Rigours of an MBA aspirant does not end with acing an MBA entrance exam, it is only a beginning I would say. Group discussions and Personal interview rounds are conducted by most top B-schools in India, and if you want to get into some of the best institutes you will have to cut your way through group discussions and personal interviews.
You may have come across a lot of opinions and strategies to clear your GDPIs. But, today we shall talk about the things should avoid at all costs at Group discussions.
Avoid Emotional Burst
When you are in a group discussion, it is very common that someone will say something that will offend you. But, bear in mind that this is a discussion, and everyone has an opinion.
Avoid entering the battle trance and speak about the topics that are not relevant. Do not go out the way to explain, because remember this is a discussion and not a debate and everyone is allowed to have his/ her opinion.
No matter how vile the opinion is, do not give in to the temptation of lashing out at the person, you may end up going off-topic that will affect the judge’s decision.
Don’t emphasize on the quantity
Your prowess in explaining your point and ability to convincingly justify your stand is what a judge looks at. It does not matter if the length of your speech is short.
Emphasize more on the quality than the quantity of your speech. The more you talk the more you have the favour of the judge’s is wrong. It does not mean you have a very short say at a GD either.
Keep your points ready and keep them concise and crisp. To maintain relevancy to the topic, yet adding on to the discussion with your perspective will help you stand out and get noticed.
Do not rush to introduce the topic.
You may have heard or read this somewhere that introducing the topic in a group discussion will help you garner brownie points. That is possible when you are prepared for the topic and come up with a good introduction. But it is not necessary that you have to introduce the topic to grab judge’s attention.
When you are given a topic, spend your time writing as many points you can think of. Try to recollect any recent news that is relevant to the topic, it adds weight to your argument. Emphasize more on how can you discuss this topic brilliantly rather than wasting your time trying to introduce the topic.
If you are confident about the topic, go ahead. If not, let someone else introduce the topic and pick up the discussion later.
Avoid excessive use of statistics
Use of statistics is very profound and commonly used tool during discussions. Statics help you explain your point convincingly.
Yes, maybe you know everything about the topic or you are lucky to be asked to discuss the topic you had researched. Do not go flashing all the graphical and statistical you came across, as it is a discussion and not a presentation of your knowledge.
Use the statistical data to strengthen your opinion but do not talk numbers only. It is your opinion and your prowess to put across your thoughts that is being judged.
Avoid cutting-off repeatedly
A lot of candidates have a presume that if they cut-off someone in a group discussion will gain them an advantage. But, interfering repeatedly will negatively influence the judge’s as you come out to be a rude person.
Let the person speak, or wait for the right time to jump in and cut-off that person. Cutting-off someone just for the sake of it when you don’t really have something apt to counter it is the wrong move.
These were a few things that should be avoided at all costs in a group discussion round. To ensure that you have a smooth sail, keep these points handy at your next group discussion round. Group discussion is an important round and you don’t want to commit any mistakes that can cost you a seat at a good B-school.
Do let us know if we have missed out on anything or there is something you disagree on. Good Luck!