Group Discussion Fundas

What they look for A GD is a tool to test a lot of skills a B-School entrant should have, in one go. An understanding of some intricacies of what exactly goes on in the minds of the panel members observing the discussion always helps. So here is my shot at making a CAT scan of their minds! 1. Ability to generate ideas: To be able to contribute in whatever field you work, you should have the ability to generate ideas. So if in a group discussion, you are actually generating ideas, either on the basis of your previous knowledge or on the basis of your understanding of what others say, you will always be seen as a contributor to the group and the 'fringe benefits' of that will be yours. So never be shy of speaking your mind. 2. Communication skills: Having a great idea is of no use if you are not able to sell it properly. It is the basic management skill that is efficiently tested in a GD. While good communication skills may not be a sufficient condition to get through, it is pretty much a necessary condition. 3. Leadership and Team skills: In a GD, you have to interact with a team in which everyone is having the same goal, to get through (if you need to be reminded of this fact!). So for the observers, there is ample chance to see whether you have the ability to take along the whole team along with you or not. Your skills in managing the thought process, emotions and even desperations of the team are showcased. Whether you have the ability to evolve and mange group - synergies in such an extreme situation is put to test. That in itself becomes the test of your leadership qualities also. 4. Ability to withstand pressure: A 10 - 15 minute GD in which 8 - 10 people have to speak is a pressure - cooker situation. So your ability to withstand pressure is severely put to test. You can succumb to this pressure either by shouting or by any other means of showing desperation. Whether you have the ability to remain calm or not is assessed. How to go about it Now that you know what is required, there has to be a coherent strategy to cope up with the demands. Here are some tips towards the strategy - formulation: Knowledge matters: Obviously if you don't know anything about the topic you would start off with a blank face. And that might not help. So it is better to become an omnivorous reader now (if you aren't one yet) and read as much as you can on a variety of topics. That would certainly help you in the idea generation part. Structure the GD and follow the structure: One of the cardinal sins to commit in a GD is to treat it as a debate and start shooting off one's views at the onset. A group discussion is not a place where you take a stand at the start and defend it till death. It is a forum for generating new ideas around the topic provided. Having said that, it becomes imperative that a proper structure is devised under which the discussion takes place. A typical structure of any group discussion would look like: a) Understanding the topic and providing any definitions involved in the topic. This part of the GD would spell out what the GD would be about. b) Relevance of the topic and the context in which it has to be discussed. This part would elucidate the reason one might discuss the topic and its application/relevance in whatever

social/political/economic fields. c) In case the topic makes a statement or promotes and idea, the pros and cons of the idea or the statement have to be discussed next. (It is this stage when one would put forward his views by taking one side or the other, like in a debate. But here also, do not be too much in favor of only one side as no GD topic has only one good side. The other side will have its own merits also) d) The last step would be to conclude it with a group opinion. There are a lot of variations in this step, from one GD to another. At some places, the group is told to arrive at a consensus. At some other places, everyone is provided half a minute or so to conclude in his/her own way, and so on. The structure of a particular GD would depend on the format provided by the panel. The above structure can be utilized in modified forms in almost any GD. So as you get the topic, jot down the structure first and then what you would like to say in every part. Then if you are able to take the initiative, suggest your structure to the group. Don't start giving your views while you are giving the structure. Remember you must follow your own structure. I bet that if you are able to provide a structure which everyone agrees to and the GD goes on according to that, more than half the battle is won! Behavioral traits: Behavior is something which is as important in a GD as what you say, as it gives a sketch of your personality. Behave in a GD as you would like to behave in a boardroom; in an assertive, friendly and dignified manner. Some of the traits which should be kept in mind are: a) Do NOT shout: A GD is not a throat - cleaning exercise and your decibel levels would take you nowhere. So u must not shout. There may be and I guess there will be cases when the whole group starts shouting and chaos is created. In such a case, if you too start shouting, you will be seen to be as bad as your whole group. Whatever you say will anyway be drowned as nobody would be able to hear it properly. In such a scenario, try to divert the group from the point of discussion which was the cause of chaos and start some new sub - topic. Or if u can, put some new ideas so that the group jumps on to it and sanity is restored. I know all this is easier said than done. But then, winning never comes easy! b) Display an open mind: As I said earlier, GD is not about fighting for your stand. Stick to your ideas if you are convinced but do not rubbish others. Just a word of appreciation for any decent idea (even if it comes from your opposition) or just a phrase to say that the other side too can be thought about will go a long way in making you acceptable to the whole group and much more importantly, to the panel. c) Be aware of your posture and body movement: Your posture conveys a lot of information about your attitude. Too much laid back posture with all your weight on your back gives the impression of you being a non - committed and non - involved person. On the other hand, too much of forward bend makes you a shaky person. Try to look at the person who is speaking (if that's not you!) and try to address the whole group while speaking. Don't make it a corner discussion. Your hand movements are one thing that gets noticed pretty fast. Exaggerated hand movement denotes that you are facing problems communicating your ideas in words. So that's not advisable. But if you have hand movements, don't curb them too much. That way, your normal body language would get affected. Remember, a GD is all about remaining normal in an abnormal scenario. And whatever good things you do, it's important that you are seen doing all that by the panel members! So now, get set and get cracking!!