that both English and Hindi canbe used at the same time.
The candidate has looked at the issue from a totally different perspective. Hedoes not talk about "English or Hindi as the mediumof instruction" but rather he talks about "English and Hindico-existing in a culturally diverse India." That would get him valuablepoints from the evaluators
3.3 Providing structureto your thought process
One of the key abilities is to think in a structured way - in fact, most ofthe management education, particularly the case-study method, is about enablingstudents to think and develop structures out of totally unstructured situations.While structured thinking takes a lot a practice to develop, what is essential,at the least, is that you show an inclination towards structured thinking. Canyou break-down a given problem into small parts? Can you identify which of theseparts is more important - can you prioritise? How to decide priority?
Example: Should there be reservation for women in Parliament?
This topic is really about three parts - (a) women, (b) the concept ofreservation, (c) the role and purpose of the Parliament. What do we mean by"Women" - are we talking here about women in general or downtroddenwomen? Is it about women's freedom? Equality with men? What is reservation allabout? is it about helping some sections of the society overcome certainhandicap? If so, are women really handicapped? What handicaps are these -political, economic or social? What is the purpose of Parliament? To provideequality in the society or is to provide equality within the walls of theParliament?
The above process wouldthrow a set of questions which need to be addressed by the group. Depending uponyour beliefs, you can prioritise the questions in decreasing importance and thenlaunch discussion. For instance,
n if you believe that thereservation is about women in general, and is meant to providepolitical freedom, then may be reservation is important(political freedom can be achieved through legislation -hence may be reservation is feasible)
n if you believe that thereservation is about downtrodden women and is meant toprovide economic upliftment, then maybe changing the recruitment rules for Government agencies is more appropriate than changing laws
n if you believe that the reservation is about societal freedom for women ingeneral, then legislation would hardly be helpful andhence the idea of reservation is hardly useless
Structuring the thoughtprocess helps bring clarity into the issues,identify alternate discussion pathsand bring new dimensions to the discussion.
3.4 Take a standdifferent from that of the group.
At times there could be loaded GD topics e.g.related to reservations, women issues, protecting the environment, relevance ofMBA etc. Here, the whole group would like to take the "morally correctstand" - If you take a stand different from that of the group, thenyou get to speak more and at the same time, you differentiate yourself fromyour colleagues. However, be careful not to hurt the feelings of co-groupmembers when you take a radically different stance.
GD Topic : Men are better than women
Here the group started taking the morally correct view that "Women andmen are equal"
Candidate who takes opposite view : Friend, frankly speaking, I also believethat "Women and Men are equal in most things." But,since the topic is"Men is better than women," let us look at the issue a bit moreobjectively. How many men scientists and how many women scientists do youknow? Who - man or woman - has the best timings in 100m,pole vault and inswimming? How many women Presidents has US had in its 300 year democratichistory? Friends, the point that I would like to make, is that if we talkobjectively, look at past examples, use the law of averages - "Men aredefinitely better than women in most respects."
4.1 Think of examplesto support your point of view
Examples reinforce your point of view. In every GD topic, there could beexamples to substantiate what you say - examples primarily relate to historicaland current happenings (political, economic, social etc.).
GD Topic : "Non Violence is the best way to fight a revolution"
This is a topic where citing of examples could substantiate greatly what yousay.
For the notion: At the same time as India was fighting its"non-violent" war of Independence against the British, severalcountries in Africa fought "violent" revolutions against theiroppressors. Half a century later, India is a leading power and a Democraticcountry. On the other hand, in African countries infighting, murders andviolence still are the order of day in Africa. Reminds me of what Gandhiji oncesaid: "Good ends can never be achieved by evil means, And the end itself isdistorted if the methods followed are bad.".
Against the notion: For any successful non-violent revolution(e.g. IndianFreedom Struggle), there are perhaps ten successful revolutions(look at FrenchRevolution, American War of Independence, Russian peasant rising, the ChineseRevolution etc.) Although others may argue that non-violence is the"best way" to fight a revolution, history tells us that the most"effective way" is through wars and violence. So, there is nogainsaying the fact that non-violence is the "best way" to fight arevolution.
