Mastering the GD

Posted by Baragur Krishnamurthy.
You are likely to face GDs at least on two occasions – first when you are seeking admission to a PG program, and again when you are seeking that dream job. It pains me to say this. Over all these years, I haven’t found a qualitative difference between the two (With some exceptions of course.)

The purpose of a GD is primarily two-fold: to test your communication skills and to test how well you will gel in a team environment. When you are part of an organization, it goes without saying that you have to interact with others – the members could be from your domain or other domains.

Organizations today do not want brilliant loners – they would rather settle for someone who is above average but who can contribute to a team. Of all the soft skills that you need as managers, effective communication would be somewhere at the top of the list.

The problem in the real world is that a GD is seen as a battle, one in which lung power is the weapon. This apart, many myths surround the concept of a GD. The first to speak is seen as a leader. The last to speak is likely to be rejected. You need to get these myths out of your mind.

It is not often understood much less appreciated that the art of communication requires listening as well as speaking skills. As one scholar has eloquently expressed it, we have been given two ears and one mouth. Our listening and speaking must be in like proportion.

GDs come in a variety of forms. They can be on a topic of contemporary relevance – for example, India’s Performance in the World T20 Cup. They can be historical – the formation of states on linguistic basis and the price we are paying for it. They can be controversial – We are a soft state when it comes to terror. Or it can be abstract – red and blue.

Irrespective of the nature of the topic, you would do well to remember the following:

1. Stay calm and composed; it doesn’t pay to shout at anyone or vehemently disagree.
2. If you have to disagree, do so with grace.
3. Instead of bringing in too many viewpoints, focus on one or two and try to arrive at a conclusion.
4. Demonstrate your listening skills as well as your tolerance of a different perspective.
5. Even if you are the last one to speak, treat it as an opportunity to summarize with precision what has been discussed. End the GD on a positive, optimistic, and cheerful note.
 
Youngsters come to me after a GD and have the usual complaints – I spoke the best, contributed the maximum number of points and yet I was not selected. Then there is the eternal dilemma between being aggressive and being quietly assertive. I can very well understand the frustration that creeps in particularly when you seem to have done well and still do not make it through. I have just two observations to make:
1. The person judging you is not God. That person is as fallible as anyone else. Moreover, whether you did well or not is in the eyes of the recruiter – not our own.
2. Assuming you don’t make it, it is not the end of the world. Where possible, and in a polite manner, try to get feedback. What are the areas you need to improve? Then start working on those areas.
Like many other aspects (Quality, Excellence, Perfection), life too is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the journey even as you crave to reach the destination