GROUP DISCUSSION CONTINUES

GETTING TO SPEAK

You must have heard people speaking and discussing on any topic many times but could not care much to observe minutely, who was the best in presentation and what made that best-convincing, the time chosen to speak, the posture while speaking, the pitch of the voice, login etc.

Have you never participated in the extempore debate or any Group Discussion earlier? If not, and you are a person of introvert and reserve nature; then follow the suggestion referred earlier in my articles-taping your presentation, listening and evaluating. Repeat this process till you are satisfied by your presentation. Next you can call your close friends, select a topic of common interest and fix a time for Group Discussion. Have a Tape recorder before starting the discussion. Let everybody participate in the discussion and try to present in the best way. If one of your friends or some senior member of a family can agree to be the evaluator, nothing like it.

This type of practice will create confidence in you and make you learn a lot.

Everybody speaks and discusses as and when required. You must have also done it but never thought that as day you will have to participate in a a competitive Group discussion.

DON’T WORRY, HAVE CONFIDENCE

• Do use your intellect ( the ability to understand or deal with ideas and information.)

• Before you speak, think twice that the point you are going to present is logical, genuine, relevant to the subject, situation and the time is very right for this point.

IN A GROUP DISCUSSION YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND

• You are there to participate effectively i.e. you have to speak.

• Do you wish to become an opener in the discussion or wait?

• Does you inner instinct and understanding lie in favour or against the topic?

• Accordingly prepare yourself either on paper or mentally with clear thoughts.

• There is never any turn-wise speaking formula in a Group Discussion.

• If you are not an opener of the discussion, then watch very wisely to embark into the discussion at the right time.

• What are the tools you can use to enter into the discussion at right time and again in between whenever needed?

• Appreciate the good presentation by very soft clapping posture or say firmly’ I agree with your point.  It is good or relevant..’

• If any member appreciates your presentation, do thank him or her.

• Now we elaborate the aforesaid points briefly so as to let you understand and act accordingly into and during the Group Discussion.

YOU HAVE TO SPEAK

In a Group Discussion all the participants or members are only there to participate. No participant or member is participating as a listener only.

So , you must speak effectively and make an appreciable impression if it is a competitive Group Discussion. Even if, it is not a competitive Group Discussion you should participate actively so as to learn at least. A wise person never leave an opportunity of learning. It is never late to learn.

TO BECOME AN OPENER

OR WAIT

If, by chance, the topic allotted for Group Discussion is the prepared one; you should positively start first following all the instructions already given in the previous articles related to Group Discussion. Start with the most and important point discussed and present in the best possible way. If the topic is a new one and you are not feeling confident enough to start at first, just wait and watch, apply your intellect will full wisdom and note down the salient points quite in brief to help you while you start speaking. Try to listen the opener and others speaking while you are making notes or thinking process is going on in your mind.

You will have to be alert and watchful subject-wise and point-wise, in favour or against, when to enter into the Group Discussion and how your effort should be to participate at an earliest so that you do not lose the chance of even one single presentation. The participant who could not at all participate will definitely be the loser. So you have to participate. Now, if you are an opener and could present effectively as well as emphatically, you are sure to win; but as an opener if you misled or misinformed or made irrelevant points, you are sure to lose. Therefore, it is always good to be an opener but with sound interesting and presents the most important points at the same time.

The evaluators or the judges are very curious, keen and attentive to listen  the opener for that this remarks and attitude are going to be the foundation of discussion. We all know that ‘ Well begain is half done.’ So, if you prove to be good opener, you win.

IN FAVOUR

OR AGAINST

At the time of preparing for the various topics, you must have been clear in yourself regarding against or in favour for that particular topic. When the topic is new even then you can be on either side. Now, few stronger and valid you should support the points as per your choice. In this way you can enter into the discussion also and a few who are of your opinion will appreciate and let you speak too.

PREPARE WITH CLEAR THOUGHTS

If the topic is prepared one you must have brought your brief notes and you are well prepared to take part into the Group Discussion; but if a new topic is being them immediately take a piece of paper and start noting down the salient, genuine and practical points covering all the major thoughts issues related to the topic with a lot of clarity of thoughts based on your previous studies or whatever you knowledge that is going to help you at this point of urgency.

