Unit 4

ENGLISH

4.1.          Team Work Skills

A team has a small number of talented pairs that are dedicated to a common goal, goals of service, and a common commitment to their goals In a team, people are dependent on each other, may or may not work in the same physical space, and come together to accomplish work together.

Teamwork is an essential element to achieve success at work, no matter your industry or job title. Working in unison with clients, colleagues, managers and other people in your workplace can help you complete tasks efficiently while creating an enjoyable environment both for yourself and others. An organization is that emphasizes good teamwork skills is typically a healthy, high-functioning workplace.

Teamwork skills are the abilities and qualities that will allow you to work with others during formal conversations, projects, meetings or other collaborations. Teamwork skills are thoroughly dependent on your ability to communicate well, actively listen and be responsible and honest.

Why are teamwork skills important?

In every industry at every level in your career, you will be required to work alongside others. Doing so in an empathetic, efficient and responsible manner can help you accomplish career goals, grow your resume and contribute positively to your organization. It can also help you build rapport with others. Building rapport can lead to deeper working relationships, new connections and possibly new opportunities.

Components of Team work

Teamwork consists of many skills you can work to develop over time. Here are just a few examples of qualities that can help you improve your teamwork skills:

1. Communication:  One of the most critical teamwork elements is the ability to communicate in a clear, efficient way. When working with others, it is important that you share relevant thoughts, ideas and key information. There are many different types of communication skills including both verbal and nonverbal.

2.     Responsibility: Within the dynamic of teamwork, it is essential that the parties involved both have a complete understanding of the work they are responsible for and make the effort to complete said tasks on time and up to the expected standard. With the entire team functioning properly by taking responsibility for their own work, they can work together towards a common goal.

3.     Honesty: Practicing honesty and transparency at work might mean working through a disagreement, explaining that you were not able to complete a certain task on time or sharing difficult updates. It can be difficult for a team to develop trust and therefore work together efficiently without transparency.

4.     Active listening: Much like communication, active listening skills can help a team to understand and trust each other. Active listening is the act of making an effort to focus intently on one person as they share their ideas, thoughts or feelings. You might also ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into what they are communicating.

5.     Empathy: Having empathy for your teammates can allow you to better understand their motives and feelings. Taking the time to listen and understand how others think and work can help you to communicate with them in the right ways.

6.     Collaboration: Teamwork means group of individuals with a diverse set of skills and talents can work together towards a common goal. Therefore, It is crucial to work with other teammates to share ideas, improve each other’s work and help one another to form a good team.

7.     Awareness: In teamwork, it is important that you hone your ability to be aware of the team dynamic at all times. For example, if one person is dominating the conversation or does not allow others to share ideas, it is important that balance is restored for each teammate to contribute evenly. Alternatively, if one person tends to be coy and more hesitant to share their ideas, it is important to create space so that all teammates feel comfortable to contribute their unique skills and abilities.

How to improve your teamwork skills

Here are a few steps you can take to improve your teamwork skills:

Get honest feedback. It can be difficult to identify your own areas of improvement. Finding a friend, or a trustworthy colleague or respectable mentor that can offer you honest feedback about your teamwork strengths and weaknesses can help you improve them.

Set personal goals. Using both your own observations and feedback from others to form achievable, relevant and time-constrained goals can help you improve one teamwork skill at a time.

Practice. It takes time and practice to see improvements in your skillset. Pay close attention to your teamwork interactions throughout the day both in and out of work. Take mindful steps to practice the specific qualities you are trying to build.

Mimic others with strong teamwork skills. When you see examples of great teamwork, take note and identify why the interaction stood out to you. Apply those qualities in your own interactions when working with others.

4.2.          Interview Skills

A personal or face to face interview is one that employs a standard structured questionnaire (or interview schedule) to ensure that all respondents are asked the same set of questions in the same sequences.

