Group Discussion

In this chapter, I will tell you about what the B-schools look into
when they make you sit in a GD. It will consist of the Opening
including the topic, the body of the GD and the chemistry that
they want the students to have.
Opening a GD:
-------------Normally, opening a GD involves these very important things:
1. Define the topic of the GD if there is a need to define it for
others (clarity)
2. Set boundaries/parameters that you may feel will help the
GD to be discussed without ambiguity.
3. In case you have a story/ incident/ experience for the topic,
then start with that.
4. Creative GD will be started with your interpretation and the
supporting thought process for the interpretation.
Now let us take a few examples and understand what is
supposed to be done, and what is to be avoided:
Case 1:
TOPIC - "Rank the 10 most Significant things that happened in
India in the last century"
Opener's tips 1. Start by defining the key terms, which in this case are Significant and Last century. Defining these two things would
give a guiding light to the GD else everyone would come out
with their own version of significance.
2. Set the tone by telling everyone the thumb rule - "bring on
one point at a time and we will freeze it in terms of
significance".
3. Remember - YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RANK ALL 10 IN THE

STIPULATED TIME.
Many people in the above GD will start of by giving their Top 10.
It may be on the basis of Date, seriousness, religion, politics,
etc. This will cause chaos and the entire group will be
eliminated.
Case 2:
TOPIC - "Pink Pyjamas flying high on the Red-Fort"
Opener's tips 1. In case you don't get the essence of the topic, break down
the topic into parts viz. pink pyjamas / flying high / on the Red
fort. Pink pyjamas are worn by Ladies or gays and since the
other part of the sentence doesn't suggest Gay protest, you can
eliminate the second guess. Flying high indicates better status,
better recognition, or independence. And lastly, "on the Red
Fort" symbolizes something to do with the political perspective
of India. So overall, the topic can be summed up as - the status
or recognition of women in Indian Politics.
2. This kind of a topic can have different interpretation, and
therefore please dont close you on someone else's idea.
This will be very rude and you will come across as someone
who doesn't bother to listen.
3. As an Opener, get everyone to discuss and freeze on the
meaning so that all are aware of what they will talk about.

Now, there are situations wherein you face two distinct

problems:
1. you don't know the topic but the group knows it.
2. Neither you nor the group knows about the topic.
In the first scenario, it is okay to be quiet for some time before
entering to say something that will make sense. But what
happens in the 2nd scenario? In situations like these, you have

to the most daring thing one can do - ASK for a change in the
Topic before anyone else does. The ignorance will be visible
within 30 seconds of the panel asking you to Start. If you are
the one asking for the Change in topic, chances are that you
may be the only one selected.

Body of the GD & the Chemistry inside a discussion:

-----------------------------------------------------A very big fact that many of us tend to overlook is that during
the GD process, you will only have to ensure that you do your
job perfectly. The other members would be either doing justice
to their claims (by performing) or they would be help your
cause (by being a Nuisance value).
So the learning is clear - "Concentrate on your role and your job
as a team person. Forget the rest".
Most of the time, I have found myself telling the IIM aspirants
that in case you are not an aggressive speaker, be the person
who would regulate the entire GD within the group. This means
that - in a situation wherein everyone (or some people) is giving
in their solutions or thoughts, you should be busy noting their
points and creating a lateral thinking output that will have a
Strategy B or a Plan B ready for the group.
If you can manage to pitch in with this new angle to the GD,
you have won the battle!!
Please resist in getting into the normal "my friend", "dear
friend", "Sir" etc. Sentences can begin simply by saying - "I
disagree with your point" or "I completely agree with him" in
which case you use a complete hand movement to show to the
group whom you are agreeing/disagreeing with.
Another important observation can be made at this juncture -

Remember, the disagreement is with the Point of view or the

Data that you might have provided. It is NOT personal. In GD
topics that are a little emotional like "India should give away
Kashmir to Pakistan"; I have seen people getting involved
personally which have ensured their rejections. You are there to
discuss and understand the probability to have a Plan of Action
or a solution coming in from Matured person. Emotions are best
left outside the GD room.
Most Business Schools ensure that they pick up those students
who have some data on the topic or related discussions
wherein the students can complement their point of view or the
stand they might take. It is like suggesting the changes
expected in the New Budget - "Finance Minister should reduce
the percentage of cess for young entrepreneurs". I am not
happy with only that. Anyone can give me that. What's so
special in you?? Always remember, the essence is not "What to
do?" but actually "How
to do it? Only then can the Institute understand your thought
process. Only then the Institute can understand if you are
creative and also support your creativity with sound logic.

