Group Discussion round is the next screening process after the initial rounds in various organizations, MBA institutes and even in high schools. This round usually measures the personality and suitability of the candidate on the basis of knowledge, communication skills, thought process, leadership abilities, coordination skills and other interpersonal skills.
Group Discussion generally refers to a communicative environment where the participants are required to interact with other participants by presenting their opinions. The aim of a group discussion is to reach to a conclusion on the basis of various thoughts presented by participants. There are usually 6-8 participants sitting in a group. The entire proceedings of the group discussion are observed by the panellists who then mark the candidates according to their performance. This is an important round in the selection process.
There are few tips through which one can easily crack the group discussion round and some of them are listed as follows:
- Gather maximum knowledge and have good communication skills: The panellists will prefer someone who has good knowledge about the topic and is able to express his/her thoughts well. This is an important parameter. One should indulge in the habit of regular reading of newspapers (especially editorials) which help in building general awareness about recent issues in and around the globe as the topics generally comprise of recent events. To build communication skills one should start discussing his/her thoughts with their friends and in family. Also you can ask your friends to take up a topic and discuss the same for 10-15 minutes on an informal level.
- Be confident and persuasive: Participants should be confident in presenting their point of view. One should stick to the same point from the beginning to the end, differing from the initial stand taken displays lack of confidence. Also one should not try to dominate over others and let everyone speak. Along with confidence persuasion plays a vital role. Making others agree with a particular point of view is an essential role of a manager. Thus being persuasive promotes your image in the mind of the panellists and improves chances of selection.
- Don’t keep quiet: This is the most important thing to keep in mind while sitting for a GD round. Staying quiet throughout a GD will result in unfavourable outcomes as this portrays one as shy and reserved, which is not good for a candidate. When the topic is unknown then one can gather information from the arguments of the participants that have spoken before and add on something which is relatable.
- Be a good listener: Many participants forget to listen and just interrupt others without letting them complete. This leaves a negative perception on panellists and other participants. It is important to let others speak. This not lets you add to your thoughts but also gives the time to structure your thoughts well.
- Be a leader: One of the most important qualities to display in a GD rounds is leadership skills. You should try to initiate the discussion by putting forward your point and then be welcoming about what others say. If you disagree with something you should put it forward politely. This will not only portray you as being appreciative of others opinions but will also display your leadership skills, on account of providing a direction to the discussion.
- Conclude well: This is another important area which the panellists will lay emphasis on. The participants should avoid adding their own point of view and just try being to the point while concluding a group discussion.
- Analyse the topic well: One of the bad habits of many participants is blabbering without having carefully assessed the given topic. This does not add any new point to the discussion, rather opens a window of cross argument which makes the situation only worse. To avoid this one should take some time to understand the topic and then speak accordingly.
- Maintain a good posture: The posture of a participant reflects on his/her state of mind. One should never keep on leaning backward as this shows disinterest. Maintaining a polite intensity posture portrays the candidate as a balanced individual with plenty of energy. This also displays respect towards other participants.
Group discussion is majorly about speaking relevant points with confidence and conviction. Keeping yourself updated and improving on your communication skills can increase the chances of selection in the GD round.
Copyright @ Group Discussion Ideas.
