Basic Rules and Tips in Group Discussions

1. Always be the initiator and concluder of the GD then being a participant. 2. But if you are particaipant always try to be the most vianl/key participant. 3. put points firmly and always try to get others support too. 4. if you find that the discussion os going offttrack then never loose an oppurtunity to bring it back to straem this is the best point to score max. 5. try to keep latest information on the topic. 6. be very polite , people may try to provoge you to to get more points but try to keep cool. 7. most important don't wait for your turn to speak when discussion is on. inturrupt politely if you want to put forward your points. 8. last but not the least keep atab on the time given for discussion. score points by wrapping up the discussion if you feel that the discussion is heating but the time is going to be over. 9. during conclusion, do end with the conclusion note. that shows your leadership quality. Best scoring points are: 1. Initiation of Discussion. 2. Always keeping/trying tokeep discussion on track. 3. Conclusion on time. 4. Your capability to keep your cool and listen as well as putting your points. 5. Finally Be a Leader and select in GD. GD basically means searching your team player, leadership, communication capability.

How to Handle GD's Many companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contibute 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 and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behaviour, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects. Remember the six C's of effective communication -- Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy. You should mantain eye contact with all others in the group and not focus on a particular person for he may benefit from that. Be responsive to ideas from other people and seem to be very receptive and open-minded but don't allow others to change your own viewpoint. Here is a sample list of skills assessed during a group discussion: Leadership skills: Ability to take leadership roles and ability to lead, inspire and carry the team along to help them achieve group's objectives. Example: To be able to initiate the group discussion, or to be able to guide the group especially when the discussion begins losing relevance or try to encourage all members to participate in the discussion. Communication skills: The participating candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought, expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a willingness to accommodate others views. Example: To be able to use simple language and explain concepts clearly so that it is easily understood by all. You actually get negative marks for using esoteric jargons in an attempt to show-off your knowledge. Interpersonal skills: Is reflected in the ability of the individual to interact with other members of the group in a brief situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal relationships. The person has to be more people centric and less self-centered. Example: To remain cool even when someone provokes you by with personal comment, ability to remain objective, ability to empathize, non-threatening and more of a team player. Persuasive skills: Ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple perspectives without hurting the group members. Example: While appreciating someone else's point of view, you should be able to effectively communicate your view without overtly hurting the other person. Problem solving skills: Ability to come out with divergent and offbeat solutions and use one's own creativity. Example: While thinking of solutions, don't be afraid to think of novel solutions. This is a high- risk high-return strategy. Conceptualizing skills: The ability to grasp the situation, take it from the day to day mundane problem level and apply it to a macro level. Example: At the end of the discussion, you could probably summarize the findings in a few sentences that present the overall perspective. Don't be disheartened if you don't make it after your first group discussion. The best possible preparation for a group discussion is to learn from one's past mistakes...