A GD is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members. In this methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss it among themselves for 15-20 minutes.
Why GDs
The reason why institutes put you through a Group discussion and an interview, after testing your technical and conceptual skills in an exam, is to get to know you as a person and gauge how well you will fit in their institute. The Group discussion tests how you function as a part of a team. As a manager, you will always be working in teams, as a member or as a leader. Therefore how you interact in a team becomes an important criterion for your selection. Managers have to work in a team and get best results out of teamwork. That is the reason why management institutes include GD as a component of the selection procedure.
Some of the personality traits the GD is trying to gauge may include :-
Ability to work in a team
Communication skills
Reasoning ability
Leadership skills
Initiative
Assertiveness
Flexibility
Creativity
Ability to think on ones feet
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 Group Discussion, 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, Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion:
. 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.
Reasoning Ability
Reasoning ability plays an important role while expressing your opinions or ideas at a Group Discussion.
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.'
Leadership
There are three types of situations that can arise in a Group Discussion:
~ A Group Discussion where participants are unable to establish a proper rapport and do not speak much.~ A Group Discussion where participants get emotionally charged and the Group Discussion gets chaotic.~ A Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion.
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 Group Discussion. ~S/he contributes to the Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion does not help, because it is a secondary role.
Contribute to the Group Discussion with your ideas and opinions, but also try and steer the conversation towards a goal.
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 Group Discussion with a stand or a conclusion.
Say the topic of a Group Discussion 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.
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.
Initiative
A general trend amongst students is to start a Group Discussion and get the initial kitty of points earmarked for the initiator.
But that is a high risk-high return strategy.
Initiate a Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion 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.
Creativity
An idea or a perspective which opens new horizons for discussion on the Group Discussion 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.
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 Group Discussion.
Listening
Always try and strike a proper balance between expressing your ideas and imbibing ideas.
Awareness
You must be well versed with both the micro and macro environment.
Your awareness about your environment helps a lot in your Group Discussion content, which carries maximum weightage.
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 Group Discussion, 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, Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion:
. 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.
Reasoning Ability
Reasoning ability plays an important role while expressing your opinions or ideas at a Group Discussion.
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.'
Leadership
There are three types of situations that can arise in a Group Discussion:
~ A Group Discussion where participants are unable to establish a proper rapport and do not speak much.~ A Group Discussion where participants get emotionally charged and the Group Discussion gets chaotic.~ A Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion.
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 Group Discussion. ~S/he contributes to the Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion does not help, because it is a secondary role.
Contribute to the Group Discussion with your ideas and opinions, but also try and steer the conversation towards a goal.
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 Group Discussion with a stand or a conclusion.
Say the topic of a Group Discussion 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.
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.
Initiative
A general trend amongst students is to start a Group Discussion and get the initial kitty of points earmarked for the initiator.
But that is a high risk-high return strategy.
Initiate a Group Discussion 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 Group Discussion 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.
Creativity
An idea or a perspective which opens new horizons for discussion on the Group Discussion 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.
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 Group Discussion.
Listening
Always try and strike a proper balance between expressing your ideas and imbibing ideas.
Awareness
You must be well versed with both the micro and macro environment.
Your awareness about your environment helps a lot in your Group Discussion content, which carries maximum weightage.
Company's Perspective:-
Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects.
How To Speak Properly During Group Discussions
Speech plays an important role in our ability to communicate as humans. This is especially important when we get together in groups. During group discussions, the speech you use can have a powerful impact on the way your message is received by those who listen to you.
