The skills that are usually assessed in a Group Discussion are: Communication Skills Interpersonal Skills Leadership Skills

ship Skills Motivational Skills Team Building Skills Tolerance Clarity over Ambiguity Divergent Thinking Listening skills Presentation Skills Analytical / Logical skills

These include reasoning ability, leadership ability, Inspiring ability, flexibility, creativity/out-of-the-box thinking, social skills, listening and articulation skills, situational handling ability, interpersonal ability to function as a team player, body language and attitude. Here are some tips for effective participation in a GD: Understand - Understand the topic before attempting to contribute. Speak - Try and get a chance to speak. If you can't get a chance to speak make your chance. Initiate - Take the initiative to begin the discussion, if possible. Structure - Structure arguments logically - justify your stand. Summaries- Summaries the discussion effectively Involve- Take active part throughout the GD. Assert- Be assertive. Articulate- Work continuously towards articulating your ideas into meaningful sentences to make the best impact. Be clear in your speech. Emphasize.-Use non-verbal communication to emphasize points. Listen- Be an attentive listener. Quality, not quantity matters- it's not how much' you say, but what' you say that's important. Make sure that you speak loudly and clearly. This is one of the most important things and you could find yourself in difficulty if you do not speak loudly and clearly in a GD. You should know that you are not really bounded to think in one way. You are free to think on your own and put forward some new ideas. It is good for your chances and also for the GD since new ideas will definitely make it interesting. This also shows how good listener you are, at time, things turn up to be a mess when you feel that what is being said is not making sense. Dont get irritated. Remember that you need to be calm and composed. Many times after a mess happening in a GD, candidates who are calm are selected.

Out of the box thinking: Yes! This the something that can help you get further selected because this reflects that you have a different way of looking at things. You need to be creative and have to put points that might amaze the panel. Remember, while working there are times when we need to find out solutions to the problem in a better way, thinking out of the box helps you finding smart and good solutions at times. Correctly saying what you want to say- speaking effectively and efficiently is very important. General Principles o o o o o o o o Note: Argument is - exchange of ignorance Discussion is - exchange of knowledge Now, if you all will please allow me to sum up the discussion and put forth the important points as discussed. ***************************** Very confident Does not believe in joining the bandwagon Has clarity of thought and to the point argument Knows how to put forth his point Although spoke only once, he outshines all the other Very Strong chance of selection ***************************** Confident and sharp Strong determination Optimistic Knowledgeable Has clarity of thought and to the point argument Knows how to put forth his point with excellent examples Very Strong chance of selection Be a good listener Do not use high vocabulary Never use technical language while speaking Not knowing is not a problem , do not try to bluff Do not criticize on religion Do not get personal with anyone Do not criticize foreign policy of India Never ever try to bluff

Things to avoid

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The first thing is that the panel should notice you. Merely making a meaningful contribution and helping the group arrive at a consensus is not enough.

You must ensure that the group hears you. If the group hears you, so will the evaluator.

You need to be assertive. It depends on you how you steer the group in the right direction, once it gets stuck to something. This gives you the chance to showcase your leadership skills.

Most importantly, you have to make your chances. Many group discussion participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak. The fact is that in no group discussion will you get a chance to speak. There is nothing more unacceptable in a GD than keeping one's mouth shut or just murmuring things which are inaudible. Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your Interactive skills How good you are at communicating with other people. How you behave, participate and contribute in a group. How much importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own. How well do you listen to viewpoints of others How open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own.

The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. Clarity of thought Group working skills (especially during a group task of case study discussion) Conflict handling Listening and probing skills Knowledge about the subject and individual point of view Ability to create a consensus Openess and flexibility towards new ideas Data based approach to decision making

How do I take my chance to speak:

Trying to interrupt others while speaking would only harm your chances. Maintain an eye-contact with the speaker. This would show your listening skills Would help you gauge from his eye-movement and pitch of voice that he is about to close his inputs. You can quickly take it from there.

Try and link your inputs with what he has spoken whether you are adding to or opposing his arguments +ve roles in GD: Initiator Information seeker Information giver Procedure facilitator Opinion seeker Opinion giver Clarifier Social Supporter Harmonizer Tension Reliever Energizer Compromiser Gatekeeper Summarizer

Initiation Technique: When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow candidates. If you can make a favorable first impression with your content and communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you sail through the discussion. But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures, the damage might be irreparable.

Summarizing a GD:-

Avoid raising new points. Avoid stating only your viewpoint. Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD. Keep it brief and concise. It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD.

If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it means the GD has come to an end. Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized.

Improving GD Skills: Observe How do other students make critical comments? How do they ask questions? How do they disagree with or support arguments? What special phrases do they use to show politeness even when they are voicing disagreement? How do they signal to interrupt, ask a question or make a point?

Practice

Start practicing your discussion skills in an informal setting or with a small group.

Participate Take every opportunity to take part in social/informal discussions

Do Speak pleasantly and politely to the group. Respect the contribution of every speaker. Remember that a discussion is not an argument. Learn to disagree politely. Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/ contribute to the topic? Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information. Be aware of your body language when you are speaking. Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.

Don't

Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument. Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch. Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger pointing and table thumping can appear aggressive. Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow quieter a chance to contribute.

Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote. Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak. . You can demonstrate leadership by: introducing yourself and the members of the group stating the purpose of the discussion inviting quiet group members to speak being objective summarizing the discussion

********************************************* ~ SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats This applies especially for case studies. ~ STEP: Social, Technical, Economic, Political ~ W5H: What, Why, When, Where, Who, How Who is the protagonist? Why did she or he do whatever has occurred? Could it have happened at some other time? Why exactly this moment? Such questions will get you thinking and generate a lot of ideas. **********************************