Tips and Tricks to Excel in a Group Discussion
Nature of Group Discussion
Group Discussion popularly labeled as GD, is a methodology used by an organization (company, institute, business school, etc.) to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits. Thus a group discussion is free for all have & need to manage others and get the cooperation of the group members by continuously relating to situations as they keep developing and changing.
Features Of Group Discussion
1. Group Discussion, as the name itself indicates, is a group activity carried out by participating individuals. It is an exchange of ideas among the individuals of a group on a specific topic.
2. It is used as a reliable, testing device mainly as a tool to assess all the candidates in a group in one go -in order to select the best from a comparative perspective.
3. Group Discussion is an informal discussion in which participants of the same educational standard discuss a topic of current interest.
4. It is also known as leaderless discussion. It means its aim is to find out the natural leadership level of the candidates. No one will participate or intervene in the deliberations of the group.
Strategies / Techniques for individual Contribution
1. Leadership skills
Leadership is one of the key skills based on which the candidates are assessed during a Group Discussion.
2. Communication skills
The participating candidates are also assessed in terms of clarity of thought, and expression through words. One should be able to speak without any hesitation and in a soft tone.
3. Interpersonal skills
Candidates are also evaluated on their Interpersonal skills such as adaptability, maturity, coordination, and interaction with peers.
4. Persuasive skills
This is a very important attribute expected in a Manager. Persuasive skill in the art to make the listener understands what the speaker is trying to tell.
5. Problem-solving skills
One important aspect of Group Discussion is that it is very spontaneous and dynamic in nature. You need to recollect all your thoughts and present them to the group. You need to be really involved in the discussion to handle the counterarguments and answer them well while speaking.
6. Listening & Conceptualizing Ability
After one speaks in G.D. you should be attentive and listen carefully. One Should try to gather as many ideas and facts being put forward. Assimilate the points raised by others and try to add something new to the discussion.
7. Reasoning Ability
Candidates are expected to explain the points raised by them through proper reasoning. Just raising a point without being able to justify the same during a GD would not help and may result in negative marks as well.
8. Team Player
The corporate world is all about working as a team if the team succeeds everyone succeeds similarly, a failure of a team is a failure of each member of the team. Candidates participating in GD are also evaluated for their ability to work in a team.
9. General Awareness
The topics given in Group Discussions are mostly current affairs topic is given. If the topic is from current affairs it is expected of the candidate to be aware of the happenings around the world.