During a Fish market, you will normally find 4-5 people creating
the ruckus and going nowhere. Actually they will be doing your
job perfectly - that of your selection and their rejection by
creating nuisance.
Remember - make new inroads into the topic from various
angles viz Social, Political, parental, financial, etc. Anything that
you would be comfortable in handling and you would have
conviction while talking to the OTHER members in the group.

What is Body Language?

Generally when I have asked this question to
students/aspirants, their answers have always been similar
Something to do with the way one sits or gestures, etc. Well.
Thats correct no doubt. But Body Language goes far beyond
that and the whole premise that it holds good only for that one
GD or the PI for your selection into the B-School is rubbish. Your
Body Language is something like a platform upon which you will
base many future-things like summer internship, final
placements, deals with clients, executive interviews, and list
goes on.
One thing that I have learnt in my life (the hard way of-course)
is the fact that the best of deals that I have cracked in my
profession and the negotiations that went along with them were
won due to my body language which prevailed upon the other
side giving them an impression that they could trust me and in
turn trust the establishment I was representing. Remember no
skill that you will learn from this book will end up non-usable in
your career. Every one of them is true for every possible
situation starting right now from your selection GD and
Interviews to client acquisitions.
The Body language (like any other language) has its own set of
rules but like a good conversationalist, one can master every
response in such a way that you can win in any situation, or
against any opponent (hey, arent they an opponent?). It has
been termed as the non-verbal communication by many
masters and therefore counts for maximum marks in your GD-PI
and creates maximum impression when you are with clients.
Why? Well I believe any Dr. Know-it-all will tell you that nonverbal communication accounts to almost 60% of our total
communication to any person. As of now, I will suggest you to
go by this rule until you figure out something else more
scientific.
First up for you the basics of Body Language for Group
Discussions.

What is the best way to sit inside a GD?

This is the starting point. Almost every student will ask this
question first up. Actually in India, the formal education does
not teach us many things and one of them will be the way to
conduct ourselves in different situations. Either we are too
serious and mess-up, or we are too casual and mess-up. There
is a third wherein we dont know what to do and mess-up. All
these possibilities are avoidable.
When one sits on a chair for discussing a topic, the idea is to
relax and also be attentive. Using the chair is something that I
have had pains to make many people understand. When you sit
on a chair, many a times there is a possibility that you will tend
to sit on the edge of the chair. This is a no-no. I will want you to
sit back so that the back rest is actually doing its job supporting
your back. Research says that if your backbone is steady and in
not much of a stress, then your thinking becomes a little better
than usual.(Have you ever wondered how come those Head of
the Departments thought correctly at times and not observed
them couched into their seats?).
Having said that, the correct posture is to sit back, keep both
your legs in-front of you, both hands on your legs, and relax
your body by breathing deeply once or twice. Avoid putting one
leg on top of the other (as you may be a Zamindaar but out
there it is time to prove other things), and folding your hands as
you get ready to speak.
What should be my hand movement during discussions?
I will ask you to go and watch some of these news presenters
from the English channels. One can actually learn a lot from
them in terms of how they use their hands for making various
points and suggestions.
Not pointing fingers and things like that are something that I do
not want to mention as it is understood you will not do those
things that you wont want others to do to you. So what is it that
you will need to create an impression? Normally, people who
make an impression are those who speak without folded hands.
An open arm gesture while talking always gives others a subconscious feeling that you are the one they will want to talk to.
Use Karate-Chop movements for making a point that you

