Group Discussion Skills

Be it for admission to a campus placement or a business school or for recruitment to an MNC (Multi-National Company), you need to emerge as a boss in the real sense. Every organization looks for a candidate who is knowledgeable, smart and possesses qualities of a leader. Hence, Group Discussion becomes a very important part in the recruiting process to determine the true leader.
Remember, there are certain traits and skills that you need to possess in order to become successful in a group discussion. Here in this article, you are going to learn about the most essential Group Discussion skills:
1.  Communication Skills
Good communication skills are must in today’s world. Possessing good communication skills exhibit your speaking and listening abilities, the major qualities required to be in a leader.

• Good communication skills highlight clarity of your thoughts, thus leaving no scope for any misunderstandings.
• It will help you grab attention of the evaluators during the Group Discussion
• You should be very familiar with whatever way of communication other candidates are comfortable, which helps to get an edge over them.
• Also, giving a chance to others to speak and acknowledging them is a crucial part of your communication.
• You need to drive your point of view in clear and simple language, and should be able to support the information you provide in order to top the GD.

2.  Leadership Skills
A real leader carries his whole team through the ladder of success. You should show the same leadership skills in a GD too. Following are some of the leadership skills that you need to display in a Group Discussion:

• Offer chance to others to speak
• Whenever you disagree with someone’s point, put your views politely with supporting reasons
• Do not insult anyone
• Do not lose your temper
• Exhibit a pleasing behavior and maintain the manners of a GD

3.  Analytical Skills
You should not believe anything blindly. You need to assess, verify and then take the decision. Hence, you should:

• Before speaking up, firstly analyze the topic to find the relevant facts and statements
• Speaking up without any meaningful point will surely bring a bad impression from the evaluators. Make sure to have a direction to your points.
• Be open to different opinions and suggestions significant points by highlighting the inputs from other group members.

4.  Cooperation Skills
You probably may believe that you know everything about the given GD topic and have also performed well. But you may be shocked once the results are out that your name was not on the final list despite the fact that you are the most knowledgeable person among the group.
Well, the fact is a true leader never bashes others in order to be successful, rather tries to lead the entire team to achieve the success. Here is where the cooperation skills come handy. Following are some of the essential factors that you need to follow in a GD:

• Acknowledge others’ views
• Give a chance to other group members to speak
• Whenever you agree with someone’s point of view, rephrase the words coherently offering that candidate due credit.
• If you find someone is struggling to speak out, help them with an opening line.

5.  Attitude and Confidence
To top all the above, be pleasant and smart. Your confidence during the GD can bring you in the good books of evaluators. Following are some of the points that you need to remember and follow during the GD that imply your attitude and confidence:

• Maintain smile while greeting everyone in the GD including evaluators and the group members
• Convey your points to others with proper reasons whenever you disagree with them.
• Never try to dominate others. Let them speak and do not try to get into argument.
• Maintain proper body language.