Page 133 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Advanced Communication Skills

Notes direction. An individual would be viewed as a leader with the capacity of planning
a strategy, filtering and assimilating the ideas while leading and controlling the
interactants.
(c) Taking the Group Along: The ability to sum up the discussion not only at the end but
also in between is a major quality of the interactant. This helps in preventing the
group from straying away from the topic. In the course of the discussion is not
important to be the first speaker, but it definitely is important to make even and
regular contributions throughout the discussion. This can only be achieved when
there is some one who is willing to take up rather tedious and monotonous task of
conjoining all the ideas and presenting them in a nutshell to the participants at
regular interviews.

(d) Listening: All this necessitates that the individual should possess capabilities of
listening to what the other interactants are saying. Here, once again we must
emphasise the difference between hearing and listening. Listening would only be
evident when the listener shows signs of absorbing, assimilating and then presenting
the spoken material to the rest of the participants. On the contrary, if only hearing
has taken place it indicates that the speaker has not been able to penetrate the screen
of indifference.
(e) Goal Fulfillment: These leadership qualities observed in the group indicate that either
the goal has been achieved or is in the process of being achieved. In other words, we
can say that the topic has been thoroughly discussed by all the participants with
appropriate input from the leader and all of them have been able to perform the
important feet of bringing into focus the main/ancillary points related to the topic.
Trying to conjoin the efforts of all the participants in a fruitful manner which would
reveal all of them to be part of a cohesive group is no mean achievement. It is
definitely a Herculean task which only a leader could perform.
2. Knowledge of the Subject Matter: Together with leadership qualities, the individual should
also be rather well-read about the issues under discussion. His knowledge of the subject
matter, two things need to be kept in mind – the quantitative and the qualitative aspect of
the topic. Where the former is concerned, figures and numbers should not be reeled off
merely to prove one's point or knowledge about an issue unless and until one is absolutely
confident of the same. If not in the group, then definitely among the experts there is bound
to be someone who would be aware 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.
3. Analytical Ability: The next in the sequence of trying to present an acceptable picture of
the self is the capacity to use one's analytical ability to the optimum. While it is relatively
simple to present data on an issue, it gives the appearance of a well thought of and
analysed presentation in the GD.

4. Clarity of Thought: Clarity of thought is extremely important which can be brought
about by a distillation of the essentials and abandonment of the peripherals. The move in
the discussion could be either from the core to the periphery or from the periphery to
heart of the issue. The participants should not get hooked to the peripheral issues. This
could lead to unnecessary emphasis on trivial issues. There has to be concentration in the
moves which would indicate awareness on the part of the participants regarding the
subject matter and the delineation of the topic. The shift from the general to the specific
will indicate awareness along all lines and areas pertaining to the topic are bound to
creep in.

126 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY