Group Discussion(GD) - Skills Evaluated Group Discussion: Winners'

skills
Group discussion is an important dimension of the selection process. Any
institute requires students to work with others for effective functioning.

In today's context, organizations are interested in team players rather than

individual contributors. During the Group discussion, the panel essentially
evaluates the candidate's potential to be a leader and also his/her ability to
work in teams. Remember that institutes are typically on the look out for
candidates who will inspire to lead and succeed and for that you need to be a
good team player.
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.
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.

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.
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?

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.

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.
However, 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?
These are some of the other factors that could swing the chances completely
in your favour.

The third 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 people, all with different points of view on a
controversial subject to actually achieve a consensus. But Did you make the
attempt 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.

Skills assessed during a group discussion:

Leadershipskills:
Ability to take leadership roles and ability to lead, inspire and carry the team
along to help them achieve group's objectives.
Example: To be able to initiate the group discussion, or to be able to guide
the group especially when the discussion begins losing relevance or try to
encourage all members to participate in the discussion.
Communication skills:
The participating candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought,
expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates
a willingness to accommodate others views.
Example: To be able to use simple language and explain concepts clearly so
that it is easily understood by all.
Interpersonal skills:
Is reflected in the ability of the individual to interact with other members of
the group in a brief situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes
good interpersonal relationships. The person has to be more people centric
and less self-centered.
Example: To remain cool even when someone provokes you by with
personal comment, ability to remain objective, ability to empathize, non-
threatening and more of a team player.
Persuasive skills:
In terms of ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from
multiple perspectives without hurting the group members.
Example: While appreciating someone else's point of view, you should be
able to effectively communicate your view without overtly hurting the other
person.
Problem solving skills:
Ability to come out with divergent and offbeat solutions and use one's own
creativity.
Example: While thinking of solutions, don't be afraid to think of novel
solutions. This is a high- risk high-return strategy.
Conceptualizing skills:
The ability to grasp the situation, take it from the day to day mundane
problem level and apply it to a macro level.
Example: At the end of the discussion, you could probably summarize the
findings in a few sentences that present the overall perspective.
Dos and Donts
The Ascent team shares with you some GD-tips to give you the edge.
Be as natural as possible. Do not try and be someone you are not. Be
yourself.
A group discussion is your chance to be more vocal. The evaluator wants to
hear you speak.
Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of what you are going to say.
Seek clarification if you have any doubts regarding the subject.
Don't start speaking until you have clearly understood and analyzed the
subject.
Work out various strategies to help you make an entry: initiate the discussion
or agree with someone else's point and then move onto express your views.
Opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and
recognition. If you do not give valuable insights during the discussion, all
your efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.
Your body language says a lot about you - your gestures and mannerisms are
more likely to reflect your attitude than what you say.
Language skills are important only to the effect as to how you get your
points across clearly and fluently.
Be assertive not dominating; try to maintain a balanced tone in your
discussion and analysis.
Don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to stay
objective: Don't take the discussion personally.
Always be polite: Try to avoid using extreme phrases like: `I strongly object'
or `I disagree'. Instead try phrases like: `I would like to share my views
on…' or `One difference between your point and mine…' or "I beg to differ
with you"
Brush up on your leadership skills; motivate the other members of the team
to speak, and listen to their views. Be receptive to others' opinions and do
not be abrasive or aggressive.
If you have a group of like-minded friends, you can have a mock group
discussion where you can learn from each other through giving and
receiving feedback.
Apart from the above points, the panel will also judge team members for
their alertness and presence of mind, problem-solving abilities, ability to
work as a team without alienating certain members, and creativity.

Don't be disheartened if you don't make it after your first group discussion.
The best possible preparation for a group discussion is to learn from your
past mistakes...
Common Mistakes
Wise men learn from others mistakes, while the less fortunate, from
their own.
Here's a list of the most common mistakes made at group discussions:
Emotional outburst
Rashmi was offended when one of the male participants in a group
discussion made a statement on women generally being submissive while
explaining his point of view. When Rashmi finally got an opportunity to
speak, instead of focussing on the topic, she vented her anger by accusing
the other candidate for being a male chauvinist and went on to defend
women in general.
What Rashmi essentially did was to
Deviate from the subject
Treat the discussion as a forum to air her own views.
Lose objectivity and making personal attacks.
Her behaviour would have been perceived as immature and demotivating to
the rest of the team.
Quality Vs Quantity
Gautam believed that the more he talked, the more likely he was to get
through the GD. So, he interrupted other people at every opportunity. He did
this so often that the other candidates got together to prevent him from
participating in the rest of the discussion.
Assessment is not only on your communication skills but also on your
ability to be a team player.
Evaluation is based on quality, and not on quantity. Your contribution must
be relevant.
The mantra is "Contributing meaningfully to the team's success."
Domination is frowned upon.

Egotism Showing off

Krishna was happy to have got a group discussion topic he had prepared for.
So, he took pains to project his vast knowledge of the topic. Every other
sentence of his contained statistical data - "20% of companies; 24.27% of
parliamentarians felt that; I recently read in a Jupiter Report that..." and so
on so forth. Soon, the rest of the team either laughed at him or ignored his
attempts to enlighten them as they perceived that he was cooking up the
data.
Exercise restraint in anything. You will end up being frowned upon if you
attempt showing-off your knowledge.
Facts and figures need not validate all your statements.
Its your analysis and interpretation that are equally important - not just facts
and figures.
You might be appreciated for your in-depth knowledge. But you will fail
miserably in you people skills.
Such a behavior indicates how self-centered you are and highlights your
inability to work in an atmosphere where different opinions are expressed.
Get noticed - But for the right reasons
Srikumar knew that everyone would compete to initiate the discussion. So as
soon as the topic - "Discuss the negative effects of India joining the WTO" -
was read out, he began talking. In his anxiety to be the first to start speaking,
he did not hear the word "negative" in the topic. He began discussing the
ways in which the country had benefited by joining WTO, only to be
stopped by the evaluator, who then corrected his mistake.
False starts are extremely expensive. They cost you your admission. It is
very important to listen and understand the topic before you air your
opinions.
Spending a little time analyzing the topic may provide you with insights
which others may not have thought about. Use a pen and paper to jot down
your ideas.
Listen! It gives you the time to conceptualize and present the information in
a better manner.
Some mistakes are irreparable. Starting off the group discussion with a
mistake is one such mistake, unless you have a great sense of humor.
Managing one's insecurities
Sumati was very nervous. She thought that some of the other candidates
were exceptionally good. Thanks to her insecurity, she contributed little to
the discussion. Even when she was asked to comment on a particular point,
she preferred to remain silent.
Your personality is also being evaluated. Your verbal and non verbal cues are
being read.
Remember, you are the participant in the GD; not the evaluator. So, rather
than evaluating others and your performance, participate in the discussion.
Your confidence level is being evaluated. Decent communication skills with
good confidence is a must to crack the GDs.
Focus on your strengths and do not spend too much time thinking about how
others are superior or inferior to you. It is easy to pick up these cues from
your body language.