Take on the Group Discussion with Ease - Dhiraj Malhotra

He second stage in the entrance process for almost all B-schools in the country is the group discussion. As it is imperative to get an outstanding score in the competitive written entrance exam, it is also of paramount importance to perform well in GD without which all the hard work and toil might just go in vain. Ostensibly it goes waste, but because from a different philosophy one’s hard work and persistent effort never go waste, it enriches the individual in some way or another. In the present context, not being able to achieve the basic objective is reason enough to consider the effort gone waste. Coming back to the B-school entrance issue, which has been the epitome of life for thousands of young aspirants across the country, it is high time to start preparing oneself for this stage which tests you not only for aptitude to develop managerial skills but also maps your personality and thinking process.

So, sit back and loosen your neural knots, as we get ready to take off on an adventure trip to the land of group discussion…and during your flight you will be served wholesome food and a chance to savour different flavours but before the gluttons among you start loosening your waist belts let me clarify…it’s food for thought…

Before we land on L.O.G.D. (that’s, land of Group Discussion and learn to dig out GOLD, let’s inspect the basic objective of the group discussion.

The very fact that every B-school relies on this mode of selection for finding the right candidate to “master business acumen”, there have to be certain indispensable benefits to it. It is a unique way of testing the effectiveness of a candidate as a manager.

Consider this simulation: you are a manager of an organisation. Each new day you come across new problems and challenges. Your responsibility is most importantly to anticipate the problem or challenge coming your way well in advance and analyse the facts, to arrive at a solution. The next step involves introspection and discussion with the team to derive perspectives before you you reach the solution. The last step in this problem solving series would be to communicate this solution or to convince the management of its feasibility and work on it.

In the context of a group discussion, the traits they are looking for are, first, your ability to think critically, sort information and convert it into meaningful knowledge. The second objective is to measure your ability to work with a team to create synergies, relate ideas and facts, and come at a solution thus achieving something that would otherwise have been impossible to achieve alone. An interesting
story - telling game that we used to play when in school was that the entire class had to make one story. Each person had to contribute one sentence to the narrative and the next one had to continue the story from there. This was an excellent exercise in group-dynamics. We used to appreciate the imagination used by each one of us and how the story would unfold. Thus relating to some one else’s ideas is extremely important. You might be good at your work, but your peers, superiors as well as juniors will not acknowledge your work if you are stuck on your own ideas.
In an outdoor learning session once, we were given a task of making a la

nching pad for a ball. We were given some bamboos, rubber bands, threads, ball etc. Each group had to make its own secret design for the ball launching pad. After completing the design, we were asked to dismantle the whole thing and then exchange our equipment and the design with some other group. We were then asked to work on the design and equipment given to us by the other group. Everyone was enjoying the exercise till we were engaged in working of our own project. But when it came to executing someone else’s idea and trying to make it work, it was a disaster. We kept looking at how the group, which had our design, was doing. Were they following our directions carefully? We were least interested in the design given to us, as we thought that the one that we had developed was superior. This is one of the most important things you learn not only during your MBA but also in your work place every single day.

Obsessive pride in your own idea is a chronic problem that makes the most talented individuals ineffective managers. It is brilliant to come out with new ideas but at the same time it is important to part with them occasionally and work on someone else’s idea if the situation requires that. The challenge is to make someone’s idea work in reality and feel good about it. This is the most important fact that you must keep in your mind not just during your 20-25 minutes of group discussion but also for the rest of your life. Trust me, it is easier said than done…

The third objective is to test your communication skills. It is important for you to communicate effectively in a group so that you are able to generate sufficient interest in the group to take your point of view or suggestion seriously. At the same time a part of testing your communication skills is to listen carefully to what other people in the group have to say. There is a common myth that the one who speaks the most is the one selected in the group discussion. On the contrary, this is a common blunder. Listen to what others have to say and discuss the issue with them passionately. But turning the group discussion into a fish market is definitely not a sign of a levelheaded personality. Even as a manager, we see sometimes people we are communicating with create barriers for themselves, which makes it difficult for us or anyone to communicate with them, there are people who would be very loud and get emotional at every suggestion anyone would make. There are people who are completely closed to other points of view and so on. These are all communication barriers and there is no way such people can get ahead in life without overcoming them.

