What Skills are assessed in a Group Discussion for Engineering Students

Communication Skills:

• Two important aspects of communication - Speaking and listening abilities - are assessed in a Group Discussion.

• While speaking skills are sounded in terms of clarity of thought,coherence,and language proficiency,listening skills are demonstrated through patience and willingness to accommodate others' points.

• Equally important is non-verbal communication.Body language including posture,eye contact and facial experessions can speak volumes about you without being aware of it.

Interpersonal Skills: 

• The candidate will be assessed in terms of ability to interact with other members of the group in a competitive environment.These days EQ i.e.,Emotional Quotient , or rather the lack of it,can be a huge deterrent!

"We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." 

                                                                                            - Epictetus,Greek Philosopher

Leadership Skills:

• Leadership skills include the ability to lead,inspire and carry the team along to help achieve the group's objectives.

• However,bear in mind that not everyone can be a leader.If all ten members in your group try acting as the leader,there could be total chaos.So,do what comes naturally to you.At the fresher's level,it is more important to project yourself as a team player than leader.

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." -Steve Jobs,Apple co-founder

Problem Solving Skills:

• The Candidate's ability to be creative and to come out with offbeat solutions is assessed."Thinking outside the box" is to think differently,unconventionally or from a new perspective.This phrase often refers to creative,smart,and lateral thinking.

Conceptualising Skills:

• The ability to grasp the situation and apply it to a macro level is considered .It is important  to view the topic from a multi dimensional perspective.Rather than sticking on to routine and stereotypical ideas,think outside the box.For instance,if you are given the topic "Should Women work?",don't jump into the typical middle-class debate of a women juggling work and home.Think beyond the usual.Even nuns,actresses and servant maids are working women.