4.2 State Statistics tosupport what you say
"There are three types of liars - liars,damned liars and statisticians"- Disraelli
Maybe Disraelli did not hold statisticians in high regard, but if you reallystand out if you have the weight of statistics behind you.Statistics give youthe air of a well-read person who shoots from the hip - points backed bystatistics cannot be refuted, and others sit up and listen when you speak thenumbers.
.
Example : The topic is "Why should weindustrialise rural India?"
You intuitively know that
a) India lives in villages,
b) Unemployment is higher in rural India thanurban India and
c) Entrepreneurial talent does not needfamily's financial backing.
Would it not be very helpful if you knew the percentage of people livingin villages and how it has been changing over the years, the levels ofunemployment in rural versus urban India, and examples of first generationentrepreneurs from rural area making it big? Every day newspaper articlesprovide a wealth of information that is more than sufficient for GDs. The pointis to make a mental note of such statistics and use them at the appropriatetime. Go through the list of GD topics in success stories of students qualifiedin MBA entrances. Pick up the most frequently asked topics and try tocollect some statistics about those issues - that will really be veryhelpful
These are a comprehensive set of attributes. Rememberthat one is not expected to excel at each of these attributes, nor is itfeasible to do so. Identify some of the attributes that you feel comfortable andfocus your attention on developing these. In the next few pages, wediscusshandling specific situations that might come up in the GDs.[top]
Handling Factual Topics:
The first step towards approaching factual topics is to look at the topic from various perspectives. Try to getthe reasons and causes behind the topic or issue. This would help in reachingand covering more areas about the topic. It is highly recommended that oneshould not take a pre-mediated stand before the start of the topic, as it mayrestrict one, to contribute new ideas to the topic and also the discussionbecomes more of a debate. Factual Topics can further be classified into thefollowing categories:
| Current Affairs | Economic | Education |
| Environment | I.T | MBA |
| Political | Social | Sports |
The technique that one canadopt to explore these ideas are as follows: ·
nTry and find the stake holders in thegiven issue -
Given the topic or the issue, try and figure out those people whohave been responsible for the occurring of the problem. Also, figureout those people who are going to lose or benefit from the issue.
n A good way to start is asking why-
Try to find the root of the topic i.e. what has caused this issue
n Try to explore the history of the Topic / issue - findthose people who triggered the issue
n Discuss the Pros and Cons? Offer your perspectives.
n Give examples relevant to the issue.
n And remember NEVER take a definitive stand in the beginning-taking a definitive stand in the beginning,restrictsoneself from contributing more to the topic and also the topic ends- up in being a debate rather than a discussion.
Topic - Shouldthe Indian Railways be privatized
n Try and find the stake holdersin this issue to whom the decision may affect the most
i.e. Government, private companies, Railway companies, Railwayemployees, commuters.
n What can be implications to thestake holders? I.e. Long term and Short term
n Try to find the root of the Topic?Give references if possible.
n Did this issue was ever repeatedever back in History?
n Give examples relevant to the Topic.Cite examples that are more practical in nature.
Never take a definite stand in the beginning
n Tryto summarize the Topic in a sentence .
The non-factual topicscan be further categorized into the following categories:
| 1) Abstract Topics | 2) Ethics or Ethical Values | 3) Case Study |
| 4) Managerial Cases or Cases on managerial roles | 5) Judiciary |
The following arethe elements of non-factual topics:
Creativity and Lateral Thinking- The group should focus on thinking as creatively as possible andthen translating that thinking into concrete ideas and words
n Linkages to factual issues - A creative idea is best if linked to afactual issue and preferably a matter currently in the news (so as toeasily appreciated by the rest of the group and the evaluators
n Ability to understand and develop other's concepts - Paying close attentionto other's points so that they can be developed further.
n Linkages of abstract concepts - Connecting two concepts toform a third one and therefore a new area of thought is a very impressiveway to further the discussion of an abstract topic.