It is a two-way conversation initiated by an interviewer to obtain information from a respondent. The questions, the wording, and their sequence define the structure of the interview, and the interview is conducted face-to-face.

Studies that obtain data by interviewing people are called surveys. If the people interviewed are a representative sample of a larger population, such studies are called sample surveys.

Types of Interviews

Here are seven of the most popular interview types, as well as how to prepare for each of them.

1. Traditional Job Interview

A traditional interview is an in-person style of interview held with the hiring a manager of a company for a position within an organization. Be prepared to answer a wide range of questions about your experience and why you're right for the job. In addition to finding out if you have the right experience for the job, they want to see that you're well-prepared, enthusiastic and a good fit for the team.

Research the company and your potential boss so that when they ask why you want to work there, you'll be able to give a thoughtful, engaging answer. Knowing more about the specific types of work will prepare you when they say, "Do you have any questions for us?"

A traditional interview may be the first in a series of interviews. If the hiring manager is impressed by you, they might invite you back for a panel interview, or to meet one-on-one with other people on the team.

2. Behavioral Interviews

Behavioral interviews focus on getting to know who you are, how you think and how you'll act in certain situations. Behavioral interview questions might be broad ("Tell me about a time when you handled a stressful situation at work"), or they might be specific ("You received an email from a client asking an urgent question, but you're unsure of the answer and your boss is on a plane, away from email. What would you do?").

Before your first job interview, get used to talking through your answers to behavioral questions out loud. You'll be better able to stay calm and create a short and sweet scenario that gives the interviewer a peek into your mind and problem-solving abilities.

3. Video Interview

With the advent of technology, video interviews have become increasingly common (for ex. Skype Interviews). Presentation and preparation are vital for video interviews, as the combination of technology and distance means it's easy for issues to arise.

Before a video interview, you should:

     Ask who is going to be on the call.

     Confirm the time and date of the interview and make sure to adjust for different time zones for international interviews.

     Figure out where you'll do the interview. Choose a quiet place with a neutral backdrop and few distractions.

     Do a test-call to check your equipment.

     Print a copy of your resume and cover letter so you can refer to them easily.

While a range of traditional and behavioral interview questions might arise during a video interview, you might also have to answer more questions about location or work style.

Dress professionally, even if it's a phone interview. You don't want to be caught unprepared, and a sharp outfit can bolster your confidence. Dress as if you were walking into their office for an in-person interview. Check out our complete guide to video interviewing for more information.

4. Panel Interview

Panel interviews are the most common type of interviews. You should always ask with whom you'll be meeting. Therefore, if you're interviewing with a group of people (as in the case of a panel interview), you won't find yourself surprised upon arrival.

It is essential to address everyone in the room during a panel interview. Begin your answers by making eye contact with the person who asked the question and then pulling back your scope to make "soft eye contact" with other members of the group. (Learn more about that technique here.)

5. Case Interview

Prevalent in the fields of management consulting and marketing, a case interview presents a prospective employee with a series of questions or scenarios to answer or solve. Most of the time, these questions center on business cases or markets. It's vital to practice for these interviews, as succeeding in a case interview is all about mastering a way of thinking.

Successful case interview candidates are the ones who prepare in advance. If case interviews are common in your field, you'll know it. If you haven't started practicing yet, now's the time to start.

6. Informational Interview

Informational interviews are usually less formal than traditional interviews and most of the times are conducted before you've even applied. It's a chance for you to ask questions about what entry-level jobs are like in the field, learn about possible career trajectories and discuss other aspects of work life with someone in the profession. You can find opportunities for informational interviews through many informal channels such as your university's career office, a parent's friend or a former mentor.

Even though it's not a job interview, you should dress professionally, ask well-prepared questions and make eye contact while the person you're meeting with answers them. Consider asking them about their career trajectory, as well as advice they might have for someone starting in the field. Remember to be considerate of the person's time and not to ask for a job or a more formal interview. An informational interview is an educational and networking opportunity. If the meeting goes well, they may ask for your resume to pass along to a friend or another connection in the field. Bring a few copies with you, just in case.

