Chapter 7

GROUP DISCUSSIONS AND

INTERVIEWS
Group Discussions (GDs)
Strategies for GDs
Interviews
Facing the Interview Board'
Body Sport for Interviews
Negotiations
The entire study of communication wouldremain incomplete if there
was noanalysis of the systemof group discussions (henceforth, GDs)
and interviews. Togauge/judge the mettle of students prior to their
entry into any organisation, the communication skills of 'eachone'of
them are tested vis-a-vis other equally, academically, competent
101
102
Business Communication
candidates. Theones whoqualify at this level are further subjected to
rigorous interviews where, under pressure, their responses aremeasured.
Thefirst thing which needs tobekept inmind at the time of aGD
and interview is that one should be immaculately dressed. It is the
first impression of the interactant which to agreat extent influences
theinterviewers. Together withthis, theaccessories whichanindividual
carries or possesses are alsoimportant. They speak alanguage of their
own which could be of great significance in transmitting a positive
impression to those monitoring the show.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS (GDs)
Qualities Looked for in GDs
Insimulated situations whichappear tobechargedwith nervous expec-
tation, abit of training and coaching inthe initial
phases isrequired togear the students toperform
creditably. Therearecertain things whicharelooked
for during a GD. Primary among them is the leadership quality.
Leadership
qualities
Exhibit 7.1 Group Discussions
1. LeadershipQualities
Qualities to be Possessed
a. Takinginitiative
b.Abilitytogivedirection
c. TakingtheGroupalong
d. Listening
e. Goal Fulfilment
a. Presentationof Details.
b. Error-FreePresentation.
2. Knowledgeof theSubject
Matter
3. Analytical Ability
Useof arguments, examples, logic-how
effectivelyarethesamerelatedtothesubject
matter.
a. Distillationof Essentials.
b.Abandonmentof Peripherals.
a. Thestrengthwithwhichtheargument is
posited.
h..Flexibleinapproachtotopic.
4. Clarityof thought
5. ConvictionandFlexibility
In GDs leadership qualities necessitate that the individual have
the capacity totake initiative during the course of
theinteraction. This couldentail adopting strategies
such as beginning the discussion, picking up the threads at a later
stage, etc.
Once again it is not necessary to take the initiative if one is not
familiar with thetopic. Thequality which comessubsequent toit isthe
Taking Initiative
Group Discussions and Interviews 103
quality ofpossessing theability togivedirection totheentire discussion.
,. It followsnaturally that theinteractant shouldhave
Ability to give the power and ability to sumup all that is being
direction h' h . duci t th th
said inamanner w lC IScon ucrve 0 egrow
of the discussion. Often, it happens that oneis ledastray by emotions
or by an inability to comprehend the topic. This is coupled with the
feeling that onemust make aperceptible contribution right at thevery
beginning of the discussion in 6rder to get noticed. In instances such
as these, if an individual is able to give some kirld of direction it
becomes easier to followthe flowof the discussion.
Theessential attributes of aleader are, therefore, togivedirection
. and at thesametimetotake thegroupalong. Such
Taking the group anindividual wouldbeviewed' as aleader with the
along
capacity of chalking out a strategy, filtering and
assimilating the ideas while leading and controlling the interactants.
The ability to sumup the discussion not only at the end but also
in between is a major quality of the interactant.
This helps in preventing the group fromstraying
away fromthe topic. In the courseof the discussion it isnot important
tobethe first ~eaker, but it definit~ly is~mport~nt tomake eve~and
regular contributions throughout thediscussion, Thiscanonlybe~chieved
when there issomeonewhoiswillingtotake uptherather tedIOUSand
-monctonous task of conjoining all the ideas and presenting themin a
n~~hell to the participants at regular intervals.
All this necessitates that the individual should possess capabilities
oflisteningtowhat theother interactants aresaying.
Listening Here, onceagain wemust emphasise the difference
between hearing and listening. Listening would only beevident w~en
the listener shows signs of absorbing, assimilating and then presentm~
the spoken material to the rest of the participants. Onthe contrary, If
onlyhearing has taken placeit indicates that thespeaker has not been
able to penetrate the screen of indiffer.ence. .. .
