Panellists are people who preside over a GD round and assess the performance of participants. Evaluation parameters used by panellists might vary from company to company, but the general framework remains the same.

Filtration

During the admission/job placement process, an institute/company has to deal with thousands of aspiring candidates. Most of the institutes use GDs as the next step in the selection process after written examination. Each round of GD allows the panel to assess the performance of about aspirants in a stipulated amount of time. Therefore, this methodology serves as an effective filtration tool in a time bound situation.

Fit Quotient

In every company, employees communicate with people from various walks of life such as colleagues, customers, managers, clients, vendors etc. This calls for an effective expression of ideas through words and also the power to use one’s knowledge in a systematic manner.
So the heart of the matter is to find out who can make a mark in a group with his/her ability to communicate. As mentioned before, a GD is a great tool in the hands of employers to find out how closely a candidate’s skills are aligned with the requirements of the company. For example, a company offering a job role in marketing will closely observe candidates’ communication skills since they play a vital role in nurturing a company’s brand value and satisfying customers. Similarly, a company looking to fill a managerial position will closely assess candidates’ leadership skills during a GD to gauge whether a candidate will be a successful manager in the future or not.

Group Skills

A lot of group skills such as leadership, assertiveness, mediation, collaboration, team work, listening etc. are critical skills required by an employee to effectively contribute to the goal accomplishment process in an organization. However, these soft skills cannot be completely evaluated wholly and qualitatively during the interview process or through a written examination. These skills are therefore assessed by making students participate in a dynamic activity such as a group discussion.

Real Time

Since a GD is a real time affair, it brings out the true colours of candidates as they perform under the pressure of time and competition. It leaves very little scope for anyone to mislead the panellists as the participants give a live demonstration of their inherent skills through problem solving, logical thinking, arbitration etc.

A handful of candidates with similar academic qualifications or related educational backgrounds are gathered in a room to discuss a topic and reach a conclusion or a decision within a stipulated amount of time. Usually, the topic of discussion is provided by a panellist or a group of panellists. A general GD process has been described below:

• The participants are requested to sit in a room
• They are given a topic or a case study by the panellist
• They are judged by a moderator/panellist
• Often, they are given about 5 minutes to think and frame their points before the GD begins especially if it is a case based GD
• They are then given a time to discuss the topic amongst each other
• In rare cases, the panellist might intervene to prohibit a participant from speaking beyond the individual time limit
• The panellist might signal the group a few minutes before the set time limit is reached to steer the group towards concluding
• The panellist will signal the group and stop the GD as soon as the allotted time period is over
• The participants will be requested to leave the room and wait for the result

GDs conducted as a part of the hiring process are basically a simulation of work meetings that are conducted across organizations. During the process of a GD, the panellists assess your ability to effectively contribute to future work related discussions in their organizations for example during:

1. Status Update Meetings

These meetings are often recurring weekly or monthly meetings and are intended to ensure that everyone on the team is on the same page about the progress of a project or an assignment.  These meetings are meant to remedy any communication gaps that may end up wasting time and effort doing the same thing.

2. Decision Making Meetings

Smaller decisions are often taken in status update meetings, but critical ones command their own dedicated time slot. In fact, the team might reach the final decision after multiple meetings involving plenty of brain storming and communicating back and forth.

3. Problem Solving Meetings

Just as in decision making meetings, problem solving meetings have a specific goal in mind. These meetings give employees a chance to evaluate different solutions and solve the problem at hand.

4. Team Building Meetings

These meetings can be corporate events or outings for the team, department or entire company. When done right, they are helpful in fostering long lasting relationships amongst employees and building goodwill resulting in the progress and growth of the organization.

5. Innovation Meetings

These meetings are very common in product based companies which are always looking to innovate and expand into new markets to beat the competition. They are an ideal place to get creative, bounce off ideas and get instant feedback from your colleagues.

Based on Method of Conducting

Structured GD

This is the most commonly followed style for a GD.  In this type of GD, the topic is given to the participants by the panellist(s) and a stipulated time is allotted to complete the discussion.

Unstructured GD

In an unstructured GD, the participants themselves decide the topic with mutual consent. This style of GD is not very common.

Role Play Based

In this type of GD, the candidates are given a situation and then allotted roles which they must stick to during the GD. Within the limitations of their role, the participants have to solve the problems presented in the given situation.

GD with a Nominated Leader

Generally, no-one is nominated as leader of a group discussion and all participants are treated as equal. But in this type of a group discussion, a person is nominated as a facilitator or a leader of the group. He/she may summarize the discussion or solutions discussed at the end of the GD. Sometimes the leader is nominated by the group members themselves.