7. Telephonic Interview

A telephonic interview is a 30-min interview which is usually conducted by a recruiter or the hiring manager. It's used to decide whether or not you are invited for an onsite interview.

You should have a copy of the job description as well as your resume and cover letter handy, in case you need to reference them during your conversation. You'll want to prepare to answer standard interview questions like "Tell me about yourself" and "Why are you interested in the position?" It is imperative that you prepare some questions to ask the interviewer, in case there's time for that kind of interaction.

If you get a call unexpectedly for a phone screen, it's best to let the interviewer know it's not a good time and set up one that gives you an opportunity to prepare and be in a quiet place where you can focus.

Interview Skills

Preparing for an interview can be a difficult task, but it’s not impossible. With the help of a few basic interview techniques, it should be fairly simple to crack

Visualizing the Interview:

Visualizing the interview is an excellent way of working out what areas one needs to work on. One should imagine as if they were in a interview where the interviewer is looking at their resume for the first time. One should then imagine the most difficult questions that the interviewer could ask them, e.g. “Why weren’t you more proactive at university?” or “Why has it taken you a whole year to find your first graduate job?”

Then one should try answering these questions. It is also helpful to prepare a format for these answers to be used in an actual interview. Also, one should try to imagine the qualities that the interviewer might be looking for in an ideal candidate. And one should ask themselves, how many of those qualities are possessed by them and how can they be shown in an interview.

Self-Reflection and Selling Oneself:

It’s worth making a list of one's values, interests, strengths and weakness with accompanying examples or evidence to back up each one. One needs to sell these attributes to the interviewer and give examples of times when they have been shown in everyday life.

One also needs to think about why they want the job or position and what you have to offer the organization. What would one change or what ideas would one bring to the role? It might also be worth thinking about one's short-term and long-term career goals.

Asking Questions:

One should not be afraid to ask the interviewer to clarify a question. Questions should also be asked by the interviewee during the interview and not just at the end. The key here is to position oneself so it looks that, whilst they are interested and enthusiastic about the job, they have a sense of their own self-worth. However, it is important that this should not seem as arrogance to the interviewer.

Body Language:

Body language is very important. Slouching with one's arms crossed won’t exactly make them look like a model employee. The head should be straight up and the eyes should meet the interviewer’s line of sight at all times. Making eye contact with the interviewer while speaking to them is almost as important as saying the right words during an interview.

Paying attention:

It’s extremely important to keep one's concentration levels up during the interview and to make sure one listens attentively. Interviewers tend to go on long rants about their organizations but the interviewee must never lose focus and always show the interviewer that he is listening attentively by nodding and smiling.

Speaking correctly:

During an interview the most important thing is to choose one's words carefully. The pronunciation, intonation and syntax must all be appropriate and the words should be spoken as clearly as possible. One should be articulate in expressing one's thoughts and opinions but at the same time it is essential to be cautious of others opinion's and feelings and should try not to hurt them.

Whom to Speak to:

In many cases the interview is conducted by more than one person. One needs to make sure they pay attention to all of the different interviewers. So while answering a question, they should all be given proper attention, so as not to exclude anyone. Although, if an interviewer asks a direct question, it’s important to address the answer solely to them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the ten most frequently asked questions in interviews:

1. Tell me a little about yourself.
2. What experiences have led you here?
3. Why are you a good fit for this position?
4. What will you bring to our team?
5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
6. Where do you see yourself in five years?
7. How would your boss describe you?
8. Tell me about your work ethic.
9. Why do you want to work here?
10. What questions do you have for us?

Your answers should always come back to how your experiences and education prepared you to succeed in this job. If a potential boss says, "tell me a little about yourself," you can start with some personal details, but don't lose track of the goal.

