Group Discussion Basil Thomas Group Discussion The communication

Group Discussion Basil Thomas

Group Discussion • The communication between members of a specific group on a topic of common interest.

What skills are required for effective participation in GD? 1. 2. 3. 4. Good communication skills Interpersonal Skills Leadership Skills Problem solving skills

1. Good Communication Skills • • Think clearly and logically Express the thoughts and ideas coherently Speak accurately Listen to others and respond appropriately

2. Interpersonal Skills Ability to interact with other members Carry on a conversation in a pleasant way Remain focused on the objective and not digress Accept criticism with a smile Disagree with someone else’s idea and still be pleasant • Recognize every member of the group as equal partners • Ensure that every member gets equal opportunity to speak • • •

3. Leadership Skills To lead the team To inspire the team To give the discussion a sense of direction To initiate a discussion To encourage passive members to express their views • To help the team arrive at a conclusion • To summarize the discussion • • •

4. Problem Solving Skills • To think creatively • To think out of the box • To think for innovative solutions to problems • To analyze the different dimensions of a problem

Attitude

Fellow Consideration • Believe that a few heads together can resolve issues quicker and better • Respect others’ knowledge and skills • Should not try to insult anyone else through your remarks or body language

Roles of members in GD 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Initiating Inviting views, ideas, opinions, facts Reacting and asking for reaction Explaining, Elaborating and Exemplifying Clarifying & Synthesizing Challenging Summarizing Group building and maintenance roles

1. Initiating • Greet & Introduce- Present your understanding of the purpose of the discussion

2. Inviting • The initiator should invite other members to present their views & opinions • Some useful expressions for inviting are: • Can we start with (name)? • Can we first listen to (name)?

3. Reacting • Some useful expressions for seeking reactions; • What do you think, (name) ? • Can we have your opinion on this? • We haven’t heard (name) on this. What do you think, (name)?

4. Explaining & Elaborating • Explaining other’s idea: • Can I elaborate the idea (name) is trying to put across? • You know what he/she means….

5. Clarifying • Do not hesitate to seek clarification on anything you don’t understand. • Can you tell me what is meant by…? • Please clarify … for me. • Could you spend a moment in telling me…?

6. Challenging • Do not hesitate to do it but learn to do it as politely as possible. • Can I ask you if this data is authentic? • Is this reliable information?

7. Summarizing • It is necessary for one of the members to summarize the discussion • Try and begin with a statement that captures the summary of what was discussed • Explain how the group arrived at certain decisions or resolutions • Remember to thank the members • Explain why certain contributions have been ignored

Discussion Etiquette • • Listen to other speakers Respect the contribution made by other speakers Disagree politely with ideas, not with the persons Offer chances to silent partners Keep the discussion focused on the main topic Make yourself audible to everyone in the group Use positive body language

Don’ts… • Don’t get into a conversation with your neighbour while some one is speaking ton the group • Don’t use strong expressions to express disagreement • Don’t try to dominate the discussion • Don’t sound rude or aggressive • Don’t interrupt a speaker

Task • Youth and Social Media • Child Labour • Indian Education System

Thank you…