believe is pertinent and has to be told to everyone. Open-Palm

usage to point to someone is also acceptable as that helps you
create your own team in the process.
What about my eye-contact?
I just hope that you dont end up getting Hritik Roshan or
Aishwarya Rai in your GD group so that you have an issue with
your eye contact as you speak in a GD. Even if they are there,
the idea is to ensure that you speak to everyone and not to
someone special alone. Most of the time, we tend to look at
people and talk to them who are either supporting our thoughts
or are opposing our points vehemently. Why should the others
be left out? Dont you have to discuss with every member in the
group? Is it not a very democratic discussion wherein they
deserve your attention for any point that is discussed? The idea
is to (a) speak to all the members and let them feel that you
are the one who can be trusted and you will be there to hear
when they will make their points, and (b) know and strategize
around those people who will be hostile to your ideas and logic.
Please avoid a very long eye contact as it may mean otherwise
either intimidating or something else altogether. Figure this out
by taking a feedback from your peers if your eye-contact
currently is good enough or you need to get the ideal way of
doing it.
Should I keep a smiling face or should I be serious?
Normally, common sense prevails upon many who ask me this
question. I generally advise anyone to keep a straight face to
start with and there is nothing wrong to have a smiling face.
People say this and they mean it Dont take anyone on face
value. Why? You will feel that if someone is smiling when you
are talking then you have sold him the idea and be shocked
when the next disturbing question comes from that very
person. Please understand that it is very much situation based
and you will have to figure out that if there are situations
wherein you will need to have a straight face and it will help in
the discussion, who will stop you from doing that? You should
be the one who will bring the group and the discussion together
(maybe even others will do that which is better still), and
therefore if you are approachable, then you should get more

discussion threads directed towards you than anyone else. Isnt

it nice when the group will wish to seek your opinion before
going in for a conclusion?
Some of the common errors in body-language that I have come
across with students who sit for their practice GDs are:
1. They get into a shell when their points are being
questioned and discussed animatedly in the group, which
shows in their body language that closes up giving a clear
communication that they are not comfortable.
2. They use excessive hand movements that at times seem a
little hostile.
3. They seem to forget that there are a couple of people
sitting right next to them, and avoid eye-contact with
them throughout the discussion.
4. They come to the edge of their seats when something
they feel is very important to prove or disprove.
5. They start using hand gestures that are un-parliamentary
in any forum. This generally happens due to over
excitement.

I will tell you the secrets of getting the other things in place
(like clarity of thought, poise, manners, group think and group
shift) in my following posts. Right now we will focus on how to
get these body-language errors out of your system.

It is imperative to mention out here that every person has two

distinct communication styles for any situation. I will like to
distinguish them as - Primary communication style and the
Backup Communication style. Most of you who are familiar with
the MS Windows Operating system, will know that there is a
normal mode and then there is a Safe mode as well.

When you are in situations that are rewarding all that you are
doing or saying, or maybe you are feeling very confident and
getting things done by yourself, you will showcase your Primary
communication style. This is a style that we hone and practice
to get ourselves. This is the style that most GD practitioners
give you feedback upon and you feel you have prepared
enough.

The problem comes when you are in situations that put you
under a lot of stress and demand that you will have to support
every logic of yours and win over those opponents. It is here
that you Backup communication style becomes active and you
communicate in a way that is probably alien to even yourself at
that point of time.

How many times have you come out of a GD and told yourself
that you just did not know what happened but you lost it out
there? That you could not just make any logic out of what you
were saying? That you wish you could have handled it in some
other way?

This is the problem of not knowing your backup style.

Let me give you an example. Harsh takes up a GD wherein he is

the person who starts the discussion - this is where he is
performing at Primary Communication style. This style of his
can be related to a direct communicator, who will be open to
discussing points and ideas and will analyze everything that will
be discussed. After 2 minutes, Harsh's points are beaten down
by someone else on the basis of logic and the others now see
that Harsh is not forthcoming with his ideas, and is catching up
with others giving himself a lot of pauses to come back into the

discussion. This is actually where his backup style comes into

play. This style is related to a dormant communication style
wherein the person just reacts rather than being proactive and
it is visible in the way the participation in the discussion in done
by him/her.

I will provide some tools to help you figure out your own
communication style and be aware of that backup style that
can resurface anytime wherein you are pushed to the wall.

But why take the pain in understanding the backup style at all?
Can we do something about it?

Being aware of the backup style helps you to consciously avoid

getting into that style of communication and maintain your
primary communication style throughout the discussion. Your
Best chance to get brownie points in the GD depends upon your
usage of the primary style. This has a direct effect on the Body
language that is generally more open when you are performing
at your primary style and closed when you are in your backup
mode. I will suggest all students to ensure that after you have
identified that backup style, ensure that you can replicate your
primary style into your backup style as well.