Figuring out what you have to offer will help you prepare for most interviews. You need to be able to confidently and competently tell your story: Who you are, what you're about, how you got to where you are, what is important to you and how that aligns with that organization."

Some of these questions may seem to have obvious or simple answers, but it's still essential to practice answering them out loud. But don't overdo it. You shouldn't over-rehearse, which can lead to a robotic feel in an interview.

4.3.          Problem – Solving Skills

Problem-solving may be described as the process of understanding a challenge and working toward finding an efficient solution to it. Depending upon the kind and complexity of the problem, it may involve the employment of mathematical operations and may test your critical-thinking skills.

Skills Required for Problem - Solving

Problem-solving skills assist you determine the source of a drag and find a good solution. Although problem-solving is commonly identified as its own separate skill, there are other related skills that contribute to this ability.

To solve a problem effectively, you'll likely use a number of different skills. Here are some examples of skills you might use when solving a problem.

Research

Researching is a vital skill associated with problem solving. As a problem solver, you need to be ready to identify the reason behind the issue and comprehend it fully. You can begin to collect more information about a problem by brainstorming with other team members, consulting well-versed colleagues or acquiring knowledge through online research or courses.

Analysis

The first step to solving any problem is to analyse the case. Your analytical skills will assist you to understand problems and effectively develop solutions. You will also need analytical skills during research to help distinguish between effective and ineffective solutions.

Decision-making

Ultimately, you may need to make a decision about the way to solve problems that arise. At times (and with industry experience), you'll be ready to make a decision quickly. Solid research and analytical skills can help people who have less experience in their field. There can also be times when it's appropriate to take your time to craft an answer or escalate the problem to someone more capable of solving it.

Communication

When identifying possible solutions, you may need to know how to communicate the issue to others. You will also need to know what communication channels are the most appropriate when seeking assistance. Once you discover a solution, communicating it clearly will help reduce any confusion and make implementing a solution easier.

Dependability

Dependability is one of the most significant skills for problem-solvers. Solving problems in a timely manner is essential. Employers highly value individuals they can trust to both identify and then implement solutions as fast and effectively as possible.

Creativity

Problem-solving requires you to form a balance between logic and creativity. You need to use your creativity to seek out the reason for the problem. It also requires creativity to develop innovative solutions. Creative people bring unique perspectives and provide a brand-new direction to the corporate.

Teamwork

Problem-solving involves teamwork. You ask people about their perspective on the matter, involve them in developing effective solutions, seek their feedback on the chosen solution and trust team members to implement the method. It is essential to involve and motivate all members of the team for effective problem-solving.

Improving Problem Solving Skills

There are several methods you may use to enhance your problem-solving skills. Whether you're looking for employment or currently working, improving your problem-solving skills and associated abilities will help make you a powerful candidate and employee.

Acquire more technical knowledge in your field. Depending on your industry, it should be easier to resolve problems if you've got a robust working technical knowledge. You can gain more technical knowledge through additional coursework, training or practice.

Seek out opportunities to solve problems. By putting yourself into new situations, you're more likely to be exposed to opportunities to resolve problems. You may find there are opportunities to volunteer for brand new projects in your current role, on another team or outside the workplace for an additional organisation.

Do practice problems. Practice and role-play are often useful tools when learning to develop your problem-solving skills. You can find professional practice books for your industry and problem-solving scenarios online. Practice how you would possibly solve those problems and determine if your potential solutions are viable.

For example, in customer service, you may find a scenario like, “How would you handle an angry customer?” or “How does one respond when a customer asks for a refund?” Practicing how you should handle these or other scenarios common in your industry can assist you call upon solutions quickly once they arise on the job.

Observe how others solve problems. You may have colleagues who are skilled problem solvers. Observing how those colleagues solve problems can support you to improve your own skills. If possible, ask one of your knowledgeable colleagues if you can observe their techniques. Asking relevant questions are often helpful in applying them in your own career.