n "Funnel Approach"- Anadvancement of the above idea where the participant combines not just 2 or3 but a whole range of diverse ideas and finds common ground between themand brings then together.
n Openness to other's ideas
n Avoid overly-philosophicaldiscussion - the objective should stray towards thinking abstract andthus getting into a philosophical discussion or debate. Keep the discussionrooted, as far as possible, in real-life and issues.
n Reachinga consensus - Generally for non-factual topics, reaching a consensus is notthat important. [top]
There are two scenarios:
1. If you have started speaking but subsequently, due to noisyinterjections, the discussion has become a "fishmarket", then you can
1) Try to playthe role of a mediator if you can. Try to bring down the tempo through statementslike "excuse me…can we step back for a moment and revisit thetopic?" or if you know by name the one who is creating the maximumcommotion, then "excuse me <name>, can youplease just hold for a moment?"
2) Letting theaggressive go through with their thoughts and then suggest some form of equal participation- such as rotation ("Why don't each one of us speak for a minute afterwhich we could discuss the issue in greater detail?") or givingsilent ones a chance by prompting them to speak.
3) Use gestures like handmovements (or even standing up, if you can manage to do this withoutbeing seen as aggressive yourself) to attract attention from where you could providesome discipline.
The above steps may normally not succeed - however, what it does achieve is thatit conveys to the invigilator that you can play the role of a leader wheneverthe situation demands. This is all that the invigilators are looking for.
2. Inother situations you may not have uttered a word and yet the discussion turnschaotic. In these situations:
* Be patient. Theaggressive ones generally run out of ideas soon and there will be sufficient time for every one to speak. For example, the typical noise levels during thecourse of the discussion is higher in the beginning and at the endof the GD
But there are also periods in each GDwhere there is a very brief lull which you could capitaliseon.
Whatever be the case,the following are some don'ts
1) Don't jumpinto the fray yourself - it is natural to want to get started particularly ifyour past mild attempts at establishing order had failed
2) Don't make long points - when you get an opportunity, don't be greedy, saywhat you want to say briefly and hand it over to the next person- this will be appreciated
3)Don't be rude or offensive orcarry grudges against those who created the commotion. [top]
Sometimes it happens thatthe group does not have any clear points on which it can begin discussion. Totake advantage of such situations, you can prepare by thinking about how toprovide direction. Some tips are
1. Identifywhat the topic is really about? Understand the basic issue. If the issue is"Should there be reservation for women in Parliament?", is it reallyabout women or is it about reservation? Why is the issue important? Who is itlikely to affect more - male MPs? General public? Women in society at large?
2.Define criteria to evaluate
Based on your understanding of the above, you may define the criteria thatshould be applied. For instance, if you believe that the issue is about "women in society at large", relevantcriteria would be (a) percentage of women overall that are likely to benefitfrom increased women representation, (b) who would benefitmore - rural women vs urban women, and (c) how effective and efficient thisroute is in achieving this goal. These are only somedimensions along which it could be evaluated and it is not necessary for you tocome up with a comprehensive list. Your ability to identify dimensionsis more important than the number of dimensions.
3.Definehow the discussion should proceed If you have any firm thoughts at this stage,you can outline them. If not, you could explain how the groupmight want to continue discussion. For example, the group can decide on whetheryour interpretation of the issue is right, then move todeciding on the appropriateness of the criteria and then to evaluating the moveto increase representation along the criteria .Also, you can suggest, forinstance, each member can speak in rotation, so that everybody gets a chance.