Based on Nature of Topic

Factual Generic

In such topics, candidates are asked to put across their opinions with respect to various segments of the environment. The panellist(s) assess interpersonal skills and behaviour when given such topics and also the participants’ ability to work in a team. Examples of such topics are:

• Nuclear Family or Joint Family
• Gender Equality in the Workplace
• Are leaders born or made?

Factual Specific

Typically these topics are related to current affairs. A factual specific topic for discussion gives the candidate a chance to prove that he/she is knowledgeable and can gather and analyze information effectively. Examples of such topics are:

• Farmers’ Bill 2020
• E-Learning – Pros & Cons
• How will 2020 shape 2021?

Abstract/Conceptual

Such GD topics are hypothetical or intangible. Discussions on such topics test the participants’ ability to think creatively and laterally.  Such topics don’t require facts and figures but demand a lot of imagination.  Therefore, one should not only have theoretical and bookish knowledge but also posses the ability to handle any situation with a creative bent of mind. Examples of such topics are:

• Life is a maze
• The clock struck 13
• Dot

Case Study Based

Case study-based GDs simulate real-world problems faced by businesses and organizations. Participants are expected to analyse the information given to them and provide solutions for the enlisted problems/questions. These problems can be qualitative or quantitative in nature. A limited amount of information is given to the participants beforehand and they are allotted some time to analyse it before the GD begins.

Before you dive into the GD, give a quick but careful thought to the topic that your group has been given to discuss. How exactly is the topic framed — Is it framed as a sentence? Or is it framed as a question? What is its nature — Is it factual-generic, factual-specific or abstract?

Consider the following GD topic:

Should attendance be made mandatory in engineering institutions?

Observe that the topic is framed as a question, and the most general way to answer a question is by saying a Yes or a No. In such a case, pick the side that you are confident of supporting with facts, figures and concrete examples. Unless you have a compelling reason to change your position on the given topic in the middle of the GD, it is advised that you stick to the side that you have chosen in the beginning. Changing your position once or multiple times through the discussion could make you come across as somebody who is indecisive and rash.

Now consider the following GD topic:

Disaster Management in Developing Countries

Observe that this topic is not framed as a question but as a phrase. Therefore you are not expected to answer it in only one way or the other. In such a case, you may give your opinion about one or both sides of the coin i.e. Good Disaster Management in Developing Countries and Bad Disaster Management in Developing Countries.

Positive Task Roles

• Initiator

This person begins the GD by introducing the topic to the participants. After initiating the GD, this person may also present his/her views on the topic before passing on the baton to the next participant.  Remember that a GD must not be opened with one’s personal views about the subject at hand. It should be begun with a greeting followed by a brief explanation or a background of the given topic.                                                                                          For example, if the given topic is Should Capital Punishment be banned? then, a good way to initiate the GD will be to first explain to the participants what Capital Punishment means. There’s a high probability that some people in the group won’t know this term at all and may take the whole discussion in a completely wrong direction.

• Information/Opinion Giver

This is the most common role played by participants in a GD.  Information givers share facts, opinions and information about the topic at hand. They also give their opinion in response to other participants’ points. Strong general knowledge, knowledge of current affairs and good communication skills can help participants excel in this role and get short-listed for the next round.

• Information/Opinion Seeker

An information seeker in a GD gathers and solicits information from others. This person also asks other participants for their opinion. Such a person keeps all members of the GD involved and engaged in a fruitful discussion.

• Piggy Rider

This person does not initiate any fresh points of his/her own but rather builds upon the ideas and opinions of others.

• Facilitator

A person playing this role leads the GD by keeping track of the discussion and moderating it. He/she ensures that the discussion doesn’t get stagnant and that it does not go off track.

• Mediator

A mediator ensures that the discussion progresses smoothly. A person in this role maintains harmony by jumping in to resolve any situation which disrupts the decorum of the GD.

• Summarizer

This person concludes the GD by briefly summarizing all important points discussed by the participants while being careful not to confuse his/her personal viewpoint as the conclusion of the discussion.

 

While exhibiting positive behaviour tends to improve a participant’s chances of excelling in a GD, playing negative task roles such as the ones mentioned below can prove detrimental and hence must be avoided.

 

Negative Task Roles

• Disgruntled Non-participant

Such a participant does not contribute anything fresh or important to the discussion and chooses to stay quiet for the most part of the discussion.