You are about to land on the LOGD inter-topical terminal. Thank you for your attention and hope you enjoyed your flight, have a nice time in LOGD. Hope to meet you again… with the GOLD. In the Land of Group Discussion, you will encounter many topics. Here are some of prominent types…

Factual: Make a statement, back it up with facts and refute facts given by others (that you don’t agree with), by countering them with sound facts that you are sure about. Factual topics are ones, which have a data intensive nature as the name suggests. They are topics where the issue to be discussed has to be backed by numbers or facts to convince the group of your viewpoint. For example: Can India become a super power by 2010? Here the treatment is more content - based. One would have to justify with facts why one agrees or disagrees with the topic of discussion. One would have to give facts, statistics etc. However, contrary to popular perception you can still handle such group discussions without very intricate facts and statistics. Though you must surely throw light on certain facts to substantiate your argument, it is not certain that the only person who is selected in such a group discussion is the one who can rattle off the maximum amount of data and “sound” well-informed. If someone makes a statement that you do not agree with, you should be alert to counter his argument with one of your own backed by sound facts. You should however, consciously venture into such a scenario only if you are sure of your facts. At the same time make it a point to agree with people around you and not just start refuting everything that people are saying.

The other attributes discussed above need to be kept in mind, every time and all the time. If you are not comfortable with the topic, you can wait for others to start and then join the discussion with your derivations. However, understand that your imagination and creativity in that sense of the word have little use here.

Abstract: Interpret, Imagine and Interconnect. That is the way to go when it comes to an abstract topic. Such topics are great opportunities to use your creativity and interpret the topic in a way no one would have ever thought of. Here you are being tested for not only your ability to think out of the box, but also to see what are the kind of things that come to your mind first. Such topics are also considered as verbal cousins of TAT (Thematic Apperception Test), a successful technique organisations use to judge the inherent attitude of prospective employees. In TAT, you are shown pictures and are asked to interpret them. Similarly, here, by describing an abstract topic you are judged for how you think and not merely, what you think. One basic thing to keep in mind here is that you have to think positively. Project your image as an optimistic person by interpreting the topic from the solution perspective However, remember, do not say things, which you do not yourself believe. The moderators shall be quick to see through what you say and that shall reflect negatively on you. At the same time interconnecting with others in the group, which is to communicate your interpretation with others and taking interest in what they are saying is crucial. Respect new ideas and opinion and build on them.

Case Study: Critically analyse, process the information and find a solution. It is important to always keep the basic objective of the case under study in your mind. Never deviate or go off on a tangent. Quickly chew on the various facts and develop an action plan. Listen to others and contribute your ideas. If you find a better idea, accept it and go ahead with the discussion. Never get stuck with any point beyond what it is worth because within the given period, the solution needs to be finalised. The performance of the overall group is rated poorly if it fails to arrive at a consensual solution. Point out to the group if certain wrong assumptions are being made. Also, check the recommendations being developed for their overall feasibility and other factors such as cost and time. Even if you are not bound by such factors as per the case described, these are some critical factors affecting all situations and cases. Hence, your pointing it out reflects well on you. Another point to look at is the viability of the solution in a given time line. The solution or recommendation being developed should be checked on the basis of time and cost factors and the time period for which this solution shall remain effective. What I am essentially trying to imply is, that you must ensure that the solution helps the case from a long-term perspective as far as possible. Also throw some light on the future of the industry etc (if applicable) and bring into the solution your inherent ability to broadly foresee and tackle future issues. This is what an effective manager is expected to do after all, isn’t it?

Having given a broad framework on which you should build your group discussion strategy, I am sure that if you adopt a positive approach during the group discussion you will be one step closer to your dream management institute. All the Best!! 

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