4.4.          Adaptability Skills

Adaptability skills are skill sets that encompass an individual's ability to adapt to changes in their environment. Being adaptable in your career can mean you're ready to respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies and other processes at work. Adaptability also refers to possessing soft skills like interpersonal, communication, creativity and problem-solving skills.

Being adaptable in the workplace is vital when working on projects, developing strategies and implementing different approaches to doing your job. By showing your employers your adaptability skills, you are revealing how motivated you are to try new things and learn new skills.

Different Kinds of Adaptability Skills

Adaptability skills can include a range of skill sets which can help you to adapt to and cope with change in an exceedingly positive and proactive way. Some of these important soft skills include:

Communication skills

Being adaptable can rely on how effectively you communicate with your teammates and managers. Being able to invite clarification during transitions or seeking out additional information or resources for a new and unfamiliar project can show your team leaders how motivated you are to learn and seek help when you need it.

Active listening and other forms of communication like nonverbal communication are also equally significant aspects of adaptability. Active listening shows you're attentive and prepared to take new direction, and developing your nonverbal communication skills can assist you to navigate changes in team relationships or dynamics in the workplace.

Interpersonal skills

Similar to effectively communicating with others, having excellent interpersonal skills may also play a key role in your overall adaptability. Being able to interact with others in healthy and positive ways can help you avoid miscommunication and conflict during operational shifts.

Problem-solving skills

Adapting to change can also rely on problem-solving skills. You might use your problem-solving skills to find creative solutions to challenging topics, and being able to observe and analyse how you might approach solving a new problem can show your managers your willingness to make adjustments or improvements to the way you approach solving problems at work.

Creative and strategic thinking skills

Adaptability may also require creativeness and the ability to think strategically. For instance, developing new ideas to promote products, finding ways to adapt to a changing market and implementing methods to boost and develop new strategies can all showcase your overall adaptability skills.

Teamwork skills

Teamwork skills are often essential to having the ability to adapt to different personalities and working dynamics. Your colleagues can be a combination of different skills, backgrounds and experiences. Being able to work with a diverse team of individuals and wear down conflict, manage differing ideas and other dynamics that may occur can positively benefit how adaptive you are in a team environment.

Organizational skills

Organization can include several different aspects that may make this skill necessary to develop your adaptability skills. When you maintain an organized work area, paperwork and other aspects of your job, you'll be better prepared in the event that operational changes happen at work.

How to Improve Adaptability Skills

Being adaptable and receptive to change might not always be easy, however, you may consider the subsequent steps to help you develop and improve your adaptability skills:

1. Be aware of changes in your environment

One key method which will assist you to develop your adaptability skills is to remain cognizant of changes in your work environment. For instance, you may observe the finance team's new budget to remain updated on current allowances if your team's responsibilities involve the utilization of company funds. You might also remain aware of policies, procedures and other operational processes to stay abreast of changes to various company practices.

2. Develop a growth mindset

Being adaptable also means being willing to learn and try new things. Developing a growth mindset can positively influence your ability to take on new challenges, find new opportunities to develop your knowledge and contribute to new projects. Your willingness and motivation to keep developing and improving upon your skills will also show your employer your commitment to your professional growth.

3. Set goals for yourself

Another method which will assist you develop your adaptability skills could be to set goals for yourself. For instance, if you are feeling you may be weaker in your nonverbal communication or you tend to procrastinate when expected to finish challenging tasks, you may set a goal to work on each aspect of your skills so you'll improve your overall ability to adapt to changes in the workplace.

4. Ask for feedback

As you develop throughout your career, you may consider requesting feedback or constructive criticism from your managers to support and help you improve on your weaker skills. Positive and constructive feedback can be beneficial for setting goals and achieving success in your career.