The cultural background of an individual will also play a role in how they speak. When group discussion are held, there are a number of things you will want to remember about your speech. First, it is important to make sure you speak clearly. Those who listen to you will need to understand what you are saying. Because most group discussions are restricted to time, it will become tedious to both you and the other members if you have to repeat what you are saying because they do not understand you. This could be a major problem for someone who is speaking a language that is not their native tongue. When you make a statement, it is important to make sure you speak clearly. It is also important to be concise. Speak in a manner that will allow the other members to understand exactly what you are saying. This should occur the first time you make a statement. You should not have to repeat yourself. It is also important to speak audibly. Everyone should be able to hear what you are saying. If somone has to ask you to speak up, you will be forced to repeat yourself, and this will waste time. If someone makes a statement that you do not undestand, ask them to clarify in a polite manner. During group discussions, it isn't just enough to speak eloquently. It is also important to make sure you speak in a proper tone. If you speak in a harsh manner, you can send across the wrong message to others who are participating in the discussion. This could lead to conflicts, and it is important to avoid this. The tone of your voice and the way you speak will say a lot about how you feel about a certain topic, and it will also show how well you can speak. If you don't speak in an intelligent manner, the other members may assume that you are unintelligent, even if that is not the case. If you need to interrupt someone who is speaking, it is always important to interject their conversation in a nice way. Some groups may require you to raise your hand and be called upon before you can comment on a statement or idea. If you disagree with a statement that has been made, do it in a manner that is tactful. Always talk in a manner that is courteous to others. You should not ridicule or attack someone personally because you don't like their idea. If you are the head of the discussion group, it is very crucial for you to speak properly. Even though the group should be responsible for making the final decision, the members will look to you to lead them. If you cannot speak in a proper manner, your leadership abilities may be questioned. If you have to repeat yourself to the group, this will delay the amount of time it takes for the group to achieve important goals. If you are speaking about a topic that is complex, it may be helpful to use analogies that can help the members grasp the concept. While it is important to speak eloquently, you will want to avoid using technical terms that are not understood by the group. Being able to explain complicated concepts in a simple manner will allow the group to quickly grasp what you are trying to tell them.
Even if you understand a complex concept, this will not mean that everyone else does. While you will want to simplify the topic you are talking about, it should not be done in a way that makes the members of the group feel like they are unintelligent. There needs to be a balance between the two. Using proper speech is extremely important during group discussions. If your pronunciation is not correct, or you speak to loudly or softly, it will be difficult for you to communicate with the other members.
GROUP discussions are used by the B-schools as a selection tool because they provide a lot of useful information about the candidate’s personality in a very short time. GDs are used to assess certain group skills that cannot be evaluated in an interview situation. These skills include leadership skills, social skills, listening and articulation skills, situation handing ability and interpersonal ability. A typical GD involves 8 to 12 participants sitting in a circle or semicircle discussing a topic for a stipulated time, usually for 15 to 20 minutes. Most GDs follow one of the three formats: Structured, Unstructured, or Specialized.
1. Regular Structured GDs:
Here the time limits and topic is defined. No consensus expected at the end. No leader is to be selected for facilitating the process. These are easier to handle. Topics chosen are usually general and do not require technical knowledge.
2. Unstructured GDs:
Choosing a leader is mandatory and the group has to reach a consensus at the end of the GD. The leader has to direct the group, set the tone for discussion and control the dynamics of the group. Things are sometimes made more complicated by asking the group to propose a topic, discuss it and reach a consensus.
3. Specialised GDs:
These include role-plays or scripted GDs where the candidates are given a certain brief about a role that they need to play. For example, a business situation where to companies are negotiating a deal may be used. Candidates would be given the profile of the two CEOs, marketing managers, HR managers, advisors, and a neutral entity like a consultant. Alternatively, candidates could be given the role of the five Pandavas and the main Kauravas negotiating the distribution of their kingdom in 20th century setting.
Content Vs Process
It is crucial to understand the difference. Content refers to things like your level of preparation, the ability to organize your thoughts in a logical way, understand the topic in its totality and the ability to innovate. Process includes manner of expression, communication skills, body language and the attitude of the person.
Most candidates are preoccupied with process. Consequently, all too vital questions like ‘what should I say? ’,’ do I have enough reasoning to sustain my line of argument? ’,’can I think of examples to substantiate my logic? ’, take a back seat. A preoccupation with process alone is fraught with disastrous results. Both content and process are equally important for an effective contribution to a GD.
Take A One Minute Pause:
This is the only way to ensure that you perform above a threshold level of quality. Take your mind off the context for one minute. Utilise this one minute to focus on WHAT you are going to say and to organize your thoughts. All this must be done much before you are swept away in the maelstrom which will follow.