You might want to practice going through these steps with some common topics sothat you can easily perform these if the chance arises. See also the tips givenin "Developing Structured thought process" on how you could thinkthrough the issues. There is no such thing as a topic on which you cannotdevelop an opinion - even if it is totally new subject, you can still identifydoubts / queries which could be used to start the discussion. Remember that toparticipate in a discussion, you don't have to have an opinion - even a doubt orclarification will do. [top]
Listener:
Listener means a person who is very much a part of the team but who is more intoidentifying what is being said, evaluating such views and forming an unexpressedopinion. Listeners are people who are not normally very comfortable withspeaking without being prompted, either due to language problems or due tonatural shyness. However, when prompted by the invigilator, they have somethingto say and often say it effectively. These people are able to summarisediscussions whenever it gets chaotic. In fact, if English language skills is theproblem, write down the exact sentences you want to speak and then summarisewhen the opportunity arises.
The advantage of being a "listener" is that you will be noticed andawarded points for writing down notes or being a part of the team despitehandicap. However, if the invigilator does not specifically ask you to summariesand you have not spoken at all, you may not make it. Unless the discussion isnoisy and very chaotic, being a listener alone is not recommended.
Mediator:
A mediator plays a central role in the functioning of the group. He may notcontribute in terms of ideas but serves 4 functions:
1. Validates thoughts by asking questions like "Mr X, you have saidthis, is that the correct way to go or can we think ofthe same issue in some other way?",
2. Validates understanding by asking questions like "Mr X, if I amcorrect, this is what you have said,am I right?",
3. Facilitates resolution of conflicting views by saying "okay, wehave two issues here, why don't we assume that the firstis right and go along further" and
4. Finally provides direction through statements like "okay, we have sofar discussed ….now why don't we say discuss the…"
You can play the role of the mediator even if you have no opinions of yourown and this is a big advantage. However, to be able to play this role, youshould be able to command and hold attention of others and often this is noteasy.
Idea Generator:
Idea generators are typically creative people who can think differently andbring up different but relevant perspectives which the group has not discussed.This helps expand scope of discussion when the group discussion stagnates andrevolves only around some issues.
If you can manage to be the idea generator, you will certainly get noticed forthinking out of thebox or differently (as long as the thought is relevant).However, this is not so easy - you can seek help from thinking through astructured process - may be others have missed a component or angle in thetopic!. See the tips in that section.[top]
You should speak :
n Onlywhen you are clear about the issues and ready with the priority among the issues
n Waitfor the lull in the discussion (do not interject) or pick-up the flow from asimilar suitable/similar point
n When no one else has anything to say.
n Whensomebody is hijacking the discussion or moving off tangentially.
n Youare asked to speak (normally, invigilators may ask those who were silent tospeak)
n Ifsomebody has been silent, you might want to encourage that person to speak.However,don't over do this.
Be Quiet:
n Ifthe discussion is noisy and resembles a fish market.
n Ifyou are not clear about the issue or have not prioritised your views.
n If you have already spoken; you can let others speak, demonstrating your teamskills.[top]
In this case it issuggested to enter late. This would make you reasonably aware of the issuesinvolved, enable you to take a thread and develop your view point. Remember, itis not always necessary to say something - people who had not uttered a wordthrough a GD have been selected in the past. If you want to say something, thenensure that it is relevant and sensible. You can also identify new thoughts bylooking at issues from your point of view (for e.g. if you an arts student andthe topic relates to software engineering, you could speak of the relevance ofsoftware in fields related to arts…)
There are other ways of participating in the GD, such as:
1. Active Listening through making notes and understanding the viewsexpressed.
Quite often the invigilators see how active and involved the participants areand
active listening is considered as a good way of participation.
2. Seekclarifications - Another way is to seek clarifications from the speaker. Youmay not have understood some part of what was said inwhich case you can inteject with "excuse me, I didn't quite get it… canyou clarify the first/last part" or "are you saying that…….".
3. Play the role of mediator as defined earlier in "Whatrole should I play in the GD? Should I be aggressive, one who speaks less, a mediator or idea generator?"
4. Summarising the discussion, highlighting the key points thatwere covered in the discussion and any conclusion that might have been reached.
