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5 Habits of Group Discussion Winners

Praqtise — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 13:55:10 +0000

All the discussion about group discussion

It is the month of March, the time that leads up to MBA admission interviews in April/May. Everyone applying for an MBA college is gearing up for the next phase. Sahil and Nikunj are classmates from BBA. They see that the talk in most online forums is revolving around one topic – group discussion.

Sahil is someone who enjoys the prospect of group discussions. He has competed in events that involved group discussion rounds and has been successful at them. Sahil does not understand why so many applicants are in frenzy about the GD rounds. He speaks his mind to Nikunj.

Sahil- ‘I do not understand all the fuss about group discussion.’

Nikunj- ‘Easy for you to say, I am pretty nervous about it. Not everyone is a GD champ like you.’

Sahil- ‘Hey… it’s not as if I was born to crack any group discussion! I happen to find it easy, just as you find it easy to talk to the ladies…’

Nikuj- ‘Oh come on! I’m serious here, how do you keep your wits in a GD? Everyone is so keen to drive the discussion and stand out. Seriously, I want to know your secret!”

Sahil- ‘Haha… there is no secret my friend! But I’ll be more than happy to tell you how I approach GDs.’

The habits of GD winners

As Sahil tells us, doing well in a group discussion is a matter of approach. There is no special secret that one needs to know to crack a group discussion. Following are some of the traits that make some people consistently good at GDs.

Adapt to your environment

Each phase of the MBA admission process tests a different quality/attribute. Through a group discussion, the colleges are looking for someone who can drive for consensus. What this means is that one may have to play different roles when participating in a GD.

The environment of each group discussion is different. In one instance, one may have a group of loud and aggressive individuals. In another, one might have to take the lead in a group of reserved and restrained participants. The panellists and the topic that they give also influence the settings.

People who handle group discussions well are able to identify their role early on. In an aggressive group, one can try and be the calming influence, providing a broader context to the discussion. In a passive group, one may have to raise questions and bring out opinions. Defining your role will help you participate in the discussion smoothly and effectively.

It’s not about the group discussion topics, it’s about discussing them

Let’s say you are a non-engineer. The topic for the group discussion is ‘Advantages of having V-shaped engines in automobiles’. Safe to say, this is not likely to be your area of expertise.

However, just by looking at the topic there are some questions that pop up naturally? You cannot ask the obvious ‘What?’ directly, but you can ask tangential questions.

Is this a new technology? Is it very niche or prevalent in some regions?
Can India be considered to be ready for this technology? If not, why?

Let’s say that one person points out that road infrastructure is not up to the mark. The discussion can then be driven towards how infrastructure needs to be revamped. This is one area that you would perhaps know more about.

And this is how you can drive the discussion in your favour.

Create the opportunity to speak, don’t keep waiting for it

During a discussion, it is easy to be left out if some participants are in flow. Though it might appear rude or obtrusive to break in, keeping silent is definitely not going to help. Get into the discussion in a formal and polite way. Say ‘Sorry to interrupt you, but…’ and then present your opinion. A more natural way would be ‘That is an interesting point, can I also suggest…’ Remember, you need not argue or counter the viewpoints. Agreeing with the other participants or adding to what they are saying is natural and something that you can use to your advantage.

Take the initiative to involve everyone

Learning from the experience of past applicants, one of the most insightful GD tips is to involve everyone in the discussion. There are instances when panellists stop a discussion and ask some of the inactive participants to speak out. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, in the true spirit of a discussion it is better to have everyone participate.

However, you might feel that trying to involve people would undermine your own chances. This is not the case as panellists will notice and appreciate your effort to make the group discussion more open.

Also, having more viewpoints will enhance the quality of the discussion. This is something that will not just benefit one individual but the whole group. Panellists will be very picky while selecting participants from a bad round of discussion. The opposite is true for a balanced, objective discussion- all participants appear in a good light.

Bring in some original perspective

Try and think of the GD phase from the viewpoint of the selectors. They have to listen to hundreds of aspirants speaking on a limited number of topics. Especially in the case of GD topics on current affairs, it is easy for the discussion to become banal.

In such a scenario, an original thought or perspective is like a breath of fresh air. Expressing your genuine opinion about the issue and providing the rationale behind it will make you stand out. Outlandish opinions can also be justified.

To quote an instance from one particular GD, the topic at hand was ‘Corruption in India’. The group made a meal out of the topic. Most participants were quoting facts and statistics and taking up the usual anti-corruption stand. One participant, however, suggested that corruption can make life easy sometimes. Using the example of accidentally breaking the traffic signal, he said he would prefer paying a small bribe rather than following the prevailing procedure of depositing his license and paying the fine at the traffic authority office.