• Dominator

A dominator takes control of the GD by talking more than how much is required. Such a person is not willing to give any other participant a chance to speak.

• Attacker

An attacker is aggressive in nature and uses improper language and a negative attitude to demean the contribution of other members of the GD verbally and/or through an unacceptable body language.

• Clown

Such a person does not conduct himself/herself professionally in a formal set up such as a GD. This person is very casual and often resorts to inappropriate humour to disrupt the GD and waste the time of all participants.

Evaluation parameters used by panellists might vary from company to company, but the general framework looks like the following:

GD Evaluation Sheet (Sample)

Date: __________________
Time slot: ______________
Group strength: _________________
Topic:__________________
Evaluator:_______________

Parameter	Weightage	Cand1	Cand2	Cand3	Cand4	Cand5	Cand6
Subject knowledge	30%
Creativity/originality	5%
Voice	5%
Body language	10%
Analytical Ability	5%
Fluency	5%
Initiative	5%
Leadership	10%
Group Behaviour	15%
Enthusiasm	5%
Listening	5%

 

Remember that the nature of parameters and the weightage given to each to evaluate GD participants depends on the nature of the organization and the job role in question. For example, a company looking to fulfil a position in their sales and marketing department will give more importance to creativity, initiative, communication skills and enthusiasm.

Let’s walk through some important evaluation parameters and understand why employers use them for assessment in a GD:

Knowledge

Merely speaking isn’t enough in a group discussion; a candidate must talk relevantly to showcase that he/she has a good hold on the given topic. Most of the time GD topics revolve around current affairs and general awareness issues. Candidates must stay abreast with all the happenings around the world. Knowledge of current affairs and ability to present ideas with persuasion demonstrates presence of mind and confidence. For example, while discussing climate change and its impact on earth, a candidate can refer to the Paris Climate Accord within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and discuss what saving the planet from pollution entails. This would include dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation to new environment friendly policies etc.

Communication Skills

Good communication is both about speaking and listening. You need to make sure that you are understood clearly. You also need to make sure that you understand what people are saying to you by giving them your undivided attention.

Leadership

Leadership is one of the key skills on which candidates are assessed during a Group Discussion. This is because an inherent ability to lead a team is desired out of a potential manager. Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to achieve organizational goals. Effective leadership is important because it encourages a professional and positive environment. People look up to leaders to guide them in their actions. Good leaders are role models for the people they lead, motivating them, supporting them and facilitating communications among them. In business, good leadership translates to long-term success with high morale and a high rate of employee retention.

In unstructured group discussions, the opportunity to lead a GD can arise on the spur of the moment; whereas in others like – group discussions with a nominated leader, it’s a more formal arrangement, planned and expected.  In the latter case, you may have the chance to structure the situation.  However, in a more informal setting, you’ll have to make the best of existing conditions.

Problem Solving

Employers like to see good problem-solving skills because they are required at all organizational levels especially senior management.  Those with good problem-solving skills are a valuable and trusted asset in any team because problem solvers are the people who think of new ideas, better ways of doing things, make it easier for people to understand things or help save customers time and money.

Team Work

Team work means working in a collaborative way with your colleagues to achieve a common goal. If the team succeeds, everyone in the team succeeds. And needless to say, the team’s failure is everyone’s failure. This is the reason why team work is an important skill which is assessed by employers during group discussions. Candidates are evaluated for their ability to function as team players.

Why is Team Work Important?

• Teamwork involves a wide range of skills like communication skills, collaboration, understanding other people’s views, active listening, handling diversity, emotional intelligence, conviction, negotiation, cooperation, dealing with negative feedback, conflict resolution etc. Because of this, teamwork and collaboration skills are seen as fundamental skills.
• This skill is essential for all, especially at the senior management level.
• Team players are able to achieve the desired results through effective collaboration.
• People who are seen as good team players keep the people around them motivated and drive them to put their best foot forward, thereby setting good examples.
• Good team players are more efficient workers and therefore they are wanted across all areas of an organisation

Lateral Thinking

Edward de Bono, author and psychologist coined the term Lateral Thinking in 1967 as a way to revolutionize problem-solving. This style of problem solving uses unconventional ways and a unique perspective towards problems in order to reach a solution. It involves breaking away from established patterns of thinking and pre-conceived notions and looking at challenges creatively or in other words, thinking outside the box.

Life, especially our work places are always throwing newer and newer challenges at us. A lot of times, we are required to think on our feet and tackle these challenges with a fresh perspective.  Imagine yourself to be in the middle of one of these situations:

• Sifting through a very large amount of data in limited time and identifying actionable insights.
• A project deadline which is approaching very quickly.
• The urgency to come up with a brand-new plan after the main idea gets rejected by the client in the meeting.

