Group discussion tips pdf

Take the initiative, participate in the discussion and share your ideas with others. Never shout in a group discussion and always wait for your turn to speak. Be polite but firm. Try to take the initiative. Always volunteer yourself and start the discussions in an extremely confident manner.

Introduce yourself and your team members and then start with the topic but one thing to remember here is that one must initiate the Group Discussion only when he or she is well versed with the topic.

A leader is the one who actually gives the group discussion a direction and guides other team members when they seem to be lost or confused. Like a true leader, an individual must try his level best to refrain from personal favours.

As the leader of the group, he must ensure that the discussion does not end up in fighting and reaches a conclusion. One must speak only if he is well prepared with the topic. Never depend on guess works in group discussions as it sometimes can seriously go against you. Avoid using slangs or crack jokes in between the discussions as it is considered highly unprofessional.

Never be rigid in group discussions. Always keep in mind that the other person is also as learned as you. Always listen to what he is saying and then only respond. Be a good and a patient listener.

Debate logically and sensibly and try to take everyone along with you. Read a lot and always keep your eyes and ears open. Always begin your day with the newspaper and know what is happening around you. An individual must be aware of the current events to succeed well in a group discussion. Be alert always. A participant usually gets around 15 minutes to think about the topic. Do's and don'ts for discussion leaders A local coalition forms a task force to address the rising HIV rate among teens in the community.

A group discussion is a type of meeting, but it differs from the formal meetings in a number of ways: It may not have a specific goal — many group discussions are just that: a group kicking around ideas on a particular topic. That may lead to a goal ultimately Its leadership is usually less directive than that of a meeting. It emphasizes process the consideration of ideas over product specific tasks to be accomplished within the confines of the meeting itself.

Leading a discussion group is not the same as running a meeting. Feedback could be positive, negative, or merely clarifying or correcting factual questions or errors, but is in all cases delivered respectfully. There are many possible purposes for a group discussion, such as: Create a new situation — form a coalition, start an initiative, etc. Discuss policy and policy change Air concerns and differences among individuals or groups Hold public hearings on proposed laws or regulations, development, etc.

Decide on an action Provide mutual support Solve a problem Resolve a conflict Plan your work or an event Possible leadership styles of a group discussion also vary. If the situation is particularly difficult, a directive leader might be needed to keep control of the discussion and make Why would you lead a group discussion?

A group discussion: G ives everyone involved a voice. Whether the discussion is meant to form a basis for action, or just to play with ideas, it gives all members of the group a chance to speak their opinions, to agree or disagree with others, and to have their thoughts heard. In many community-building situations, the members of the group might be chosen specifically because they represent a cross-section of the community, or a diversity of points of view.

Allows for a variety of ideas to be expressed and discussed. A group is much more likely to come to a good conclusion if a mix of ideas is on the table, and if all members have the opportunity to think about and respond to them. Is generally a democratic, egalitarian process. It reflects the ideals of most grassroots and community groups, and encourages a diversity of views.

Leads to group ownership of whatever conclusions, plans, or action the group decides upon. Because everyone has a chance to contribute to the discussion and to be heard, the final result feels like it was arrived at by and belongs to everyone. Encourages those who might normally be reluctant to speak their minds.

A good group discussion will bring them out and support them. Can often open communication channels among people who might not communicate in any other way.

People from very different backgrounds, from opposite ends of the political spectrum, from different cultures, who may, under most circumstances, either never make contact or never trust one another enough to try to communicate, might, in a group discussion, find more common ground than they expected.

Is sometimes simply the obvious, or even the only, way to proceed. Several of the examples given at the beginning of the section — the group of parents concerned about their school system, for instance, or the college class — fall into this category, as do public hearings and similar gatherings. Why would you specifically lead a group discussion? As a mental health counselor, a youth worker, a coalition coordinator, a teacher, the president of a board of directors, etc.

Because of your reputation for objectivity or integrity, because of your position in the community, or because of your skill at leading group discussions, you might be the obvious choice to lead a particular discussion. It was your idea in the first place. The group discussion, or its purpose, was your idea, and the organization of the process falls to you.

Teachers Health professionals and health educators Respected community members. These folks may be respected for their leadership — president of the Rotary Club, spokesperson for an environmental movement — for their positions in the community — bank president, clergyman — or simply for their personal qualities — integrity, fairness, ability to communicate with all sectors of the community.

Community activists. At the start of something new. When an issue can no longer be ignored. When groups need to be brought together. One way to deal with racial or ethnic hostility, for instance, is to convene groups made up of representatives of all the factions involved.

When an existing group is considering its next step or seeking to address an issue of importance to it. The staff of a community service organization, for instance, may want to plan its work for the next few months, or to work out how to deal with people with particular quirks or problems. Set the stage If you have time to prepare beforehand, there are a number of things you may be able to do to make the participants more comfortable, and thus to make discussion easier.

