Business Office Practices
1.Group Discussion
Definition: When several
people sit together and try to arrive at a decision regarding a policy matter
or find a solution to a problem after sharing their views/opinions, the exercise is called a group
decision. It is an effort
to use collective wisdom in the best interests of the organisation so as to increase its productivity, improve the quality of its
products or overcome the problems that come its way in order to maximise its
profit.
Rationale or Logic behind Group
Discussion: Group
discussion can sometimes delay a decision and may result in missing an
important opportunity. Then why do business organisations opt for the group
discussion route for taking important decisions? The reason is very clear.
Everybody is familiar with the proverb, “Two heads are better than one.” It means that collective wisdom is always
superior to individual wisdom, that the decision
arrived at after a thorough discussion is always a better one than a decision
taken by an individual, howsoever wise and intelligent he/she may be. The following
arguments will justify this view.
1. None in the world can lay
claim to all the knowledge in the world even when we restrict it to a particular
issue. Even the most informed person possesses only a fraction of the knowledge available having a bearing
on the issue. Group discussion is a way
to benefit from the knowledge of several rather than
depend on the knowledge of a single person.
2. Business issues these days have become very complex as a result
of the growth in the size of business and the ever increasing competition. It
is not possible for any one person to visualise all the aspects of an issue or problem.
Every individual has his/her limitations. And different individuals can see the different
aspects of an issue. When the issue is discussed in a group, all the aspects of the issue come before the group. So a decision is arrived at
after considering all the aspects of the issue. Hence the decision is bound to
be the best one.
3.
Different people have different ways of looking at the world. Every
person sees an issue from his/her own
angle. Group discussion enables us to see the issue in its totality. No angle of the issue can remain ignored.
So group
discussion is a way to pool the wisdom, intelligence and experience of a number
of people which is bound to be greater than the wisdom, intelligence and
experience of one.
Objectives of Group Discussion: Group discussion is generally used for
achieving one of the three following objectives:-
1.
For decision making and problem solving: Business houses generally use group discussion for decision making and problem solving. Whenever
an important policy decision is to be made or an issue has to be sorted out, a
meeting of the concerned officials is held and a decision is arrived at after
due consultations.
2.
For assessing the merit of candidates for a job: Some organisation use group discussion as a tool for
assessing the merit of candidates for a
job. Group discussion helps them to assess communication skills, leadership
qualities, patience, general awareness, field knowledge, listening to others
etc. It is one of the important tools used by the Indian Armed forces for
selecting candidates for commissioned posts.
3.
For training students in the art of group discussion: Educational and training institute use group
discussion to train students in this art and thus to prepare them for competing
for a job and for successful professional career.
Participating in a group therefore is an important
skill for the students to acquire. It helps them not only to compete
successfully for a job but also to give a good account of themselves after
joining a job and thus earn respect and promotions.
Important Guidelines for participation in a
Group Discussion
It is important to know the things you should do and
the things you should avoid while participating in a group discussion. The
following guidelines will help you become a valued participant in a group
discussion:-
1. Participate actively and make a positive
contribution. Do not be a silent spectator. Let the group benefit by your
views.
2. Speak loudly enough to be heard and clearly enough
to be understood. But do not shout.
3. Keep an even pace. Neither speak too fast nor too
slowly. If you speak too fast, others may not be able to understand all that
you say. If you speak too slowly, people may get bored and lose interest.
4. Try to
speak as early as possible. Try to be the first to speak and open the
discussion if you can. But even if you cannot, do not wait till all the others
have spoken. If you do, another member may say what you have got to say and
then you may be left with nothing to say.
5. Be relevant. Do not waste the time of the
group by talking irrelevant things which do not have any bearing on the issue
being discussed.
6. Say something original. Show deep knowledge of the
topic. Do not just repeat what another member has already said.
7. Speak confidently. Do not think or feel that
anybody is superior to you or knows more than you.
8. Be brief. Try to give your opinion in as
few words as possible so that others may also get enough time to express their
views. Remember, a group discussion is not a lecture by one member. All the
members must get time to speak so that the group may be able to benefit by
their views.
9. Do not do
or say anything that discourages another
member from expressing his views. Do not laugh at his views or make any adverse
comments which offend him or make him feel insulted.
10.
Do not interrupt while
another member is speaking. If you have something important to say, wait till
he has finished and then say what you want to say.
11.
Never try to
provoke anybody. Try to maintain a conducive environment so that the discussion
may continue in a healthy manner and be fruitful.
12.
Do not make
any personal comments. Do not say anything against the dignity of any
member. Speak only on the topic in hand. You may not agree with a member’s
views but you have no right to make a personal attack on him.
13.
Use simple and
easy language that all may understand. Do not use high sounding
difficult words and complex structures which may be too difficult for some in
the group to understand.
14.
Avoid using
jargon if all the members do not belong to your own field of specialisation.
Those who do not may not be able to understand it.
15.
Do not lose your
temper at any cost. Keep your calm even in the face of provocation.
16.
Do not be
aggressive. Express your views politely but firmly. Even if you do not agree with
an argument, voice your disagreement in a civilised manner.
17.
