Group Discussion - Etiquette and Manners
Group Discussion - Etiquette and Manners
- With an ever-increasing demand of recruitment and admissions in various sectors, the trend of group discussion rounds has also become extremely crucial.
- This is so because it is a medium through which the panelists can judge the better candidate for the desired position.
- Participating in a GD means being a part of a group & that calls for the participants to behave themselves properly. Here are certain things which may easily go a miss but if followed can definitely help you outshine. Remember, the judges are not judging just your knowledge and fluency in English. They are looking out for a complete package and that does include “good manners”.
1. Arrive on time and dress formally. Punctuality & neatness go a long way.
2. Carry a pen and a notepad. You can refer to what others have said previously and will make you look organized.
3. Organize your thoughts before you speak. This will help you speak more confidently and to the point.
4. Speak sensibly & listen carefully. Pay attention while others are speaking. This will make coherent discussion and you will get involved in the group positively.
5. Remember not to deviate yourself from the topic. Don’t talk unrelated things and waste other’s opportunity.
6. Do not interrupt the speech of other participants & wait till they complete.
7. Maintain a proper balance in tone while objecting to the points made by other speakers. “Empty vessels make more noise”, avoid raising your voice or shouting.
8. Respect the opinion of other participants. Also, agree & acknowledge what you find interesting in their views. Use phrases like, “This is interesting and makes me further think that …….” Or “What you have said here, sheds light on another aspect……..”.
9. Remember others have a right to their opinion. You may disagree but in a polite & dignified manner.
10. Do not try to dominate your co-participants. It is a discussion & not an argument.
11. Be careful with your body language. Table thumping, pointing fingers, being loud at others convey your attempt to dominate them while looking here and thereby conveys lack of interest & low – confidence. Both are dangerous.
12. Disagreement is OK as long as you do it politely. Use phrases like “I am sorry but I think I disagree with you a bit here………”, “You have a good point but there’s another aspect to it…… ”.
13. Give others a chance to speak. Don’t try to hi-jack the show.
Discussion
- RE: Group Discussion - Etiquette and Manners -Deepa Kaushik (12/04/15)
- Etiquette and manners carry a huge weightage in any Group Discussion. What we speak comes a lot later. What first holds the attention of the judges is the way one carries themselves. It is very true that the first impression is the best impression. It is the first impression that lasts longer. For a candidate appearing in the group discussion has a restricted time to present themselves.
The way the candidate gets dressed in formal attire, the way they walk, their body language, everything speaks about the personality of the candidate. To be present on time is very important. That doesn’t mean reaching much ahead of time, but precisely be on specified time in the formals. Again the way we walk into our allocated seats also express our personality. Be confident but not arrogant.
The next comes to the discussion part. Discussion does not ask the candidate to get into the battle field. Just remember the difference between the debate and discussion. We don’t need to be so hard and fast on our point and deny all the points of the others in the group. Our team spirit is evaluated the way we carry on with others in the group.
Listen to others carefully, note down the relevant points and also list out the points of your speech in the order to give a sound, crisp and to the point matter. It doesn’t matter how long you spoke. But what matters is what you spoke and how you put your thought to words. Raise objection after listening to others completely. Accept the points that are acceptable in the speech of others. And raise your objection politely yet being confident. Confidence carries you a long way ahead. Politeness and confidence definitely wins the battle when delivered in balance.