Provide food and drink The ultimate comfort, and one that breaks down barriers among people, is that of eating and drinking. Bring materials to help the discussion along Most discussions are aided by the use of newsprint and markers to record ideas, for example. Become familiar with the purpose and content of the discussion If you have the opportunity, learn as much as possible about the topic under discussion.

Make sure everyone gets any necessary information, readings, or other material beforehand If participants are asked to read something, consider questions, complete a task, or otherwise prepare for the discussion, make sure that the assignment is attended to and used.

Lead the discussion Think about leadership style The first thing you need to think about is leadership style, which we mentioned briefly earlier in the section. Help the group establish ground rules The ground rules of a group discussion are the guidelines that help to keep the discussion on track, and prevent it from deteriorating into namecalling or simply argument.

Some you might suggest, if the group has trouble coming up with the first one or two: Everyone should treat everyone else with respect : no name-calling, no emotional outbursts, no accusations.

No arguments directed at people — only at ideas and opinions. Disagreement should be respectful — no ridicule. Try to keep your comments reasonably short and to the point, so that others have a chance to respond. Consider all comments seriously, and try to evaluate them fairly.

Everyone is responsible for following and upholding the ground rules. Generate an agenda or goals for the session You might present an agenda for approval, and change it as the group requires, or you and the group can create one together. Lead the discussion How active you are might depend on your leadership style, but you definitely have some responsibilities here.

Setting the topic. If the group is meeting to discuss a specific issue or to plan something, the discussion topic is already set. If the topic is unclear, then someone needs to help the group define it. The leader — through asking the right questions, defining the problem, and encouraging ideas from the group — can play that role. Fostering the open process. Nurturing the open process means paying attention to the process, content, and interpersonal dynamics of the discussion all at the same time — not a simple matter.

Most of your actions as leader should be in the service of modeling or furthering the open process. Involving all participants. This is part of fostering the open process, but is important enough to deserve its own mention.

Asking questions or offering ideas to advance the discussion. The leader should be aware of the progress of the discussion, and should be able to ask questions or provide information or arguments that stimulate thinking or take the discussion to the next step when necessary. Summarizing or clarifying important points, arguments, or ideas. This task entails making sure that everyone understands a point that was just made, or the two sides of an argument.

The point is to make sure that everyone understands what the individual or group actually meant. Wrapping up the session. As the session ends, the leader should help the group review the discussion and make plans for next steps more discussion sessions, action, involving other people or groups, etc.

He should also go over any assignments or tasks that were agreed to, make sure that every member knows what her responsibilities are, and review the deadlines for those responsibilities. Use encouraging body language and tone of voice, as well as words. Lean forward when people are talking, for example, keep your body position open and approachable, smile when appropriate, and attend carefully to everyone, not just to those who are most articulate. Give positive feedback for joining the discussion.

If group members are confused, revisiting the comments or points that caused the confusion, or restating them more clearly, may be helpful. Being aware of the reactions of individuals and of the group as a whole can make it possible to expose and use conflict, or to head off unnecessary emotional situations and misunderstandings. Ask open-ended questions. Instead, questions should require some thought from group members, and should ask for answers that include reasons or analysis.

Control your own biases. While you should point out factual errors or ideas that are inaccurate and disrespectful of others, an open process demands that you not impose your views on the group, and that you keep others from doing the same. Group members should be asked to make rational decisions about the positions or views they want to agree with, and ultimately the ideas that the group agrees on should be those that make the most sense to them — whether they coincide with yours or not.

Pointing out bias — including your own — and discussing it helps both you and group members try to be objective. Encourage disagreement, and help the group use it creatively. Disagreement is not to be smoothed over, but rather to be analyzed and used. When there are conflicting opinions — especially when both can be backed up by reasonable arguments — the real discussion starts. Disagreement makes people think. Keep your mouth shut as much as possible. By and large, discussion groups are for the group members.

You may be a member of the group and have been asked by the others to act as leader, in which case you certainly have a right to be part of the discussion although not to dominate. People who are particularly articulate or assertive, who have strong feelings that they urgently want to express, or who simply feel the need — and have the ability — to dominate can take up far more than their fair share of a discussion.

This often means that quieter people have little or no chance to speak, and that those who disagree with the dominant individual s are shouted down and cease trying to make points.

You can find out what someone thinks by asking, or by listening when he speaks. She may or may not represent the general opinion of people from situations similar to hers…or there may not be a general opinion among them. In a group discussion, no one should be asked or assumed to represent anything more than herself. Model learning behavior, not teaching behavior.

In Summary Group discussions are common in our society, and have a variety of purposes, from planning an intervention or initiative to mutual support to problem-solving to addressing an issue of local concern. Online resources Everyday-Democracy. Print resources Forsyth, D.