Are You Good At GDs?

[Prathmesh]

Are you good at group discussion?


Have you ever seen a football game?

Or been a part of a football team?

These questions might seem awkward and absurd when talking about How
to crack a Group Discussion to get into a top B-School.

But they are relevant to understand the nuances of a Group Discussion.

Just reiterating the cliché that a Group discussion, or GD, as it is
commonly called, is a group process or a team building exercise does
not help students.

As in a football game, where you play like a team, passing the ball to
each team member and aim for a common goal, GD is also based on team
work, incorporating views of different team members to reach a common
goal.

A Group Discussion at a B-School can be defined as a formal discussion
involving ten to 12 participants in a group.

They are given a topic. After some time, during which they collect
their thoughts, the group is asked to discuss the topic for 20 to 25
minutes.

B-Schools use the GD process to assess a candidate's personality
traits.

Here are some of the most important personality traits that a
candidate should possess to do well at a GD:

1. Team Player

B-Schools lay great emphasis on this parameter because it is essential
for managers to be team players.

The reason: Managers always work in teams.

At the beginning of his career, a manager works as a team member. And,
later, as a team leader.

Management aspirants who lack team skills cannot be good managers.

2. Reasoning Ability

Reasoning ability plays an important role while expressing your
opinions or ideas at a GD.

For example, an opinion like 'Reduction in IIMs' fees will affect
quality' can be better stated by demonstrating your reasoning ability
and completing the missing links between fees and quality as:

'Reduction in IIMs' fees will result in less funds being invested on
study material, student exchange programmes, research, student
development activities, etc.

'Moreover, it costs money to attract good faculty, create good
infrastructure and upgrade technology.

'With reduction in fees, less money will be available to perform
these ,activities which will lead to deterioration in the quality of
IIMs.'

3. Leadership

There are three types of situations that can arise in a GD:

~ A GD where participants are unable to establish a proper rapport and
do not speak much.
~ A GD where participants get emotionally charged and the GD gets
chaotic.
~ A GD where participants discuss the topic assertively by touching on
all its nuances and try to reach the objective.

Here, a leader would be someone who facilitates the third situation at
a GD.

A leader would have the following qualities:

~S/he shows direction to the group whenever group moves away from the
topic.
~S/he coordinates the effort of the different team members in the GD.
~S/he contributes to the GD at regular intervals with valuable
insights.
~S/he also inspires and motivates team members to express their views.

Caution: Being a mere coordinator in a GD does not help, because it is
a secondary role.

Contribute to the GD with your ideas and opinions, but also try and
steer the conversation towards a goal.

4. Flexibility

You must be open to other ideas as well as to the evaluation of your
ideas: That is what flexibility is all about.

But first, remember: Never ever start your GD with a stand or a
conclusion.

Say the topic of a GD is, 'Should India go to war with Pakistan?'

Some participants tend to get emotionally attached to the topic and
take a stand either in favour or against the topic, ie 'Yes, India
should', or, 'No, India should not'.

By taking a stand, you have already given your decision without
discussing the topic at hand or listening to the views of your team
members.

Also, if you encounter an opposition with a very strong point at the
11th hour, you end up in a typical catch-22 situation:

~If you change your stand, you are seen as a fickle-minded or a
whimsical person.
~If you do not change your stand, you are seen as an inflexible,
stubborn and obstinate person.

5. Assertiveness

You must put forth your point to the group in a very emphatic,
positive and confident manner.

Participants often confuse assertiveness with aggressiveness.

Aggressiveness is all about forcing your point on the other person,
and can be a threat to the group. An aggressive person can also
demonstrate negative body language, whereas an assertive person
displays positive body language.

6. Initiative

A general trend amongst students is to start a GD and get the initial
kitty of points earmarked for the initiator.

But that is a high risk-high return strategy.

Initiate a GD only if you are well versed with the topic. If you start
and fail to contribute at regular intervals, it gives the impression
that you started the GD just for the sake of the initial points.

Also, if you fumble, stammer or misquote facts, it may work against
you.

Remember: You never ever get a second chance to create a first
impression.

7. Creativity/ Out of the box thinking

An idea or a perspective which opens new horizons for discussion on
the GD topic is always highly appreciated.

When you put across a new idea convincingly, such that it is discussed
at length by the group, it can only be positive.

You will find yourself in the good books of the examiner.

8. Inspiring ability

A good group discussion should incorporate views of all the team
members.

