Students' Speak: Things to consider while appearing for a GD

By: Manmeet Singh

A lot depends on your communication skills and fluency in speaking while in a GD, says Manmeet.

A group discussion is mainly conducted to test a candidate's ability to work in teams, his knowledge base, how good a listener he is, how well can he articulate his thoughts and so on. I have been part of many GDs hence I am able to share some tips and points which you can use during GD. A lot depends on your communication skills and fluency in speaking but there are certain things as mention below which you can take care of, while in a GD.

Skills required for GD

Before GD

• Keep your mind clear. Stay calm.
• Have confidence in yourself that you can clear the GD round. This will motivate you.

During GD

• Listen carefully to what the topic has been Sometimes, students don't listen to the topic carefully or comprehend it wrong. Also, try to be a good listener while others are speaking.
• If you are clear with the topic, then take initiative as it will help you to earn extra points. But remember, if you are not completely clear with the topic then don’t utter wrong words at the beginning.
• Speak to the point. Be clear with your thoughts.
• Use some factual or data-based points.
• Be loud and clear while you speak. Make sure you are sufficiently loud to be audible by everyone.
• Make eye-contact with the group members while speaking. Also, try to maintain a smile on your face.
• Most of the time, the group consists of 8-10 people. It would be difficult to speak when the group is big. So, you have to grab your chances and speak with gusto.
• If you feel like you were not able to speak enough then at last remember the important points discussed during GD and conclude it nicely. 
• Show confidence in your speech and body language. Sit with a straight and confident posture and speak naturally.

  Parameters taken into account for assessment during GD

• Content (Subject knowledge): The candidate is judged on the basis of the quality of matter spoken by him/her. The matter spoken by the candidates should be relevant to the GD topic. Is the candidate making opinions based on facts, figures and statistics? This also matters.
• Communication Skill: Panelists check how good you are at communicating with others and how you put forward your views. The candidate must be able to put his/her views loud and clear.
• Listening Skill: In a GD, no doubt it is very important to speak up and share your views, but equally important is to be a good listener. A candidate who listens to his other team members’ views and does not intercept any other group members should be rated high on this parameter.
• Body Language and Appearance: The judges also see how the candidate is sitting, behaving, moving his eyes, movement of his hands and legs, etc. The candidate does not look confident if he has shaky hands and has weird body movements. Along with this, the dressing sense is also observed. The candidate must be dressed formally in neat and clean clothes.
• Analytical ability: This includes both logical and critical reasoning. The panelists check how well a candidate is able to analyses somebody’s viewpoint and also how well is he/she able to reason his own viewpoint.
• Leadership Skills: Being the first one or opening the discussion is often in the favor of candidate. Acting as a leader by speaking, asking the other one to speak, and giving direction to the group impresses the panel.

Other points which also take into consideration by panellists are:-

• Creativity and originality: How you approach the topic and what you make out of the discussion
• Interpersonal skill: How you behave and interact with the group
• Your leadership and decision-making skills
• Problem-solving and critical thinking skill
• Your attitude and confidence

 About the Author:

Manmeet Singh belongs to Amritsar, pursuing PGDM with a specialisation in Marketing and Operations from FOSTIIMA Business School, Delhi. Along with his SIP from Finamigo Consultants Pvt Ltd, he has also done two live projects, one each with ITC and another with Shiksha.