How will you do this? Very simple. You will have to tell yourself
that you are feeling very confident about the topic, the place
and the group. Then start with a very positive frame of mind
and obviously with your primary communication style. Then
look out for possible pitfalls or situations wherein you are
pushed into corners or your points are massacred. This is where
you will have to remain calm and as positive as when you
started and your primary style will still be there with you to
ensure that the performance graph does not dip under these

circumstances.

Understanding the backup style not only help you in a GD but

also in any of your real-life situation wherein a quarrel that you
got involved into can be amicably brought to an end by the way
you will conduct yourself with your primary communication
style. People talk about maturity. I say it is all a combination of
some factors and the communication style is the most
important of them all.

When you summarize, you are to make some sense of the

entire discussion that happened - which will neccessarily
include all the good points of other and yours together. I will
suggest you see the latest movie release and come back home
and try to explain the entire thing to your Mom, Dad, and any
other friend...everytime trying to cut it short. You will get a
hands on experience to put so many things into 2-3 minutes.
Thats the skill.

For the rest of the days, condition your mind by telling it that
this discussion is the place where you are the most matured
person sitting in the group and will have the power to handle
any possible situation. Do this for 2 weeks and then leave it to
your sub-conscious mind to take care of it when the D-Day
happens.

You have to forget the internal demons that will keep you
reminding everytime you open your mouth that there is
someone who will cut you out. This feelling ensures that you
make silly mistakes and ultimately someone cuts you out. So

from now on, know that you have a particular job and so does
the other members in the GD. All you have to do is that listen
and make the correct points. In case someone cuts you out,
there are generally things like "I will get back to you after I
finish" that makes them stop. In case they still cannot stop,
then he/she will get negative marks from the Jury.
DO not let others control your output. you can do better things
when you control your every action and thought.

Forget about the panel's perception and their pointers to judge

your participation. They will do their job and you focus on
yours. If you are best in following certain basic things that I
have mentioned, those jury members will see them and also
give the scores accordingly.
The selection is not in your hands. Many a times the rejection
has nothing to do with you performance as much as it has to do
with your profile finally not meeting the requirements of the
Institute.

CASE STUDY GD
Generally the approach to solve the case study eventually boils
down to a few points - identifying the major problem, the
factors in the problem, the grey areas, possible solutions
(maybe 3 to 4 variations).
So if there is someone who begins the way you have stated,
then thats a BIG mistake. The discussion has to happen by
1st- identifying and accepting the major problem statement.
This is the first objective of the group.

2nd- giving the ratings of the factors that are involved, and
collectively taking away the ones that can be ignored. This is
where maximum part of the discussion will evolve.
3rd - putting in the various angles together (things like financial
aspects, micro economic factors, etc.) and then drawing up a
Plan A and also a Plan B, putting in the assumptions that these
solutions will take for becoming successful.
Therefore, one does not have to summarize the case first. Thats
actually a waste of time. Carry on in the above mentioned way
and you would have the impact no one else can make.

"Raju is the head of a technical committee and is to suggest some reforms to the
CEO and his team in a meeting. Raju and his committee has suggested some
financial changes as well as some changes enabling the sales team to know
more about the prospective products.....
CEO seemed happy but for some reason had to leave the meeting. As soon as
the CEO left, the entire team started opposing Raju's proposal citing financial and
proprietary concerns....This left Raju and his committee shell shocked. It
appeared as an attempt by the senior members of the company to resist any
change in the existing system."
In this situation as a member of Raju's committee suggest Raju the course of
action.

These are the main issues:

1. Culture of the organization that still is held up in the preliberalisation way to doing things. Where people want to hold
onto information to be powerful. The CEO is the most powerful,
and therefore the others feel that by suggesting these things
Raju and his team has used this privilege to create an
'impression' - this is more of a reaction from them.
2. Raju's way of working with bigger teams - Working with

teams does not only have to be with your own team but
including those people in the decision making process who you
feel will be the hurdles to your plan when you present
something like that to your CEO.
3. Mistake of Raju and team - Consulting the specific
department/domain heads gives them the feeling that they are
involved and then they also start attaching their own motives
to the plan making it a good proposition infront of the CEO. It
depends on the leadership of Raju now to ensure that he gets
what he wants and not give into the ego issues of the other
team members.
Once you begin in this way, you are ensuring the discussion
goes in some structured pattern - Culture fitment,
Organizational cultures, Structure of decision makers, cohesive
teams, power centers, etc.
The inferences you can make would be how things work in
companies like Infosys (that enjoyed the post-liberalisation way
of working) and companies like TATA / Godrej / Etc.