While certainly not an ethical suggestion, it was a practical one which was welcome by the panel.

What are your key tactics to crack a group discussion? Let us know in the comments.

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5 Tips to Successfully Crack a Group Discussion

Praqtise — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 06:41:28 +0000

One cannot overemphasise how important a group discussion is. Candidates may feel that a GD is not the fairest way to evaluate their skills. However, GDs provide valuable insights to the institutes when deciding upon whom to pick. It is better to accept the practicality of the group discussion phase rather than being bogged down by it.

We have come up with a list of suggestions to help you approach group discussions more confidently.

Before the Group Discussion

Understand what you need to do. When it comes to group discussions at any MBA college, for all MBA courses, the most important aspect is to have your wits about you – not only during, but also before the actual event. It all begins with your understanding of what the group discussion actually explores about you. In our opinion, it is the perfect scenario to make individuals work as a team. It requires participants to bring their individuality to the table in a constructive way.

A group discussion is a manner of debate. The participants are given a topic to be discussed, and expected to express their own ideas, while working out a common conclusion or solution.

Group discussion topics could range from current affairs to past errors, or even future prospects and their advantages versus the disadvantages. You will be expected to participate in a manner that displays your intellect and knowledge as well as your confidence and interest in the field or topic.

Essentially, we suggest you try and study as much as you can about possible group discussion topics, and once you have taken in all you possibly can, try and relax. Keep calm when you enter the discussion room, and make sure you present a decent image – one of a calm and collected individual, who cares about how presentable he or she looks, but is more focused on the problem.

During the Group Discussion – 5 Vital Tips

So, that was for the time before the actual group discussion starts. Once that has occurred, your focus must be entirely on ensuring that you follow the 5 basic group discussion tips laid out in front of you over here, and are as adept at listening as you are at speaking. If you keep these notions in mind, you are sure to crack that tough-sounding GD.

Analyse

Understand and Critically Evaluate the Topic: This point focuses on the most important aspect of your GD preparation – your intellect and your ability to use it in practical circumstances. Logic is and always will be your friend in this scenario; make sure that you hear the question or topic clearly and without preconceived notions.Try to grasp the topic as soon as the moderator states it. Asking the moderator to repeat the question might make you seem inattentive.

Construct

Structure your thoughts: After understanding the group discussion topic, mull it over deeply and thoroughly in your head. Think about it holistically and evaluate multiple outcomes. Choose the most logical and objective ideas and present them to the group.

Lead

Take Initiative: It is important that you display a certain degree of initiative during the discussion. Try and open the discussion. If someone else does, take it as an opportunity to structure your inputs better. Make sure that your opinions are heard.

If you do manage to bag the chance to play mediator in this situation, do so in a dignified and structured way. In such a case, it shouldn’t matter whether your opinion is positive, negative or neutral, although it is important that you express it at one point. Make an effort to involve everyone in the discussion. Participants are likely to come up with opposing or contradictory viewpoints. Accommodate such viewpoints and ensure that the discussion flows smoothly.

Confer

Make Sure It’s a Discussion: If you take the lead, avoid having bias and be impartial. However, you do need to express your views either way, without letting them sound agitated or accusatory in any way. Choose your words carefully, ensure that your tone is assertive without being aggressive. State your opinion in a calm and structured manner.

It is best if you express yourself in points, as it makes the discussion easier. On the other hand, you also need to make sure that you listen well to what others are saying; they may have a point that you could use for your rebuttal, or one that makes you think further, from a new perspective. It would be best if the discussion didn’t turn into a fish market, or worse – one of the heated debates we see on various news channels.

Conclude

Summarize the Points Established: Of course, every discussion needs to come to a certain conclusion. Make sure that your points are included in it, whether you act as mediator or not. Obviously, your thought process would have to be incredibly strong and logical in this scenario.

On the other hand, if you are playing the role of mediator, it would be best to draw up a basic summary of all the important points. Also, take a note of what the majority of the crowd feels. You can do this by asking the group to answer yes or no questions by show of hands.

To conclude, we can only say that while it is important for you to make an impression on the people from the MBA colleges, it is also necessary that you do so the right way, and these group discussion tips would certainly come in handy. If you speak out of turn, or do not have a valid point, even taking the initiative would affect your performance and hence, their opinion of you, adversely.

MBA courses require logical and analytical thinking. It is hence extremely important to demonstrate this, beyond anything else, during your GD. Keep your mind on the immediate problem and express yourself unabashedly. Stop worrying about what the evaluators might expect or want you to say. If you follow these points, you might even think of the GD as fun! So go on ahead, stand out in the crowd and make sure you create a lasting impression.

What suggestions can you provide for approaching a group discussion? Please tell us in the comments.

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