Theseleadership qualities observedmthegroupindicate that either
the goal has been achieved or i~in the process of
Goal fulfilment being achieved. In other words, we can say that
the topic has been thoroughly discussed by all the participants with
appropriate inputs fromthe leader and all of themhave b~ena~le to
perform the important feat of bringing int? .focusthe main/ancillary
points related to the topic. Trying to conjoin the efforts of all the
participants inafruitful manner which w~uldreveal all.of the~ to be
part of a cohesive group is no mean achievement. It ISdefinitely a
Herculean task which only aleader could perform.
'Ibgether with leadership qualities th~indi~idual. should also be
rather well-read about the issues under discussion, HISknowledge of
the subject matter should bethorough. Whilemaking apresentation or
showing awareness onthe subject matter, two things need to bekept
Even contributions
104 Business Communication
inmind-the quantitative andthequalitative aspect of thetopic. Where
theformer isconcerned, figures andnumbers should
not be reeled off merely to prove one's point or
knowledge about an issue unless and until oneis
absolutely confident ofthesame. If not inthegroup,
then definitely among the experts there is bound
to besomeone who would beaware of the details.
Keeping quiet because of lack of information or
knowledge is really not as bad as trying to impress the experts by
spouting incorrect information. The quality of presentation would be
an appropriate assessment of the topic and the issues discussed.
Thenext inthe sequence of trying topresent anacceptable picture
of the self is the capacity to use one's analytical
ability totheoptimum. Whileit isrelatively simple,
to present data on an issue, it is comparatively
difficult to conjoin it in amanner sothat it gives the appearance of a
well thought of and analysed presentation in the CD;
Clarity of thought is extremely important which can be brought
about by a distillation of the essentials and
abandonment of the peripherals. The movein the
discussion could beeither fromthe coreto the periphery or fromthe
periphery to the heart of the issue. The participants should not get
hookedtotheperipheral issues. Thiscouldleadtounnecessary emphasis
on trivial issues. There has to be concentration in the moves which
wouldindicate an awareness onthe part of the participants regarding
the subject matter and the delineation of the topic. The shift fromthe
general tothe specificwill indicate awareness alongall lines and areas
pertaining to the topic. For example, if the participants hover round
theexampleswithout reachinganyconcretesolutions, misunderstandings
regarding the topic are bound to creep in.,
Finally, whatever isbeing said should bestated with conviction. It
often happens that the participants communicate
their ideas in agroup without really believing in
them. This is more than evident at the facelevel and is easy for the
experts to decipher and identify. It normally happens when the
interactants harbour under the misconception that to beheard in the
group ismoreimportant than positing of concreteideas. Here, they are
exposed because they reveal alack of convictionat the time of making
a statement.
Conviction while speaking goes hand in hand with flexibility in
approach and ability toappreciate theviewpoint of
the other person. Often a participant makes an
error in interpreting the topic which he realises, much to his dismay,
somewhere in the middle of the interaction. The need then arises to
rectify the mistake and proceed along correct lines. The transition,
which must be made, needs to be extremely subtle. Without really
Knowledge of
subject matter
Presentation of
detailS,
U.e of analytical
abilities
Clarity of thought
Conviction
Flexibility
Group Discussions and Interviews 105
admitting that amistake has beenmade, thespeaker has toaccept the
viewpoint of the other interactant and change sides to be one with
those who have amore positive understanding of the topicr Tocitean
example, if aglaring blunder has been pointed out by aco-participant
youneedtobealert enough torealise that it isamistake. Youcanstart
bysaying, "I understand your point ofviewfI'hat's areally goodpoint..."
and proceed by substantiating the point of the co-interactant. Youare
nowpart of the group and are no longer an alien. But this strategy
should beadopted as alast resort. In the first instance, there should
benoerrors made. Careful thought shouldbegiventothe topicfloated,
before any kind of discourse is begun onthe same. This strategy has
been presented as a rescue measure for extreme cases in which an
error has been made, albeit unwittingly, and the situation demands a
rectification. If unfortunately this bethe case , the interactant would
not beat aloss to make suitable amends.
