Be GD Smart

There are some rules and strategies you must follow when the GD is on

While you spend your days and nights sweating it out, sharpening those skills for an upcoming GD, you must familiarise yourself with some tricks of this game. The skills can’t stand alone and to successfully tame a GD, you need to know the GD mantras.

In a group discussion, without pulling off any attention seeking stunts, you have to make sure that the panellists notice you. You have to give them reasons to choose you over the rest of the members. So, you do not just require the knowledge and the skills but also need to become GD smart. No matter how much you prepare for GDs, every group discussion will put you in an unfamiliar situation demanding you to take spontaneous decisions. Every group discussion will be unique in two ways. The topic will be unknown to you and so would be your team members.

So you have to get some moves in place and put your skills where the money is. First of all, always carry a pen and a paper to jot down your thoughts when you are given time to think about the topic. You will need to write down your points even during the course of the discussion so that you do not forget what you had to say by the time it is your chance to talk about it.      

• Must speak: It will be impossible to get selected if you do not talk in a group discussion. You have to speak to enter the competition. Mostly candidates complain of not getting a chance to talk. You have to negotiate your talking time with the other group members. It is a part of performing well in a group discussion.
• Memorable points: A fresh perspective is always noticed. The idea is to stand out in the group and get seen by the panellists. Do not state the obvious. Everyone in the group is likely to talk about the same. Instead use examples from different times and different places. For example, you could give historical examples or compare India’s situation with some other country. Combine your knowledge with imagination. Try to catch the flow of an argument and steer it towards new but relevant directions.
• Start the GD: Opening a group discussion is a double-edged sword. You should start the discussion only if you have understood the topic. If you start well, you will immediately be noticed by the panellists. On the other hand, if you start off without a clear idea of what you want to say and stop after a line or two, then you will immediately lose points. However, if you are sure about the topic and can start systematically, it is the best way to get ahead of others.
• Let it flow: Do not appoint yourself as the leader of the group and attempt to structure the discussion. For example, speaking turn by turn in a GD never works. A discussion is supposed to flow naturally with people intervening and talking whenever they have some contribution to make. Do not impose a system. You could try to find ways of taking the group forward if it is stuck at some point.
• Enter the discussion:  Sometimes a GD can turn too chaotic and you might not get a chance to talk. In such a case, wait for the discussion to die down a little or wait till the time one person finishes talking and then intervene. But never wait too long, you cannot afford to not talk in a GD. You could increase your volume a little to be heard but avoid shouting over the top of your voice. Another good way to intervene is to support someone who is already talking. If you support them, they are likely to give you a chance to voice your opinion. Make a supportive statement and then casually change tracks and talk about what you have to.
•  Summarise in the end: Try to reach a consensus at the end of the discussion but do not attempt a forced consensus. If the group does not manage to find a common ground then conclude saying that the members had different perspectives and summarise the different threads picked up during the course of the discussion.

Apart from this, never interrupt someone in the middle of what they are saying. Wait for the right moment to make your point. You should concentrate on how you think and not on what you think. The evaluators want to see how thoroughly you can exercise your brains. Exhaustively discuss the topic and then take a stand. Do not get emotional or militant.