Use body
language to the best effect. Let your eye contact, facial expressions and
gestures do the talking as well as your mouth. They help to clarify and
reinforce your ideas.
18.
Do not try to
impose your views on others. Try rather to convince and persuade with the force
of your arguments.
19.
Listen carefully while
others are speaking. You cannot appreciate their views unless you pay full
attention to what they say. Remember, they have a right to be heard.
20.
Do not be adamant. Be
flexible. Be ready to change your views and agree with others if your argument
is proved to be wrong.
21.
Try to establish yourself as a leader if you are participating in a
competition or in a discussion for the assessment of your qualities. To establish
yourself as a leader, you have to do the following things:-
I.
If there is any member who is not contributing to
the discussion, invite and encourage him
to speak and give his views.
II.
If anybody tries
to discourage another member from expressing his views, try to dissuade him from doing so.
III.
If a member is
taking too much time, tell him to be brief so that there may be enough
time left for the others.
IV.
If anybody is wasting
the time of the group by talking irrelevant things, politely tell him not to do so.
V.
Tempers often run
high in a group discussion. If anybody loses temper, request him to calm down
so that the discussion may proceed smoothly.
VI.
Sometimes, the discussion
gets derailed. People leave the topic being discussed aside and
start talking about other things. If this happens, try to put the discussion
back on the rails by pointing out the fact to the members.
22.
Use the right
posture. Do not fall back in the chair and appear to be relaxing. Nor should you
adopt an aggressive posture by bending forward too much. Sit straight and look
attentive.
2. Meetings
2.1. Conducting a Meeting
Meetings are a very important
event in any business organisation. All important decisions about the working
of an organisation are taken in meetings. Whenever any problem arises and a
solution has to be found or a policy decision or any action has to be planned,
a meeting of the executives of the appropriate level is called, the issue is discussed threadbare and the best decision in the interest of
the organisation on the basis of the collective wisdom is arrived at.
These meetings cost the organisation a great deal in
terms of money and time. Therefore, it is very important
to conduct these meetings in such a way as to make them yield maximum positive
results. The success of a meeting in terms of its output depends on the way in which the presiding officer conducts the meeting and the spirit with
which the participating members take part in it. The person responsible
for conducting the meeting must keep the following things in mind in order to
make it fruitful and productive:
1.
He
must be clear about the objective of the
meeting. For that, he must prepare a list of the issues to be discussed well in
advance so that they may be included in the agenda.
2.
The
agenda for the meeting should be prepared well in advance and made available to the members in
order to enable them to prepare themselves for the discussion. They need time
to collect the relevant information regarding the issues on the agenda and to
reflect over them. The meeting cannot be fruitful if the members do not get
enough time to prepare for the meeting.
3.
He
should make proper seating arrangements for the
members and take care that they feel comfortable. The place where the meeting
is held should not be too hot or too cold.
4.
He
should welcome the members cheerfully before
starting the proceedings and then explain the agenda,
and clarify the goals that the meeting seeks to
achieve, provide the background information,
explain the context, throw light on the circumstances that have necessitated the meeting and
clarify the goals that the meeting is expected to achieve.
5.
He
should tell the members to stick to the time limit
and make the maximum contribution to achieve the
goals.
6.
He
should encourage all the members to make a positive contribution to the discussion and
ensure that every member does so. For this, he can do any one of the following:
I.
Ask
all the members to give their views one by one.
II.
Ask questions collectively
and individually and ask the members to answer them.
III.
Ask
the members to write their ideas on a piece of
paper and elaborate them later on.
IV.
Ask those members
who are not coming forth to express their views.
7.
He
should ensure that the participation is not unbalanced and
every member gets a fair chance to express his views. He should not allow one or a few members to dominate the
proceedings of the meeting. If any members takes up too much time, he should
tell him to be brief and leave time for the others.
8.
He
should keep the discussion on course and not
allow any member to derail it. If he finds a member wasting time by talking
irrelevant things, he should tell him to stop and come to the point. If the
discussion loses direction, it is his duty to put it
back on the rails.
9.
He
should not allow any member to make any uncharitable
comment on the views expressed by any member or
make a personal attack.
10.
He
should ensure that the discussion is carried on in a
calm and friendly manner. He should keep the tempers
in check. Differences of opinion are
natural. He should handle them in a mature and tactical manner. The discussion should not become a battleground. The discussion should be used to enlighten and be enlightened and not to offend and
defend their respective views.
11.
He
should take up the issues on the agenda one by one and ensure
that they are dealt with within the prescribed time
limit. He should not allow them to drag on
endlessly.
12.
He
should see to it that all the issues on the
agenda are discussed and none of them left out.
13.
Before
the meeting ends, he should sum up the views
expressed by the members and the decisions arrived
at.
14.
He
should thank the members for their valuable
contribution to the discussion before the members disperse.
15.
After
the meeting, he should ensure that the proceedings of
the meeting are recorded in the minute book by the secretary and the views expressed by the members and the decisions taken are faithfully
reflected. He should not allow them to be
distorted or changed in any way.
16.
It
is also his duty to ensure that the decisions taken are honestly and sincerely implemented.
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