Exhibit 7.2 Strategiesfor GDs
Do's Don'ts
1. KISS-Keep It Short and Simple
2. Followprinciples of oral
communication
3. Make even contributions
4. Conclude periodically
5. Deliberate and slowin
delivering your points
6. Adhere to principles of
politeness
7. Substantiate your point with
examples and not the other
way round
1. Speak loudly
2. Adopt anegative stance
3. A casual look
4. Flay hands
5. Talk toofast
6. Provide opportunities toothers to
speak
STRATEGIES FOR GDs
Do's
There are anumber of dosand don'ts which should bekept inmind at
thetimeofparticipating intheGD.Whilepresenting
ideas all essentials of oral communication need to
beobserved. TheKISSprinciplewhichstates-Keep
It (interaction) Short and Simple is the most important of all the
strategies tobeadopted inaGD. Thedescriptive modewhich couldbe
used in lieu of brief statements should be avoided at all costs. This
couldlead the participants into lengthy monologues merely to provea
point. For example:
Keep it short and
simple
106 Business Communication
A: The harmful effects of Mathura refinery on Taj Mahal cannot be
underestimated. Even the interior of Taj has started looking pale. While
almost the whole of it has been affected from the outside, the interior. ..
and soonand soforth till all the participants are led astray. .
The delivery should be crisp with only one or two points being
presented at aparticular time. This strategy isextremely important as
it helps the other interactants inretaining thefocus. If there are more
than twoideas discussed at the same time the interactants might get
confused. There are evenchances that theparticipant whoistrying to
make a mark in the GDwould get lost in the labyrinth of jumbled
ideas and issues.
In.aGDit isimportant that the contributions madeby thepartici-
Make even pants should beevenly spaced. Often it is noticed
contributions that theparticipants areinarush tostart speaking.
Incaseyouarenot familiar with thetopicyoucan
easily shelvetheideaoftryingtobethefirst speaker. What isimportant
in a GD is that you should make even contributions if you, as a
participant, want to create along-lasting impression in the minds of
the people monitoring the discussion.
In continuation with the aboveit should b~noted that periodical
conclusions are also important. They help in
retaining focus of the group. This strategy could
also beadopted if the interactant is not familiar
with the topic but still needs tobelistened toand tomake amark in
the GD. This however, should bethe last resort. Prior toparticipating
inaGDyoushouldberather well-versedandupdated onall thecurrent
topicsofnational andinternational concern. But Godforbid, if asituation
of this sort does arise where you feel that worthwhile contributions
fromyour sidearenot forthcomingfromtheverystart ofthediscussion,
then youcan adopt astrategy of this kind. This also helps youtoget
the group into focus and prevents it fromdigressing fromthe main
topic. Here, youshowleadership qualities and givethe impression on
onehand, that youareastrongindividual withthecapacityofcontrolling
the GD.
Every time you speak, try to bedeliberate and slowin delivering
your points. If youstart speaking toofast the rest
of the interactants wouldkeep probing ideas and
issues andwondering astowhat isthetrue import
of theconcepts. Anumber of factors comeintoplay
when there is asituation of this sort. Doesyour speed of speaking fit
inwith the other individual's speed of listening and assimilation? As
stated inthe earlier chapter onlistening, there is adifference in the
speedof speaking andcomprehension. Rarely doesit happen that there
IS aperfect match between, the two. Youbeing anew member in the
circle of participants in a GD, would definitely find it difficult to be
accepted withyour ideas if youinsist onspeaking toofast. Secondly, it
Make periodical
conclusions
Be deliberate and
slow in delivering
the points
Group Discussions and Interviews 107
is also contingent upon your diction. If youdonot have avery clear
diction, onceagain the same problems are goingtoarise. Bythe time
therest of the participants becomefamiliar withthetalking strategies
and try torespond accordingly, they havealready missed out onavital
part of the discourse.
Onceyoustart speaking, there wouldbe, at the same time, many
interactants whowouldliketohavetheir voiceheard
over and above yours. Youhave the floor but it
may not be yours for long if, and when, others
makesome"uncommunicative" attempts. Youneed
tofinish stating your ownpoint but there areothers whowouldnot let
youcompleteyour statement. Inthis kind of situation, what youneed
to do is to tackle the situation in a firm and decisive manner. All
principles of politeness need to be adhered to in the process. Your
"Please", "Excuse me, I have a point to make" and "I still have not
finished speaking" should bein place. Youshould abide by the basic
norms of etiquette. There is bound tobesomeonemonitoring the GD
who would beimpressed by these strategies, where despite odds, in
whichprobablytheentire.discussion has taken thefaceof afish-market,
youhave been abletocontinue. But onceagain what needs tobekept
in mind is the fact that you. too need to be heard. "If you cannot
beat them, join them" should be the ultimate guiding factor which
should help you to determine which strategy needs to be adopted or
avoided.