Generally in the Group Discussion paper and pen are allowed but it is possible that somewhere these are not allowed. I this case, you will have to work on your mental and intellectual level for remembering The matter, sequence and priority. Start speaking only when you have thoroughly analysed, understood and prepared yourself by all the means to do so. May be in a rare of the rarest cases that you could not understand the meaning or purpose of the subject, never feel embarrassed, shy or inferior in asking about the topic to anyone of the participants. It is always better to ask of you do not know rather than pretending to know and commit mistakes. There are chances hat many or few others might also not be able to understand the topic but they could not show courage to ask, thereby your approach of asking by showing your ignorance about the topic will be appreciated.

The moment you get clear about the topic start preparing yourself as elaborated earlier.

An example has already has been given in the my previous article related to Group Discussion, how to note down the points for the topic to prepare for the Group Discussion. If you could make the list of the points and create the structure for that topic, you can embark onto the Group Discussion at any time or at the beginning, depending on your confidence.

You have to speak, but poor presentation will be damaging. Hence participate definitely and wisely. It can be the single point but it should be of utmost importance and interest on the subject and for the group also.

AVOID SPEAKING IN TURN

A Group Discussion involves a free flowing exchange of idea among participants. Even through there definitely be chaos in the most competitive Group Discussion as all participants will be taken to be heard, any suggestion of order such as speaking in turn is not acceptable.

Speaking in turn is never a good idea. A discussion has to flow naturally. Group members, most likely, will ignore your suggestion and try to speak when they have something to say. We have never seen a strategy of speaking turn by turn succeed in the hundreds of Group Discussion we have evaluated so far. Also, there have been no instances of anyone being selected after suggesting that participants speak turn by turn. The result of speaking in turn is that not only is the discussion unnatural and disjointed, but it also loses its punch and invariably has a lot of lapses of silence, since participants have nothing to say when it was their turn.

TO INTERACT AT THE RIGHT TIME

This is the most crucial decision taken by the participants. The right thing done or said at the right time is the key to achieve success.

If you are perfectly prepared and ready with confidence to participate, be the opener. But if you are not ready, just wait and watch others speak and side by side prepare yourself on the guidelines said earlier at an earliest to participate.

If you have to enter somewhere in between then you will have to have a very close watch and observation for the opportunity to avail. There are always some participants who are very active or aggressive and they want speak always throughout the discussion. We have already hinted earlier also how to judge the right time and in what fashion to create an opportunity to enter.

The right time is when the reference of that point is in discussion. You wish to favour or against and you have all the preparations with you in your mind or paper. You must have something very logical or important to add to that reference which you expect the participants would love to listen and appreciate.

It is not essential to speak much and consume a lot of time of the group. The words you use must be simple and self-explanatory, the matter or point you put before should be among one of the main issues of that topic. Your presentation should have some weight and meaning to help reach the conclusion.

TOOLS TO ENTER INTO THE DISCUSSION

As said earlier, there are few who wish to be in the picture always and therefore, they do not appreciate many others to participate. But you have to speak. So to create an opportunity when you can enter into discussion is a tricky game. You will have to act very wisely.

First and foremost thing is that if you have a real strong and genuine point to say that is going to affect the entire discussion and of you could not be the opener, you should just see the time when the discussion is at a low pitch, you can immediately enter. Or, when there is any reference related to your point directly or indirectly, you can enter, or at any time when there is a void, you can enter, or, when anyone has presented well; you must applaud saying ‘That’s a very genuine point but I would like to add…’. I totally agree and appreciate but there is one more important aspect o be though over…’ And so on it can be done in many ways depending on the situations existing there. The moment you applaud people start listening you, it is the best time to enter.

Never try to interrupt when someone has just started to speak or in between presentation.

As soon as someone has finished, enter without any delay playfully and forcefully with a unique winning gesture.

You can also use slightly higher pitch to emphasize and enter. It should not be encouraged again and again for it will not be appreciated by others. If, anyhow, you are finding it difficult to enter and you have a major issue to present, which no one has yet raised; you can use a forceful body language by raising your one or both hands up indicating that you definitely want to raise a point or by standing with a pleasant smile and saying that ‘ Listen, we are missing a very important issue to be discussed….’

ORIGINALITY IS THE MOST INVALUABLE ASSET

• If you have original ideas and points to deliver then you will have to be wise and clever enough to avail the opportunity to represent.

• If someone else opened the discussion an presented the structure you need not dishearten. If the structure is perfect accept it and present your point at the right time. But if there is any improvement possible in the structure, do propose for that.

• You know, nothing is perfect. Always there is a scope to improve. If you have original ideas, you can still add to the accepted structure to make it even better, relevant and meaningful.