In difficult situations such as the above, we often have to discard the conventional ways of thinking and adopt novel methods to overcome challenges. In other words, this requires thinking in ways that are different from the established ones.

Lateral Thinking Examples:

Let’s look at a few puzzles which will help you understand the meaning of thinking divergently or outside the box:

1. Two sons were born to a woman at the same time and on the same day, month and year. However, they were not twins. How could this be?

Answer: Her two sons were part of a set of triplets.

2. A man is found dead, hanging form a beam in the middle of a large empty room. He is hanging four feet off the ground. The closest wall is 15 feet away from the hanging man. It would not be possible to climb up the beam. Below him is a puddle of water. How did the man hang himself?

Answer: The man stood on a block of ice and hung when it melted.

Group Dynamics

A Group is defined as a set of individuals who perceive the existence of a group and its members on the basis of a common goal or motivation. The interaction among members is the central element of the group.

According to the principles of Group Dynamics, changes in any part of a group structure lead to changes in the entire group.  Inter-personal behaviour is governed by inter-personal needs. A member’s contribution to the group depends on various factors such as the extent to which he will interact positively with fellow members which further hinges on his mental abilities, knowledge, intelligence, aptitude and interest.

Inter-group behaviour depends upon factors like the knowledge of the task at hand, clarity of objectives and inter-dependence. When the group members what their job is and what the objectives of the job are, they are likely to perform better.

Characteristics of Group Dynamics

• Group Dynamics includes cooperation and leadership patterns and describes how a group should be organised and operated.
• Techniques such as role playing, brainstorming etc. are an important part of Group Dynamics.
• Group Dynamics deals with the formation and structure of groups and how they affect individual members and teams as a whole.
• Group Dynamics is concerned with the interaction and forces that play between group members.

What do Positive Group Dynamics look like?

• Team members who trust each other.
• Team members who work towards collective decisions and are held accountable for outcomes.
• Team members who demonstrate mutual understanding.
• Team members who don’t hesitate to demonstrate self-corrective behaviour when required.
• A team that is constructive and productive.

Confidence

Confidence comes from the latin word ‘fidere’ which means “to trust”. According to the dictionary, confidence is the state of feeling certain about the truth of something. It is a feeling of self-assurance and self-trust arising from an appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.

A confident person is able to create a strong first impression which in turn helps in gaining credibility. According to research, such people can deal with pressure more effectively and tackle challenges in professional and personal life with relative ease. An interesting trait of confident people is that they are able to put the people around them at ease since they project themselves to be ‘in control’ of every situation.

Over-confidence & Under-confidence

• When a person is able to weigh one’s abilities in a realistic manner, he is able to strike a healthy balance between over-confidence and under-confidence. An unrealistically great appraisal of oneself can come off as arrogance. It can result in overestimating one’s abilities to the extent of not being able to meet project deadlines for example. This is because an over confident person often feels that he can achieve whatever he puts his finger on even without having the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities.
• On the other hand, little confidence in oneself can make individuals too risk averse which can result in losing out on good opportunities. The root cause of low confidence can be low self-esteem, fear of the unknown, lack of preparation, lack of knowledge, failures in the past etc. Quite often, we give way too much importance to what others will think about us – for example, they might mock us if we go wrong or make a mistake. Such a thought process can keep us from putting our best foot forward by making us overly conscious of our actions and fearing that we might end up embarrassing ourselves.

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking is defined as the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement. In other words, it’s the process of conceptualizing, applying, analysing, synthesizing, and evaluating information in a skilful and active way in order to reach a solution or conclusion.

Why is Critical Thinking Important?

1. Leads to Self-improvement

Critical thinking involves looking beyond what is obvious with the help of logical thinking. Doing so improves one’s thought process because it calls for a deeper understanding of the things which matter. It is also a self-correcting process that involves putting emotions aside and giving importance to data, facts, figures and evidence. It encourages the thinker to analyse the consequences of his actions and take the right decisions. Critical thinking also fosters open communications in order to follow through on goals. All the above factors aid in strengthening cognitive ability overall, leaving a positive impact on the thinker.

2. It is Universal

Once you have tamed the skill of thinking critically, you can apply it to different fields and professions. It’s a skill which will be highly valued at every point in your career as well as in your personal life to overcome challenges. It will always stay relevant and aid you in becoming successful.