At the time
Adhere to
principles of
communication.
of the GD the need of the hour is to avoid being
magnanimous whereofferingopportunities toother
interactants is concerned. Suppose you decide to
relinquish thefloor toanother person youmaynot
beabletoregain thesame. This normally happens
when youask aquestion andwait for aresponse. This begins with the
other interact ant answering the question and then taking onthe role
of the sender and forcing you to interchange your role. Tocite an
example,
Provide
opportunities to
others to speak
A: There are anumber of ways through which pollution could be
brought under control. What are your views on it? (Looking at B).
B: I am certain of it. One of the ways could be...
OnceA has committed this mistake it isprobablethat A wouldnot
get the floor. The best strategy would beto ask arhetorical question
whichwouldnecessitate, at its best, a"yes"or a"no"as aresponse, i.e.
statements like, "Isn't pollution goingtolead toerosion and depletion
of natural resources, illness ofthemindandthebody?"Thiswouldgive
the impression that you as a participant are including all in the
interaction and are openenough to accept differing views.
Substantiating points with examples isalsoavery goodstrategy to
be observed at the time of the GD and should be adhered to in an
108 Business Communication
orderly manner. The individual should, at no cost, start by narrating
an incident or cite an example and then round it
off with a point. While this could be an effective
strategy in informal interaction or discourse of any kind in GDs, one
needs toobserve adifferent codefor communication. If youget .thefloor
and begin with an example, the first thought which crosses the mind
of the people monitoring the GD, is that youare merely substantiating
the point of another participant by citing an example. In a GD on
"Baneful Effects of Pollution", the discourse could take the following
turn:
Sub.tantlate points
A: Nature too seems to be subjected. to pollution. The impact of
smog on natural forests is evidenced in the form of withering trees
and natural deforestation. This could jolly well harm the balance in
nature.
B: The Taj Mahal in Agra is a perfect example of the after-effects of
pollution. The yellowing effect ...
TheexamplecitedbyB at thefirst instance seems tobeacontinuation
or substantiation of A's point. Had it been reversed and stated in the
following manner it would have definitely had a different and more
lasting impact.
B: Inanimate objects I relics and monuments of international
importance too are not spared from the baneful effects of pollution. The
Taj Mahal is a perfect example of a monument which has been subjected
to the...
Don'ts
Inability to make oneself heard above the loud noise in the GD can
Speak loudly lead to virtual screaming on the part of the
interactant. Not only the tone becoines loud but
even the manner of presentation becomes rather overbearing and
pushy. This movehas anegative impact onthe rest of the participants
as well as on the people monitoring the GD. Try at all costs to avoid
this kind of strategy as it could well have some kind of negative
repercussions.
Coupled with this is the other "don't" which normally comes into
Adopt anegative play-avoid taking a negative stance against any
."nce participant, howsoever incompetent or ill-informed
hemay appear to be. Hemight betrying to make
his voice heard above those of the other participants. Your feelings,
positive or negative, towards a particular participant are bound to
surface during the course of the interaction. They should be kept in
check as they would prove contrary to leadership qualities which you
are, expected to possess.
Thereisatendency amongsomeparticipants toconveyanimpression
Group Discussions and Interviews 109
Exhibit 7.3 Body Sport for Group Discussions
Position Significance
1. Pushyour-body tothebackof
thechair
2. Keepyour hands onyour lapright
atoptheleft
3. Keepyour.Iegsstationedfirmlyon
theground; right andleft leg
intertwined beneath thechair
4. Handmo'vementsshouldberestricted Indicatesthat youdonot need
hands aspropswhen,speaking
> '
Keepsyoualert
Indicatesthat youarealogical
person
Keepsyoufirmlypositioned
of casualness during participation inaGD. Someobviousmanifestations
Negative wouldbeevidenced inthepositioning of hands and
g tlcu/atlon legs during the course of an argument:
(a) Sitting with onelegfoldedsquare ontopof the other legsothat
the ankle comes to rest on the knee of the other
leg. This casual posture ismoreor less likenumeric
4and indicates that theindividual wishes toadopt aninformal approach
to the discussion. This posture is evidenced in people'with a closed
personality who like comfort.