Also, remember the tips provided in the section on "structuring thoughtprocess" - by breaking down the topic into smaller parts and thinkingthrough each part, one can easily identify a lot of angles which have not beenthought of or discussed. So, if you do not have any idea about the topic, tryand break it down into its parts. Also, remember, a good starting point could bedefining the ambiguous terms in the topic - has the group got the correctmeaning of the key word or is it chasing a wrong interpretation? These arestarting points which could be used effectively. [top]
This is a difficultsituation but also an opportunity for you to display your creative skills. Youcan generate new thoughts by getting new ideas and dimensions in place. Forinstance, in the topic "Should there be reservation for women inParliament?", you can expand the scope by including new dimensions such as
(a) why only women and not economically deprived sections of society?
(b) not "women" in general but sub-reservations within this such asreservation for SC/ST Women, OBC Women and Forward women(as some politicalparties have already done)
(c) assuming that reservation is needed, when should it be introduced; ifintroduced, should it be permanent? If not, for how long?. Identification ofeven one such dimension can vastly expand and enrich the discussion and often itis very easy to find such a dimension.
If nothing more can be said, may be you could summarise the discussion so farand encourage people to think about the implications (negatives and positives)of the issues and back-ups in case of contingencies. For example, if thediscussion had come to stagnate at the point where everyone had agreed toreservation, you could ask what would happen if the quota were to be 30% insteadof 33%? Also, how would the constituencies reserved for women be chosen? Doesthis mean that each party has to nominate at least 33% women candidates? whatdoes this conclusion mean in practice?
Another nice way to expandthe discussion is to discuss about parallels in other countries. For example,one might provide or ask about the practices in other democracies like US, UKetc. Parallels might bring out a dimension which has not been discussed so far.
However, a word of caution is necessary - don't go to far away from the topic oridentify a dimension which is too detailed - for instance, while it isinteresting (and perhaps important too) to know whether the legal provision ofproviding 33% reservation to women would have been met if the Lady MP were tohave been elected from a reserved (for SC/ST or for any other reason)constituency, this is a matter of detail and is not relevant to the currentdiscussion. [top]
Yes. Form groups of at leastfive people who can meet regularly and discuss seriously one issueper session. Take each session seriously and approach the discussion with abroad strategy on your participation - for instance, a broad strategy would be"today, I will practice active listening for the first 5 minutes, then playthe role of the idea generator and then finally summarise" or "I willinitiate the discussion and then switch on to the role of a mediator".Practising these roles would help you in preparing for any eventuality. At theend of the session, seek feedback on your performance and also do aself-evaluation against your broad strategy
One of the importantskills in a GD is being able to say whatever you want to say within 1 minute(maximum 90 seconds). This means you have to be clear about what you want to sayand prioritise the points so that only the most important is said. Even in arelaxed GD, often one might get only about 2 minutes at a given time to make apoint. In some cases, this could be as little as 20 seconds!!
Make sure that one of you,by rotation, is an observer - you can learn something more by being anobserver than being a participant. Also, make sure that you participate ingroups with different members - otherwise, you will feel comfortable with GDsduring mock GDs as they mostly have friendly faces, but in the actual GD feelnervous due to the presence of new faces. [top]
Becausediscussion is dynamic, all problems cannot be anticipated. To assume
that any of our anticipations are final answers is unrealistic and naïve. Wemust be
particularly alert to whether the grounds for our anticipations continue
unchanged during the discussion.
1. Assessing Relevance and Relatedness:-
Both the participants of the communication process - the one who is talkingand the one listening must keep asking the question, how does this fit? Bothmust attempt answers. Before striking out with new ideas, speakers should warnthe listeners. If their ideas are vague, but they nonetheless feel they arebeginning to grope toward something valuable, they should ask for help inestablishing relevance.
2. Give one point at a time:-
If a discussant suggests at one time a new goal, an obstacle to anothergoal, and a solution to meet still a third goal, everyone is likely to becomeconfused. The contribution has become a small oration, but to give three reasonsfor one point at the same time is a good policy. Others may agree with one ortwo of the reasons but wish to disagree with the third. You may need to presentall three reasons for any one of them to have meaning. The important thing is tokeep all parts of the contribution related to one main point. [top]
BothHowever, asmentioned earlier, it is far more important to say something sensible than tosay something at all. Hence, between the two, content is more important thanpresentation. Once content is in place, it helps to present your point in asnice a manner as possible.
