How to attend Group examinations and common mistakes in interviews

Working alone is difficult, but group work is even more challenging. Alone, you can make instantaneous decisions and changes without having to worry about how it will affect other persons. However, group work and by extension, group discussion is a part of every aspect of our lives, and we cannot push it under the rug, hoping it goes away. So what now? How can you prepare yourself to be a good team player and have positive and engaging group discussions with members of your team? This article will give you some pointers on how to develop your skills and be productive during group discussions.

Prepare

Firstly, even before you meet with the group, you must prepare yourself for the discussion. It makes no sense arriving to discuss about a topic, and you have no idea what the topic is about. Do your research, read reviews and see what other persons are saying about the topic and make notes. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to support and defend any points which may arise during the discussion. This also shows that you are prepared to engage in wholesome discussion and not just coming to the meeting because you feel obligated.

Be Punctual

On the day of the meeting, be early! It sets an unprofessional tone when you show up late for a meeting. It sends a message to other members that the discussion is meaningless and an inconvenience to your daily schedule. Dress comfortably but appropriate for the meeting so you don’t focus on how much your feet hurt or how badly you want to take off this tie, but you are engaged and focused on the discussion.

Listen

We hear, but we do not listen. Many persons neglect to admit that listening is an art which they don’t possess. Listening is of utmost importance when doing group discussions and it can help to avoid repetition of points which is ultimately a waste of time. When meeting with the group, before any discussion starts everyone should state their interpretation of the topic. Often, persons start out with a misguided idea about what the topic is about, and this leads to complications further into the discussion. Members need to express their thoughts on the topic so everyone can begin the discussion on the same page.

Give everyone a voice

Getting into the actual discussion, group members must remember that being respectful is most important and that opinions and facts are two different things. Persons tend to get frustrated when their voice isn’t heard or when others seem to be dismissive of their views. A good discussion requires a mutual level of respect by everyone involved, and to continue to be respectful even if there are disagreements.

To quote Brandon Jenner

Sometimes we let life guide us, and other times we take life by the horns. But one thing is for sure: no matter how organized we are, or how well we plan, we can always expect the unexpected

Take the Initiative

Taking the initiative is also a good way to improve the performance in group discussions. At times, a task may come up, and it needs to be delegated to a member to be completed, in some cases for the discussion to move forward. Stepping up to the challenge is a good way to show your ability to get the job done as well as flexing your leadership muscles. This allows persons to see you in a different setting and also gives you the

opportunity to showcase your skills.

Have you ever hired someone who did not live up to your expectations? Have you ever hired someone who greatly exceeded your expectations? How different were your hiring processes in each case? If you’re like most employers – the process used in each case was the same! (You just got lucky – or unlucky!)
What would it mean to your business (and your sanity!) if your company was chock full of great employees? Does this sound like an impossible dream? It’s not! So how can we increase the odds of hiring great people – every time?

We can start by avoiding the three most common hiring mistakes:

Mistake #1: The Company lacks a systematic, fundamentally sound approach to hiring that is used consistently.
Through the years companies have upgraded and modernised many of their business processes – such as inventory management, project management, technical design – but their hiring processes have remained static – run an ad, do some (unstructured) interviews, hire. The odds of getting the right person this way are about 14% – you could flip a coin and get better results!
Mistake #2: Hiring based on emotion rather than objective criteria.
Sometimes a hiring decision is based on the warm body approach – we need somebody right away – you breathe, you’re hired! Hiring decisions are often based simply on whether or not the interviewer likes the person – I like you, you’re hired! And sometimes the decision to hire is made because the candidate was outstanding in the interview – wow! – You’re hired!
The problem with these emotional approaches is that the chances of hiring a great employee are very low. You may desperately need to fill a position right away in order to get the work done, but if you hire the wrong person, the time you saved in hiring that person immediately will end up costing you a lot more in time and money. Develop a process
Mistake #3: The position is not clearly defined and the job description is not compelling.
In order to attract superior people, superior performance must first be defined and built into the job description. This is done through a performance profile, which emphasizes what a person must do to be successful in the job. This differs from the traditional job description which is based on experience, skills, and education. Average performers have the right skills and qualifications – superior performers can do the job at a superior level! Basing your job description on specific performance objectives improves the quality of the applicants for your position, and improves the objectivity of your screening and interviewing processes.