5. Learn to acknowledge and accept change

It may also be highly beneficial to let yourself accept change as it occurs. Learning to acknowledge changes in your career can help you prepare yourself and adapt to differing circumstances. Additionally, learning the way to be willing to just accept change will be a vital step toward recognizing when you need to make adjustments to create transitions smoother for yourself.

4.5.          Presentation Skills

A presentation is a formal talk given on a specific set of topics to inform and educate. They may be short or long, include slides or other visual aids, and be done individually or in a group.

Planning and structuring a presentation is similar to the process of writing an essay, except the speaker needs to be conscious of a live audience and use spoken language instead of written.

Below are the four basic skills required to create a successful presentation:

Step 1: Planning:

While planning a presentation, the following questions should be kept in mind:

1. What is the aim of your research?
2. Why are you presenting it in oral form?
3. What is important about your findings?
4. What is the key focus of your presentation?
5. To whom are you presenting your findings?
6. Are they more or less knowledgeable on the topic than you?
7. What does your audience expect to gain from listening to you?

The presentation must be planned in such a way that it answers all these questions first before moving on to the structuring stage.

Step 2: Structuring the Presentation:

Like an essay, an presentation needs an introduction, body and a conclusion. The introduction may consist of an anecdote or provocative question to engage the audience right from the start. A question that includes your audience will make them want to follow through with you to find out the implications as they relate to them directly. The body will contain the main theme of the presentation where the ideas introduced earlier are explored thoroughly. The concluding statement should be a clear summary of what has been said in the main part of the presentation. It should also point toward further research or conclusive results if possible.

There are a lot of differences in speech and writing, and they must be kept in mind while preparing a presentation.

One of the most obvious ways in which to achieve natural speech is to speak sometimes in the first person - you can refer to yourself in a presentation, for example, "I'd like to start by..." or "Let me give you an example...", whereas in written projects it is best to keep the use of the first person to a minimum.

While preparing for a presentation, visual aids such as PowerPoint presentations could be very useful to illustrate one’s ideas more clearly. It can be very purposeful to employ such visual aids while discussing the central themes of the topic.

Step 3: Preparation:

Preparedness helps in easing nerves nous and boosts confidence. The following considerations should be kept in mind while preparing for presentations.

Time limits:

The presentation must be practiced a number of times to get the pacing right and to ensure the information can be contained in the time provided. Finishing too early might make the audience think that you lack proper material or understanding of the topic whereas finishing too late might make them feel boredom.

Speak from notes:

It's preferable to reduce the original paper to bullet points while presenting so as to not lose eye contact, intonation and good posture.

Body language:

Use of gestures and good posture combined with a smile keeps the audience engaged and interested.

Voice:

Loudness should be ample so that the audience can hear you clearly and the pace should be perfect so they can follow your arguments. Use silence and pauses effectively when making particular points, also speaking in monotone should be avoided.

Step 4: Presentation:

If all of the previous steps are followed carefully, one should be able to present easily and effectively. Questions should be welcomed and special attention should be given to the audience’s reactions and one’s own body language.

It should always be kept in mind what the purpose of the presentation is and all improvisations should be done in accordance to that purpose. The presentation should be ended with a polite “thank you” and all questions from the audience should be answered as clearly as possible.

Techniques for an Effective Presentation

Below are some useful techniques that may help you while presenting:

Public speakers, politicians, and professional actors get nervous before they get on stage, why shouldn't you? Ironically, a certain level of 'nervousness' works to your advantage because it keeps you alert and boosts your performance. However, learning to channel that energy takes time and practice. Delivery can make or break a presentation, so start planning it early. Prepare your delivery as follows:

4.6.          Group Discussion

A group discussion is a communicative situation that consists of more than two participants who share their views and opinions with other participants. It is an organized way of exchanging information, views and opinions about a problem, issue or topic among the members of a group who share some common objectives.

A group discussion is less formal when compared to meetings as it may have no structured order or specific agenda depending upon the requirement. The leadership is also less directive in group discussions as compared to meetings.