Presentation, as commonly believed, does not mean flourish, fluency in Englishor great vocabulary but has more to do with conciseness and clarity. It is okayif your method of presentation is "poor" as long as you can get yourpoint of view across effectively without being rude or impolite
Examples of rude, impoliteor unacceptable presentation/behaviour are:
1) Even asanother person is speaking, jumping into the discussion and starting to speak.In such cases, wait for a pause or if the speaker is not pausing,first establish eye contact and when firmly established, start with"if I may, what I think is…." Or "I agree with you. Wecould look at other facets suchas ….."
2) If you disagreewith a point that has been made, then launching an attack on the point or worse still, on the person who made the point. Thecorrect method is to start with "some of you have said …… which Idisagree with. What I think is…."
3) Using colloquial languagelike "the fundae is", "cool" or mixing vernacular withEnglish (unless the vernacular is a relevant quote and can beunderstood by all - if not, follow the quote with its meaning inEnglish)
4) Forming asub-group and carrying out a parallel discussion amongst yourselves or looking away from the group andfocussing on something else - this will be considered as a sign of disinterest.
Ensure that these are not done in the GD. [top]
CommunicationPrinciples :
Definition:- "The process by which people interact for the purpose ofinterpersonal and interpersonal integration."
Communication is defined as a process, not as an act or the result of an act.Because communication is a dynamic, ongoing process, it is possible to isolateand study an "Act of Communication."
Characteristics of Communication :-
Active Listening :-
Because we think faster than most people speak, we are apt to believe that weare listening well, when in reality we are tuning in and out and catching onlypart of what is said. Listening in a GD is harder then listening to one speaker.We must follow not only what is said, but how it relates to what else has beensaid so that we keep track of the thread of the ideas and conclusions. Accuratelistening requires an active effort. Passive hearing as we might use to be awareof distant noises from the radio or stereo in the background, will not do in aGD.
Non-verbalCommunication:-
According to researchers 65% of the meaning is conveyed by non-verbal cues.Words or verbal cues account for only 35%. Although people may argue about thepercentage no one disagrees with the fact that nonverbal messages are animportant part of the communication process.
Many, and sometimes most, of the critical meanings generated in human encountersare elicited by touch, glance, vocal nuances, gestures or facial expression withor without the aid of words. From the moment of recognition until the moment ofseparation, people observe each other with all their senses, hearing pause andintonation, attending to dress and carriage, observing glance and facial tensionas well as noting word choices and syntax
The EIGHTCharacteristics of Desirable Contributions :
When group members are communicating their contributions may bequestions, statements or exclamations. Contributions may be long or short; theymay have several purposes or just one. The EIGHT Characteristics thatfollow will provide a beginning checklist for the discussion student. One may orcan expand the list on the basis of experience.
1. Relevance :-
Just as an individual may find his or her mind wandering into irrelevantchannels, groups also go off on tangents. Before any contribution is classifiedas irrelevant, however, speakers should be questioned and allowed to explain howthey see the connection between their contribution, and the thrust of thediscussion. Relevance, in short, does not necessarily mean that a contributionmust be "on the topic"; it does need mean that a contribution must be"centered on significant task that the group as a whole needs toachieve".
2. Relatedness :-
Often a contribution is relevant - it is directed to some significant task -but it is not related to the comments that have just preceded it or what islikely to follow. This often occurs early in life of a group when people havesomething to say and they say it. Whether or not the idea is related to whatelse is being said. It may be a form of role identification, a standing up andbeing counted. Such contributions, however are like parts of a machine dumped onthe floor. Each one is relevant, to be sure, but unless until put together. Onegood way to establish relatedness is to introduce your comment like this: "I'd like to go back to the point, Sunil made and add some evidence". If thecontribution is to be used, someone must, sooner or later, relate it to othercontributions. If the maker of the contribution cannot relate it, he or sheshould atleast ask someone else for help.
