1. self-introduction

2. During the Group Discussion:

What do the panelists assess: Some of the qualities assessed in a GD are:

Leadership Skills - Ability to take leadership roles and be able to lead, inspire and carry the team along to help them achieve the group's objectives.

Communication Skills - 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.

Interpersonal Skills - People skills are an important aspect of any job. They are reflected in the ability 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.

Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple perspectives.

GD is a test of your ability to think, your analytical capabilities and your ability to make your point in a team-based environment.

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  Summarizing: If you have not been able to initiate the discussion, try to summarise and close it. Good summarizing would get you good reward points. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favour or against the topic and most GDs do not have a closure. But every GD can be summarized by putting forth what the group has discussed in a nutshell. Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion:
  
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    Avoid raising new points.
    
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    Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
    
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    Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD
    
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    Keep it brief and concise.
    
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    It must include all the important points that came out during the GD
    
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    If you are asked to summarise a GD, it means the GD has come to an end.
    
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    Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized.
    

Sample Mock GD

Aditya, Bindhu, Charu, Daisy and Elango are waiting for their group discussion to start. They do not have a topic yet and are waiting for the moderator to make everybody comfortable. There, the moderator looks at the clock and announces: “You have 5 minutes for this group discussion. And your topic is ‘How to Succeed in Group Discussions.’ Please start.”

Bindhu: This should be interesting. A GD on GD! I think it is better if we should discuss the importance of a GD first.

Charu: I find this very strange. How can you have a GD on GD? We should be discussing some current topic to test our knowledge.

Elango: I agree that this is rather unusual. At the same time, our job is to conduct a meaningful discussion regardless of the topic. Bindhu has suggested we start with the importance of GD. Today, GD is a very important part of various selection procedures.

Aditya: GD is all about teamwork. That’s all.

Bindhu: Management is all about working with people. I suppose GD is one way of establishing one’s ability to work with others. How we are able to lead and be led.

Elango: We have some interesting points here. Leadership and sharing knowledge. Perhaps, a GD is a good tool to judge how well you are able to function within a group.

Daisy: I want to say something. Pardon if I make any wrong. I am from vernacular medium…

Aditya: Don’t waste our time talking about your background. The topic is GD. Talk about that.

Bindhu: Every subject has various angles. So, many heads can raise many ideas.

Charu: Also, too many cooks spoil the broth (laughs).

Elango: Yes, a group makes it possible to brainstorm any issue. Perhaps Daisy has something to add to this thought.

Daisy: Thanks for giving me chance. A GD is good for ‘compromise.’ It is always better everybody agree. Otherwise only one person is there.

Bindhu: But the question is how to succeed in GDs. I think the first prerequisite is patience. Some of us must learn to shut up and let others talk (looks directly at Charu).

Elango: I suppose the point is to participate and give others also a chance to participate.

Daisy: Please can I speak?

Aditya: Come on! You don’t have to beg for permission to speak!

Daisy: I said that because I thought someone might have wanted to speak before me. Anyway, is it not possible to only listen?

Moderator: Your time is up. Thank you everyone.

Moderator’s notes: Elango shows leadership skills and the ability to hold a group together. He appears to have a good grasp of the subject. Bindhu also has some interesting ideas but she is irritated easily. Charu is too sure and too full of herself to be able to contribute to a group. Aditya is guilty of intolerance and rude interruptions. Daisy needs to work on her language and her confidence, though she may have the right concept.