Group discussions emphasize process over product. Meaning, the emphasis in a group discussion is on how the participants interact with each other rather than the ultimate outcome of the discussion.

Skills for Group Discussions

Below are the areas which are to be kept in mind for developing group discussion skills:

A)    Contents: What you say during a conversation is viewed from two perspectives - complementary and holistic. The participant may have said a lot to GD, but he or she may have deviated from the topic too much, where the content was considered inappropriate without further scrutiny. If the content is relevant to the topic, the panel assesses whether your content management is excessive or in depth, a distinction that we will discuss in more detail in the next few posts.

B) Analytical skills: The panel is confident about your facts, but also likes to see if you can explore anything 'why' and 'how' about a subject matter. This is put to the strongest test in the case study article.

C) Consultation Skills: The panel looks at how you support your position, and how you respond to others, how you can 'strengthen or weaken' the debate, how reasonable you are in your handling of the topic.

D) Organizational Skills: You can have facts, supports, explanations, but are you able to present them in the right order to maximize the impact of your good content? The panel wants to explore this.

E) Communication Skills: You may be able to demonstrate all of the above-mentioned skills, but can you get your point across in a language that is simple (not simple) that they understand, with relevant images that they can understand?

F) Authorship: Are you able to bring to the table an idea of ​​a passage on a topic? Can you look at the problem differently from the other ten participants and suggest a solution? Can you translate a mysterious article in ways that others can? If yes, the panel considers you to be one of the rare personality symptoms.

Principles of Group Discussion

Given below are the basic principles for group discussions:

1. All members of the group should get a chance to speak about the given topic freely. They must be allowed to express their thoughts, opinions and feelings without restraint and also should be allowed to peruse and finish their thoughts completely without interruptions.
2. All members of the group should be able to hear each other’s ideas and thoughts without any hindrance.
3. Group members should be allowed to test unformed ideas and explore new territories.
4. All members should be able to receive and provide constructive feedback. Feedback could be positive, negative or merely a correction of factual errors but must always be done respectfully.
5. Since the discussion is one a singular topic, there are bound to be arguments and disagreements. Therefore, it must be always kept in mind that the group discussion serves a common purpose that is to inform and educate.
6. A large number of thoughts and ideas should be discussed with different perceptions on them from all members instead of sticking to only facts.
7. No group discussion should be dominated by a single person, all members should be given an equal chance to speak.
8. Group discussions must be thought provoking and inspiring. Members must always feel like they are learning while involved in a group discussion.

Importance of Group Discussions

Below are the reasons why group discussions are considered important:

     Better understanding of the subject: GD offers a great opportunity to the discussants to take a deep dive into the subject, and understand it profoundly. It expands the horizon of knowledge and learning. In addition, it extends a chance to the participants to improve their abilities to think critically and develop their analytical skills.

     Solve problems: Since GD brings together a group of people holding diverse opinions, it also perceived as one of the sought after ways to arrive at solutions to problems. Because of the fact that people bring in a wide range of insights, GDs help in changing the thought process from a narrow to a wider view, thereby paving the way to solutions.

     Improve listening skills and confidence: Since GDs necessitate the contribution of ideas and thoughts, the participants are required to be listen keenly to others’ observations. In this sense, group discussions are a fantastic way to enhance listening skills, and also boost the confidence of speakers by engaging them and encouraging them to express their thoughts.

     Enhance communication and interpersonal skills: While one aspect of GDs is that it encourages people to share their knowledge, the other important aspect is that it gives an opportunity to people to build their communication skills. The participants, in the process, learn how to express their ideas while also respecting viewpoints of others. This in turn contributes to the development of interpersonal skills among the peer group.

     Team building exercise: GDs help in developing teamwork and leadership attributed in people, which are extremely important in the current context. Working in a group helps them increase tolerance and respect towards others, and also how to unanimously arrive at conclusions.