3. Good timing/ Choose your moment :-
This criterion is especially difficult to meet because the idea may not occur tothe discussant at the appropriate time, or because he or she may not be able toget the floor when it is timely. Appropriately timing is difficult for anotherreason, however, individuals differ in their speed of comprehension and in theirspeed of comprehension and in their capacity for leaping to conclusions. Oneindividual will occasionally see the perfect way out of a difficulty, presentsome suggestions triumphantly, and then be dismayed when the more pedestriandiscussants ignore the contribution. The fault may be the timing or failure tomeasure up on one or more of the other criteria.
4. Sufficient Length :-
A contribution should be long enough to make its point. Most contributions thatfail to get through are too short rather than too long. Obviously a contributionis of little value if too little is said to make the point clear and related.
5. Clarity :-
Because meanings are in people rather than in words, we should never assume thatbecause we have spoken we have communicated. Participants who play the role ofan initiator often have to find out the hard way that thing because they fail todefine and rephrase significant terms. Group members must reach some agreementon meaning to them in order to be clear.
6. Informativeness :-
The basis of effective discussion should be agenuine attempt to clarify and share meaning. Contributions should be rooted inobjective rather than social reality.
7. Openness to Evaluation :-
An effective contribution indicates to thehearers how the contribution may be evaluated and suggests the willingness ofthe contributor to have the evaluation made. Assume that a group is discussingthe future developments of the Indian economy, and one member offers thiscontribution: " The price of gold stock is rising on the internationalstock market. This shows that the economy is headed for troubles". Thisway, he has presented his evidence and conclusion. That is economists point outthat the rising price of gold stock indicates a lack of confidence in otherstocks and is therefore a predictor in other businesses. Evidencing awillingness to have the contribution evaluated is a virtue difficult to master.
8. Provocativeness :-
Contributions should provoke further thought.Making provocative contributions involves much more than simply avoidingconversation stoppers
Myspoken English is poor and GDs are just round the corner. Is there any quick-fixsolution to maximise my chances? [top]
What is important is "effectiveness"rather than the ability to speak fluently or use big words. For example, if someone uses grammatically incorrect English but is still able to express a goodidea, this is still accepted. Similarly, people who deliver their pointseffectively using simple language are appreciated than those who do the samewith complex constructs. You can actually practise some simple statements likethe following:
Togive your opinion"/ agree with an opinion
n"I think we should do …."
n"I think the correct approach isto ……"
n"I am also in agreement with whathas just been said."
n "Iwould like to add the following ……"
Todisagree
n"I don't agree with the idea that ….."
n"I differ on this issue… Ithink we should ….."
n "Maybe we should consider the following….."
n "Ifeel we should do/ should not do this
Toseek clarification
n"Could you please restate what you just said?
n"I did not understand you. Can you please repeat?"
Also, throughout this material, we have illustrated how to dovarious things. Practise these examples and use them as they are
1.Filler Words :-
Within our own language we need to remove the filler words.These words give us time to think, but these words de-emphasise what we aretrying to say. These phrases include.
nUm…
nSort of…
nType of …
nWell, you know…
nYou know what I mean…
Inappropriately used, they rob our speech of the power ofpersuasion.
2.Link Words :-
There are times when people want to soften the impact of whatthey want to say and they start with a seemingly incidental and important pieceof information and then use a link word or expression before they say what theyreally mean. If you watch out of these, you will know how to focus on whatsomeone is really trying to communicate.
nBy the way..
nBut…
nHowever…
nIncidentally…
nOn and….
3.Emphatic Words :-
Words that can beused to emphasise the ideas that follow them include :-
nDefinitely
nHonestly
nSimply must
nActually
nFrankly
nLiterally
However, we need to think carefully about using these words. Attimes their use might imply that the information that follows is untrue.
