10 Common GD (group discussion) round Mistakes

Groud discussions are an important stage of the hiring process during placements. Here are some common GD mistakes to we should try to avoid.

1. Not Listening Carefully

Having a casual attitude towards what others are saying and not listening to them carefully may lead you into trouble. It also happens that people keep thinking about the points that they are about to speak and repeat the same point again, ignoring the fact that it has been already pointed out by some other participant.

2. Deviating from the topic

Some people have a bad habit of talking non-stop, without even considering that, what they are saying, is relevant for the discussion or not. So don’t start telling a story when you get the chance to speak. Keep it concise and to the point.

3. Emotional Attachment to a topic

One should not get carried away even if he is emotionally attached to a particular topic. Often, people start losing focus and forget the fact that they are being evaluated. So, they should keep themselves calm and composed, and put forward their opinion wisely inappropriate manner.

4. Endless Talking

Unlike the common perception, speaking endlessly in a GD does not make a good impression. Group Discussion, as the name suggests, is all about reaching a conclusion through a discussion. But most people believe that if they speak continuously and dominate the discussion, they will earn more points, which is not true.

5. Lack of Confidence

Sometimes one presumes that he is not better than the other participants, and thus develops a sense of low confidence. As a result, he does not even give himself a fair opportunity to speak and put his points. Well, this is very bad for GD. Even if the person possesses good knowledge and understanding of the topic, how will the panel know, if he doesn't speak up?

6. Bad Communication-Skills

The way you speak matters a lot. And there are several factors contributing to it such as the accent with which you speak, the grammar of your language, etc. So, it’s really important to work on your communication skills. But often, people ignore it. One thing that they don’t realize is that your knowledge is not going to help if you don’t show confidence when you speak. Your knowledge will help you score points, only when you present it in a decent manner.

7. Nervousness

Some people get so nervous during the GD that they don’t even speak. What one should understand is that getting nervous is a normal phenomenon. Everyone feels it at some point or another. But it should not stop you from putting up your point. So take a deep breath, calm down yourself, and participate in the discussion.

8. Inappropriate Body Language

Body language plays an important role. Sitting in bad postures, pointing fingers at others, thumping the table, etc. are not examples of good body language. It can have a bad impression on the panelists.

9. Interrupting

Though it’s important to grab the chance to speak in a GD, it’s also not advisable to interrupt someone while he is speaking. It may give you negative points. So wait for the other participant to finish, and then start speaking before anyone else does.

10. Unnecessary Attention

Speaking up some random stuff, just for the sake of grabbing attention is not good. What you speak should add some value to the discussion.

Also read GD Preparation Tips and 50 Common GD Topics

Tell us in the comments below, which of the points shared above worked out for you.