Ptnltionlng of legs
(b) There is also atendency in some individuals to cross the legs
primarily to make themselves more, comfortable in the course of the
exchange. However, this' needs tobe'avoided. At nojuncture, 'inaformal
discusaion, must the interactant indulge in a posture of this kind.
"--- ,;
110 Business Communication
Group Discussions and Interviews 111
Inaddition toexercising restraint inthemanner inwhichlegsare
positioned, onehas to pay equal attention to the
hands. Toomuchflayingof thehands asif onewas
in the middle of atheatrical performance can becounter-productive.
Excessivehand movements whilespeaking denotesthat hands arebeing
used as props to communicate and that, onelacks the ability to use
proper words or suitable expressions toget theideaor message across.
This does not imply that youshould keep your hands tightly locked
and convey a rather stiff impression about yourself to the people
monitoring the GD. Few and occasional movements of the hands are
recommendedbut onlytotheextent that theyarebeingusedforemphasis
or to givegreater weightage tothewords being spoken. Thetendency
togesticulate through hands isevidencedinagreater degreewhenwe
speak aforeignlanguage. SpeakinginEnglish, whichisanalienlanguage
for most of us, leaves us sometimes at aloss for words.
Theideal positioning of the hands wouldbeaneat lockonthelap
with the right atop the left, Occasional movements are to beallowed
if there isanecessity or anurgency toexpress, whichistobefollowed
by areturn to the original position.
Movement of hands
(c)Shaking of one'slegswhen listening tothe other interactants is
another gesture commonlywitnessed. Thisonceagaincreates anegative
impression of theinteractant. Frustration andinability toget what one
wants is normally associated with this gesture.
(d) Similarly stretching of legs infront b~the self as if the entire
floor belonged to the interactant is againIa rather casual mode of
positioning of the self in the discussion.
Draping the arm around the head of the chair is once again a
rather casual gesture whichneeds tobedoneaway with. It indicates
an intimacy of a rather personal kind where proximity connotes
familiarity. This posture should beavoided for tworeasons. One, the
discussion is not of aninformal nature, and two, proximity with other
participants should be minimised. Familiarity as understood in the
context of intimacy should not be indicated. It has to be contrasted
with aportrayal of acquaintance or formal friendship whichis part of
any organisational culture.
Youareanindividual inyour ownright andneedtoremain sowith
adistinct and different personality. Youmust not make an attempt to
112
Business Communication
submerge your personality with that of the other individual. If youso
wish toindicate that youare aleader it is all the morenecessary for
youtoportray that youare an individual with adistinct personality.
INTERVIEWS
Pre-Planning
Thereissomegoodnewsfor you!Youhavejust beensummoned fOI an.
interview whichmeans that youhavebeenshortlisted out of asizeable
Exhibit 7.4 The Interview
1. Pre-planning
Personal Information
Preparing acareer statement
Dress Code
Detection process
Talking in front of the mirror
2. Facing the Interview
Familiarity with the self
Skills
Strengths
Weaknesses
Logical thinking
Honest in giving aresponse
Not buckling under pressure
S. Negotiations
The first serve
Keeping the ball in one's court
4. Any questions 11
Questions related topersonal growth in the organisation, if selected.
Group Discussions and Interviews 113
number of candidates. .Aninterview call indicates that youhave the
potential, else no onewould be wasting their time on you. At this
moment if youmake the correct moves there should beno problems
whatsoever inyour successfullytackling thesituation andsecuringthe
job. Thestress at thetimeoftheinterviewisnotonlyonyourknowledge,
academics and achievements but also onyou, your adaptability and
suitability for the present job.
Prior tothe interview thorough preplanning should becarried out
to bolster your confidence and gear you for the
anticipated grilling. Spade-work shouldbecarried
out on the organisation so that queries related to the institution, i1
raised, canbesatisfactorilyanswered. Thecandidateshouldbeconversant
with two important issues regarding the organisation.
