How to cultivate skills for Group Discussion

How to cultivate skills for Group Discussion
18-August 2017 2.00

Group discussion or Group Dynamics is a way to test personality of a candidate. It helps to bring out various aspects of personality. This process helps to judge and evaluate multiple candidates at the same time whereas it is cost effective. It helps to choose the fittest. Basically it helps recruiters to identify following skills:

  1. Communication Skills
  2. Interpersonal Skills
  3. Leadership Skills
  4. Persuasive Skills
  5. Team Building Skills
  6. Tolerance to Vagueness
  7. Problem Solving Skills

Group discussion can be categorized in three levels:

  1. Introduction or Initiation
  2. Main body of discussion
  3. Conclusion or Summarization

A topic’s introduction is the most important part of discussion. While participating in a discussion the very first entry (introduction) helps a candidate to cast his impression. It is like leading the group in right perspective. A candidate should make it sure he has in-depth knowledge about the topic. Start the introduction with a quote, definition, facts and figures or a general statement to grab immediate attention.

After introduction, in a group discussion there are various stages or levels of discussion.

Forming level is the initial level of the actual discussion. It is the time when data is gathered and any kind of controversial statement is avoided. Every group member wants to play it safe. So it is the time everyone tries to at least make an entry. Very soon the leader should grow from this level to the next level. Now arrive Storming stage of the discussion where a candidate should be ready to face competition and conflict. During this phase of discussion members come up with their clarifications. They might even change their feelings, ideas, beliefs and ideas temporarily that lead the discussion to ‘testing and proving’ stage. It is more likely a ‘tug of war’. Norming is the stage of agreement where those temporarily conceived ideas dissolve. By this stage the members of the group judge each other’s view and start coming up with feedback and wait for their reaction. Performing stage has to be productive. With high morale and intense loyalty to the group members feel somewhat united. This stage emphasizes problem solving. Adjourning stage as the name suggests, disengage and terminate the aggressive discussion.

Approaching towards the end of Group Discussion, usually there is no conclusion expected. It is advised to make a last entry. In this entry try revise all the points discussed during discussion by chest number.

By,
Mrs. GunjanSrivastava
Senior PD trainer
Online V&A trainer
Centurion Academy
Lucknow
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