You will be rejected along with the entire "Shouting" group if

you join the party. Again you cannot just sit there and shake
your head in disgust. What do you do? In one of my previous
posts on the "Fish Market GD", I have mentioned you will have
to re-enter the GD by bringing those shouting-team to their
senses by providing a new problem for them related to the
topic. In case they listen to you, you've won the game right
there itself. They will mostly be thrown out. In case they do not
listen, you still have better chance in case the panel has to
decide if they really want to have someone from the group for
the PI. In MAHA-CET GDs, the GD Score will dip due to overall

group's performance but you may still get better points than
the others.

Begin (if you intend to) with defining the discussion boundaries,
the various limiting factors, etc.
Like the Reservations topic You can begin with defining the which part of Indian Education
system are you going to discuss - the primary education,
graduation, or post graduation. This ensures that everyone
starts talking on a similar plane and you can then graduate
from the first platform of thought to bigger platforms. Doesn't
that sound simple?
Then you can contribute in terms of the history of reservation -right from Mahatma Gandhi & Dr. Ambedkar to modern day
Mandal commission. Parallel angles like the US system
(Condoleeza Rice) can be brought up.
I guess you can figure out the rest of the equation from hereon.

According to me it will be the biggest error if you intend to link

your grad program with MBA in any possible way. This is a
common error and will be something that the panel will expect
you to make.
Once you do that linkage, they will then pounce on you with
probing questions that will lead to only one outcome - you do

not need to do an MBA degree as you are not sure what to

expect from it anyways.
Your reason to do MBA has less to do with BCA/BCOM/BSC etc.
and has got more to do with your objectives in life that you will
have to probably specify during the interview process. I guess
you can begin by asking yourself - Why do you want to do your
MBA? It is not just like that or you felt that others have been
successful and so you too can do well in this. You really need to
think hard on this and come with a truthful answer in your
interview.
MBA is more of a vehicle (we all know that). So what is it that
you want to achieve through MBA? Your BCA background
provides only one plausible explanation - that you were
interested in learning technology oriented stuff and nothing
else. I cannot expect you to be thinking far beyond your 12th
calss maturity and choose BCA. Therefore, the important
question is why MBA keeping the future in mind and not the
past right away.
Generally as a panelist I have always wanted to hear from the
student about why are they so very excited to do an MBA?
Mostly people came up with the stereotypical answers. We
always looked at knowing about what is it that people expect to
learn and then utilize in their future. Believe me, if this equation
is solved, you will sail through the rest of the process (I take it
that you will also brush up on the General awareness).
So finally -"Get your reason to do MBA in place, and support the
entire thought process involving the developmental process
that is associated with the program."

You have already told them that you intend to join their
institute for reasons xyz, and will learn the values imbibed blah
blah. Now that they want to put a check-point to know if your
answers were really made up or indeed true ones, you need to
play their rules anyways.
Firstly, you are in position to give that answer if you are going
to go to another Institute if you get through their admissions
process. Take a real life situation for example - your dad/mom
got an Alliance and wants you to meet and decide with whom
you are to get married. I guess you will decide to even meet the
ones whom you will select after thinking 1000 times. How is
this different than your Institute of choice??
Therefore, rather letting the panel feel that you are indecisive
about joining Institute, please let them know that it will be
something that you can tell them after really sitting for the
interview processes. The fact that you have got calls does not
necessarily mean that you will blindly choose anyone of them if
you get the option.
Answer positively, saying that "The fact that I have decided to
come and attend this interview proves it beyond doubt that I
am indeed very interest to join this Institute if I get an offer
from here. I like this Institute due to... (Mention some factors)
(Mention some committees, etc.)."
What you end up doing is - giving the ball back to them in the
nicest possible way, and actually telling them that they can't
push youto the corner out there.