(a) financial standing of the company
(b) current status/position in the market.
Together with this youshould also berather well informed about
yourself. Your knowledge of the self should well
matchtherecordspresentedbeforetheinterviewers.
For example, in casethe interviewer is interested
i~knowing your marks in a particular subject offered in the high
school examination, there should not beany doubt inyour mind as to
whether the ones that youblurt out have anything to do with the
actual marks onthe cards. Whatever information there couldpossibly
beinwriting, whichis presented beforethe interviewers, should also
beonyour fingertips. Trytoavoidfumblingor losingcontrol oftheself.
After all, if it isaquestion of providingrelevant information about the
self, no onebetter than youwould be suited to performthe task to
perfection.
Onceyour folder isready with all theinformation whichyouneed
Pre-planning
Personal
Information

114 Business Communication

Group Discussions and Interviews
115
or wish togivetothe interviewer, the next step istoprepare acareer
statement about yourself. It would deal with
questions of the followingnature:
Why doyouwant tojoin this organisation?
What isit that youhaveinmind, onceyoujointheorganisation?
What scopedoes your discipline have in this organisation?
Howdoyouplotyour career graphinthis particular organisation?
Career statement
ability to interact
ability to conduct transactions
ability to adjust inthe organization
knowledgeabout what's goingoninthecorporatesector/economy
knowledge about the present company. .
Onceyouare familiar with the thrust areas youcangear yourself
"MI I " to meet the requirements of the organisation and
rror, mrror ..
. prepare yourself accordingly. In the initial stages
of preparation your greatest helper is the mirror which wouldtell no
lies. Learn to practice speaking in front of the mirror. Whenever you
feel that themirror isrejectingyouas beingtoomildor tooaggressive
try changingyour strategies sothat theymatchwiththedesiredoutput.
It couldprobably begin byindicating your current standing inthe
academicor professional worldandyour inclinationtowards aparticular
stream. Let us take the followingexample.
A: I would like tojoin this organisation because it is a fast growing
and leading organisation in telecommunications.
My area of interest and specialisation is telecommunications. I have
attended various seminars and conferences in this discipline. In this
area I am sure I would be able to contribute maximum as it fits in with
my learning and interest.
Youwant tojoin the particular organisation because it is ablue
chipcompany.Youvisualisepositivecontributions fromyour sidebecause
youhave: got your training in this particular discipline. Your area of
specialisation fits inwith the company's requirements and finally the
implied assumption pertaining tothecareer graph is, "AsI will beable
to deliver the goodsI visualise an upward rise in my career graph."
Nowis the time to bother about ..the dress code. Dark coloured
trousers tomatch alight colouredcoat or theother
wayround. This wouldonlybeapplicable if it was
a combination which the individual has decided to don. A smart tie
withacoat-pinif youpossess one, preferably blackor brownshoeswith
dark colouredsockstomatchyour suit. For theladies, the sari smartly
doneupandneat sandals wouldbetheperfectdresscodeforaninterview.
Beingabletowalk inasmart andbrisk manner alsohelps incatching
the eyeof the interviewer.
Your-careerstatement isreadyandsoareyou.But prior tosmartening
yourself up, bewell prepared withcertain questions
which couldbethrown opento you.
Mostofthequestions whicharenowgoingtobeaskedwouldpertain
toyour personality, your likesanddislikes, whether
theearlier madestatements match thegoalsof the
organisation or wouldyoubeaperfect misfit. Thedetection process is
about tobegin andthe questions wouldbecentred round thefollowing
issues:
Dress code
Real 'You'
FACING THE INTERVIEW BOARD
the real you
knowledge about yourself
consistency in approach
ability towithstand stress
Oneof the easiest ways of goingabout an interview is tofamiliarise
yourself withyour ownassets. Eachindividual has
within himcertain enviable characteristics which
if polished to the hilt can lead himto unknown
heights. It isjust that wearenot aware of our ownpotential. Practice
talking about your ownachievements. These achievements have tobe
inaccordance with the expectations of theorganisation. Theemphasis
may have toundergo aslight change depending uponthe organisation
and the interview which youare nowgoingtoface.
Familiarity with
the self
Detection process