A - Aims. The number one principal for any form of communication to be effective is that the
participants must know their aim. You must always know your aim or your purpose for attending a
GD session. Are you there to get some specific information or are you looking for solution to a
problem.
B – Breaks. Breaks are a very good time to meet people and make new contacts. There may,
however, be no breaks in between because group discussions are brief – 15 to 45 minutes or an
hour
C – Clarification. Communication is a two-way exchange of ideas. If you are unsure about the
meaning of another participant's statement, ask for clarification. Always.
D - Discussion. Though a typical GD session is brief you can always make the discussion last
beyond the 15 minutes or the one-hour by keeping in touch with one or more speakers, whose
ideas impressed you. Make an appointment with one or more participants or you could continue
your discussion through correspondence or e-mail.
E – Empathy & Enthusiasm. Empathy is the quality in a human being that shows a deep emotional
understanding of other people’s feelings. It shows that you care. You must put other people first by
listening to them and by appreciating what they say. Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm. Be
enthusiastic. Enthusiasm indicates optimism and positive attitude.
F - Focus. Focus on the subject on hand. Don’t deviate from the topic of discussion. Stick to the
topic. Digression wastes your time and the time of the other participants.
G - Gestures. Gestures are a good way to provide feedback to the speakers. A nod of the head or
appropriate eye contact will show the speakers that value their opinion and are interested in their
comments. Your gestures can show that you care. Excessive use of gestures could be comic.
H - Habits. By observing the habits of highly effective participants you could improve your own GD
skills.
I - Issues. It is best to leave emotions at home and talk politely even when provoked. Do not
make an issue out of anything in the discussion group. Discussion Groups are formed to generate
ideas, assess people and solve problems. They are not formed to create problems.
J - Jottings. No one can remember everything they hear. Always carry a notebook to jot down the
points that impress or interest you.
K - Knowledge. Knowledge does not diminish when you share it with others. Do not hold back
information and be prepared to share your knowledge on the subject with others. Dissemination of
knowledge enhances the quality of the group. If you're planning to share information during the
meeting, bring along some simple audio-visual materials or printed handouts that illustrate your
points.
L - Leadership. Your GD will have a leader who will ‘lead’ the discussion and be generally
responsible for guiding discussion. Let him or her lead. Do not try to dominate the discussion or
grab control of conducting the discussion. You will be in the chair some day and you would expect
similar participation from other participants. Wouldn't you?
M - Manners. Manners define the man. Your manners in a GD session will show what kind of a
person you are. It is nice to be patient, decent, honest, empathetic, considerate and mild.
N - Names. The sweetest sound to anyone’s ears is the sound of their own name being called.
Note the names of all the participants as they introduce themselves and use their names to
address them during the discussion. Don’t call people names, though.
O - Organization. If it is a GD for recruitment you will probably not know what will be the topic of
discussion, but before coming to the discussion, where the agenda has been distributed make sure
you come prepared. Read your agenda and preparatory materials carefully. Ponder the issues you'll
be discussing, and organize your thoughts.
P - Participation. You must participate in the discussion and should not be a mute witness to the
proceedings. That does not mean that you hog the limelight and try to dominate the group
hindering others from participation. Participate and let participate.
Q - Questions. Ask questions for enhancing your understanding of the subject not to
inconvenience others. ‘Malice towards one and all’ is not a good attitude with which to ask
questions. Ask questions to clarify not to castigate.
R - Receiver. When you go to a GD you must be a good receiver of communication messages. An
empathetic listener or receiver will learn more from one meeting than an egotistical speaker will
from ten. Listening is a skill everyone needs to work on.
S - Size. Smaller the size of the group the better can its members communicate their ideas with
each other. The ideal size of the group for fruitful discussion is five to seven though GDs when used
for recruitment there are sometimes as many as ten to fifteen participants.
T – Time. If you are the moderator of the group make sure you start the meeting at the scheduled
time and also finish it on time. Don’t be late for the meeting.
U – Understanding. The whole purpose of communication can be said to be to understand and to
be understood. Make an effort to get your point of view across to others. Make sure they
understand. Use illustrations and anecdotes and any other tools OHPs, projectors, handouts, and
flip charts or white boards to communicate your ideas and promote understanding. If don't
understand what’s being discussed, ask for clarification. Chances are you won't be the only one to
benefit from your question.
V – Value. Always remember the value of being a good human being. A good human being will
always be a good communicator because people do not hear what you say people hear what you
have in your heart. If you have your values in place you will be able to tackle any issue with
empathy and understanding.
W – Wisdom. Every person you meet can teach you something new. If you have the attitude of
gratitude you could learn something new from all the people you meet. You will meet a lot of new
people at group meetings and if you continue to learn from them you will acquire wisdom beyond
your expectations. By listening to their experiences and what they have learnt over the years you
can learn success principles you can apply in your life and business.
X – Xamine. Some times you could be swept off your feet by a speakers oratory and believe an
insignificant thing he said to be a mind blowing idea. Another time you might miss the significance of
a point made by some one whose delivery was not so great. When you get back home reassess
what you learnt by going through the notes you took. Rewrite, if necessary.
Y – You. You are the hero of your life. Make sure you learn something meaningful every day. Your
aim in life ought to be to become the best person you can become. By participating, listening,
asking questions in GDs and seminars you can improve yourself and be hugely successful. Any body
can.
Z – Zest. Life is not a rehearsal. It is the final. Have zest for life. Acquire a passion for personal
development. It will bring a new energy to whatever you do in life and the group will notice.
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employee2owner
A to Z of discussion…and more
If you have been for a job interview there is a good chance that you have been through a short
Group Discussion session. And if you are employed or are in business for your self, you probably are
a part of a discussion group every now and then, either brainstorming for new ideas or looking for
a solution to a problem. Group discussion or GD is not just fanciful activity in organizations it is a
very fruitful exercise that business houses and social organizations use to innovate, recruit and
trouble shoot. Unlike traditional lectures or seminars, Group discussions offer you the opportunity
to freely share experiences, ask questions of other participants, and offer new ideas and
information for discussion. If well planned, GD can help accomplish the tough task of active student
participation in the classroom scenario.
The following are the A to Z of conducting and managing GDs.
| Check out the employee2owner, Workshop on Listening and Workshop On Effective Communication/Interpersonal skills Other Workshops |
employee2owner