Critical Success Factors In A GD
Innovativeness: Ability to have an entirely different perspective.
Quality Of Content: It shows the level of preparedness.
Logical Ability: Ability to reason, think and debate the pros and cons.
Behavioural Skills: Aggressiveness is negative while assertiveness is positive. Assertiveness is standing on your own feet, while aggression is trampling on others’ feet.
Communication: This includes articulation, listening and body language. Clarity of thought leads to articulate language and frequent and consistent participation. Fundamental knowledge of language is all one needs.
Leadership: Leadership involves all the above skills. More importantly, the fundamental strength that you need to portray to be effective is MOBILITY. It is mobility that lets you demonstrate leadership skill as the context demands.
Roles People Play
Broadly speaking, participants play the following familiar roles in a GD.
1. Mr. Brain/Plant
He brings in a lot of substance and comes up with wide interpretations of the topic.
Downside: It is difficult to stop him, as he is preoccupied with topic discussion as opposed to group discussion. He is happily obvious to simple things like who is sitting next to him. At the end of the GD if you happen to ask him whether the person sitting next to him was a boy or a girl, the answer would likely be ‘I do not know’.
2. Shopkeeper:
He is the sales man who can sell anything, has the gift of the gab, a very strong ability to relate to people and be at the centre of things.
Downside: He does not usually come up with original thoughts himself. Needs Mr. Brains to feed him with readymade ideas that he can sell.
3. Watchman
His role is to maintain order in the group, usually content is low.
Pre-occupied with directing the group process such as controlling entry and exit of participants.
He is crucial for meeting time commitments made to the panel. Especially, in ensuring consensus.
4. Critic
He criticises everybody’s points without contributing anything new.
5. The Butcher
Does great service to the group by enhancing the quality of content by not letting participants get away with just about anything.
Is most welcome in a group which has one or two aggressive elements in it.
6. The Spectator or The Passenger
Is involved in the proceedings but plays a limited role.
Contribution is very limited and does not affect the out come of the group task.
So What Role Should You Specialise In?
Each role has several benefits. However, strong attachment to any single role throughout the GD could limit your chances of success.
What is more important is that you demonstrate leadership at every moment. You must be able to move across these roles as the situation demands. Anyone seen to be Performing more than three of these roles will definitely make a strong impact on the on the panel. Mobility is the keyword in becoming effective in GDs.
The key to success in GDs is to be able to effortlessly move from one role to the other depending on what the situation demands.
Holding Centre-stage In A GD
There are certain tricks that help you retain centre-stage for longer durations on time and which provide you with many chances to speak. However, these should be used with caution, and at appropriate moments, like the legendary Brahmastra in the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Give data, examples, anecdotes, survey figures, compelling short stories. This gives people the impression that you know a lot, also, participants do not brand you a bore or Mr. Brains. In this way you avoid facing interjections or arguments. However, be sure of the validity/relevance of your data or story. Always remember the age-old formula for success: KISS-Keep It Short, Stupid.
PEST Analysis: Pest basically stands for aspects of the topic which pertain to
Political
Economic
Social
Technological
For example, you can start with a basic blasting of the politicians in the context of the topic and you will have the whole group swearing by you.
Use hand motions. When you start speaking, use your hands to count the points on your fingers. Everyone will get impression that you have several well-structured points in your head and they will not mess around with you.
Cardinal Sins In A GD/Interview
Do not use slang like Yaar, Univ, Princi, etc.
Do not pepper your language with an accent.
Do not use verbal tics such as Hmm, like, But, etc.
Do not use verbal stresses unless a method actor like Al Pacino or Naseeruddin Shah trains you for it.
Never bluff as the panel will easily figure out that you are an accomplished liar.
Never interrupt or finish a sentence for an interviewer.
Never show up late.
Never get defensive or try to rationalise.
No negative words about anyone.
Never give an answer that does not answer the question asked.
Never allow yourself to lose focus after a string of unanswered questions.
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