Apart from the above, you can try the following:
1. Speak out aloud whatever thoughts that cross your mind on a subject, toovercome your inhibition.
2. Read out aloud from books and newspapers.
3. Watch news on BBC and Star Plus. Repeat the news as it is being read out.
4. Form groups with others and speak in English as much as possible.
There are also audio tapes available (typically meant for TOEFL and TSE) whichcan be useful for this purpose.[top]
It is not at all necessary to have strongviews on an issue. Even if you do have strong views, it is important to beobjective and state your views unemotionally with fact and reason.The objectiveis to conduct a meaningful discussion rather enter into an emotional debate.
What does discussion mean? It has four components:
n Stateyour views objectively - state your views with both positives and negativestogether. Don't over emphasise either. Be ready to substantiateyour points with fact and reason with statements like "thereason why I say this is because …… and …..". Don't bedefensive in your opinion ("no, I am right" or "Idon't think you are quite right, what I am saying is…" or "even I don't think youhave got me right, what I am saying is…")
n Understandthe opposing view points - understand what others have to say, including both positivesand negatives. Validate these specifically with statements like "I thinkthe positives with your view are …. and the negatives are …., do youagree?" (always positives should be stated first).
n Concede, if your view point is proven is to be wrong oraccept the fact that some view points are not immediatelyreconcilable.Accept gracefully with statements like "I think you havea point there which I may have overlooked. Thanks". Apart from displayingflexibility, it will also earn you a few friends which will be handy.
n Willing to explore grey areas which might arise in thecourse of the discussion with statements like ï think we need to understand the……. more clearly".
An ideal discussion is cold, clinical and completely objective. While one maynot be able to get to this ideal, the need is to at least move in thisdirection. Practice this as much as possible.
Should you be conciliatory? Beyond a point, being conciliatory is not veryhelpful. It is important to be objective, which means that if you are wrong, youaccept gracefully; if you are convinced of your view point, put it across gentlywithout being offensive or else defer the issue saying that it could be taken upa little later. A compromise may also be possible, in case both the view pointshave some merit - be ready for this with a statement like "I think both theviews have some merits and some demerits. May be we could discuss thisfurther". Also you can involve the other group members by asking open endedquestions like "does anyone have a different perspective on this?".[top]
The topics given forthe GD are very broad and are either related to political, societal, orindustrial issues which require no special knowledge / prior experience. Some ofthe typical topics in the past have been:
| Political | Should there be reservation for women in Parliament. Should agriculture be privatised. Ethics in politics |
| Societal | Should public interest litigations be allowed. Role of arts in society. Should freedom of speech be encouraged |
| Industrial | Should PSU's be privatised Growth versus Industrial pollution Future of MNCs in automotive industry |
| Abstract | It doesn't matter if a cat is Black or White as long as it catches the mice. Small is beautiful Honesty is the Best Policy |
| Current Affairs | Is India ready for Nuclear weapons Privatisation of the PSU's |
| MBA/ Managerial | MBA is a over highly rated degree in India Are MBA's overpaid? Should be MBA education be promoted. |
| Economic | Economic Development in India Investment in the Power Sector Should India be a planned economy? |
| IT | Is Internet good for us? Computers : Boon or Curse! Case Study : Sonata Software |
These topics require no in-depth knowledge but assume that the participants are aware of issues affecting the common man and can discuss these issues intelligently.
Recommend the following preparation :
1. Read editorials of leading newspapers and magazines to develop opinions on prominent issues.
Some of the suggested publications are
a. One general paper e.g. TOI, Indian Express, Hindu
b. One business/financial paper e.g. Eco Times, Bus. Standard.
c. One general magazine e.g. India Today, Business World
When you come across good articles, keep clippings in envelopes for future reference. Keeping them in separate envelopes (one each for social, political/ economic/ industrial / managerial etc. issues) would help you to quickly refer to these when necessary. Alternately, you can write down brief notes in a note book which could be later referred to.
2. While reading newspapers, cover a wide variety of topics and make sure that on any given issue, you can state at least 2 pros and 2 cons.Make sure that you read the newspaper on the day of the GD/ interview. [top]