If some team members want to express their ideas but are not getting
the opportunity to do so, giving them an opportunity to express their
ideas or opinions will be seen as a positive trait.

Caution: If a participant is not willing to speak, you need not
necessarily go out of the way to ask him to express his views. This
may insult him and hamper the flow of the GD.

9. Listening

Always try and strike a proper balance between expressing your ideas
and imbibing ideas.

10. Awareness

You must be well versed with both the micro and macro environment.

Your awareness about your environment helps a lot in your GD content,
which carries maximum weightage.

Caution: The content or awareness generally constitutes 40 to 50
percent marks of your GD.

Apart from these qualities, communication skills, confidence and the
ability to think on one's feet are also very important.



--Prathmesh Shah

[Prathmesh]

GROUP DISCUSSION
A group discussion (GD) is a simulated exercise, where you cannot
suddenly put up a show, since the evaluators will see through you
easily. In this page you can find tips on GD and how to handle them to
ensure a positive outcome.

Here's how most group discussions work

* Normally groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless
group, and are given a specific situation to analyze and discuss
within a given time limit.
* The group may be given a case study and asked to come out with a
solution for a problem.
* The group may be given a topic and asked to discuss on the same.

A panel will observe the proceedings and evaluate the members of the
group.

OBJECTIVE
Lets start from the basic. One needs to know what one's objective in
the group is. A good definition of your objective is - to be noticed
to have contributed meaningfully in an attempt to help the group reach
the right consensus. What does this essentially mean?

1. The first implication is that you should be noticed by the panel.
Merely making a meaningful contribution and helping the group arrive
at a consensus is not enough. You have to be seen by the evaluating
panel to have made the meaningful contribution. What does that mean in
practice?
* You must ensure that the group hears you. If the group hears you, so
will the evaluator. That does not mean that you shout at the top of
your voice and be noticed for the wrong reasons.
* You have to be assertive. If you are not a very assertive person,
you will have to simply learn to be assertive for those 15 minutes.
Remember, assertiveness does not mean being bull-headed or being
arrogant.
* And most importantly, you have to make your chances. Many group
discussion participants often complain that they did not get a chance
to speak. The fact is that in no group discussion will you get a
chance to speak. There is nothing more unacceptable in a GD than
keeping one's mouth shut or just murmuring things which are inaudible.
* Participate in as many practice GDs as possible before you attend
the actual GD. There is nothing like practice to help you overcome the
fear of talking in a GD.

2. The second important implication is that making just any sort of
contribution is not enough. Your contribution has to be meaningful. A
meaningful contribution suggests that
* You have a good knowledge base
* You are able to put forth your arguments logically and are a good
communicator.
* The quality of what you said is more valuable than the quantity.
There is this myth amongst many group discussion participants that the
way to succeed in a group discussion is by speaking loudly and at
great length. One could not be more wrong. You must have meat in your
arguments.

Therefore, think things through carefully.

Always enter the room with a piece of paper and a pen. In the first
two minutes jot down as many ideas as you can.

When you jot down points, keep these pointers in mind.
If it is a topic where you are expected to take a stand, say for
example, "Should India sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty?" note
down points for both sides of the argument. It will be useful on two
counts -
* One, if you do not start the GD and are not amongst the first five
speakers and find that everyone in the group is talking for the topic,
then it makes sense to take the alternate approach and oppose the
topic even if you initially intended to talk for the topic.
* Second, it helps to have a knowledge of how group members who take a
stand diametrically opposite to yours will put forth their argument
and to be prepared with counter arguments.

3. Everybody else will state the obvious. So highlight some points
that are not obvious. The different perspective that you bring to the
group will be highly apprecaited by the panel. Some pointers on being
relevant while having a different perspective are:
* Be careful that the "something different" you state is still
relevant to the topic being debated.
* Can you take the group ahead if it is stuck at one point?
* Can you take it in a fresh and more relevant direction?

4. The last implication is that you must be clearly seen to be
attempting to build a consensus.
* Gaining support or influencing colleagues is the mantra adopted by
many a successful Business Leaders.
* Nobody expects a group of ten intelligent, assertive people, all
with different points of view on a controversial subject to actually
achieve a consensus. But what matters is "Did you make attempts to
build a consensus?"
* The reason why an attempt to build a consensus is important is
because in most work situations you will have to work with people in a
team, accept joint responsibilities and take decisions as a group.
* You must demonstrate the fact that you are capable and inclined to
work as part of a team.