3. Fosters Creativity

Critical thinking pushes an individual to use new and creative ideas to solve problems using out-of-box approaches rather than sticking to the conventional ones. It also involves prioritising resources innovatively in order to get the maximum bang out of the buck.

4. Saves Time

Critical thinking is methodical and logical. It makes an individual think clearly and systematically. It focuses on what is relevant based on evidence. Hence, it aids in faster problem solving, saving valuable time and precious resources in the process – something that every employer would love to see happen in his/her organization because time is money and therefore every minute is important. Besides, swift and effective problem solving is highly valued in the fast-growing global economy of today.

5. Makes You a Team Player

Critical thinking in a team set up involves brainstorming ideas. As the interactions between team members increase so does the ability to understand each other’s viewpoints. Remember that critical thinkers always attack each other’s ideas in a healthy way instead of each other’s personalities. They do not make judgement calls. They let go of their ego and focus on finding the best solution for the problem at hand.

Persuasion 

Persuasion is the act of convincing someone to change their beliefs or do something you suggest. Persuasion has often been described as a delicate form of art, but what exactly makes it so powerful? Understanding the art of persuasion can not only help you learn how to influence others; it can also make you more aware of the techniques others might use to try and change your beliefs and behaviours.

Persuasion isn’t an art form in the same sense as painting or music, but rather involves the finely tuned creative skills of language and communication. However, persuasion does include some of the qualities of more traditional art forms. It’s intellectually challenging, complex, expressive, and completely authentic to your character.

Know Where & What to Read

Choose quality over quantity. Instead of reading from every possible source and exhausting your mind, research and decide on a handful of reliable sources and stick with them. The following list of reading sources can help you jump start your preparation of current affairs:

The Hindu

• One of the best sources to prepare for socio-economic and political issues
• Editorials and Opinions: An elaborative account and view on government programmes and policies.
• Science and Technology: Thursday Edition- Quite handy for everyday scientific developments.
• Environmental issues– Issues and policies at national and international level
• Economy– Economic developments and policies

The Indian Express

• Articles on International Relations are one of the best as compared to other newspapers.
• Written and recommended by IFS officers.

Press Information Bureau

• Programmes and Policy updates of Government on daily basis- If you miss in newspapers
• Features: Selective articles on important personalities and their contribution. Also, you will find important historical accounts.
• Written by government officials- added authencity

PRS Legislative Research

• Discussions about the bills and policies of government
• Here you will find all the tabled and non tabled bills of Parliament.
• Also, very simple and brief summary of acts and bills.
• A monthly Policy Review: A monthly comprehensive report of the major policy developments across various sectors in the country.
• The aim is to help readers keep track of all significant policy events, including reports by parliamentary and government committees.

IDSA: Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis

• It gives a detailed coverage of India’s national security, internal security and relations.
• Very effective source to prepare or get opinion on International Relations, Defence relations and governments approach for national and international diplomacy.

Yojana and Kurukshetra

• Published by GOI and comprises of articles on diverse topics- from social to economic domain.
• Basically a detailed analysis of government schemes and programmes.
• Also covers social issues and policies affecting vulnerable sections.
• A very important and authentic source to generate opinion on government programmes and policies.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Debates

• Discussions on various socio-economic and political discourses.
• It gives you various opinions on such topics from experts who are many a times government officials or subject experts.
• It is seen that unearthing dimensions becomes difficult while reading articles but when we see live discussions, get loads of quality information and dimensions in less time.

Focus on Issues, not News

You should always look for something more than the news and headlines because in group discussions topics are generally based on the issues that are in the news. What’s the difference between news and issues? News talks about an incident whereas issues focus on ideas. For example:

Prime Minister talking about $5 trillion economy is news. Merely focusing on the speech or what’s reported in the newspapers isn’t enough. You must research and understand the larger issue: Why the number $5 trillion? What sectors to focus on and what steps should the government take? How should we rapidly increase the pace of investment? What are the impediments facing the economy? How can we overcome them to realise the $5 trillion goal by 2024? etc.

The International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) verdict on Kulbhushan Jadhav is news. But the larger issue is about bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, ICJ— its structure and mandate, who are its subjects, how are cases referred to the court etc.

To understand any current issue, you can use the following framework:

• Reason— Why is it in the news? (This is usually reported in the newspapers)
• Background Knowledge— (Data, facts, authentic reports etc.)
• Current Status— What has the government done or not done so far?
• Both sides of the issue— Pros and cons/ Opportunities and challenges
• Opinion/ Suggestions/ Way forward— What we must do about it?

Make Notes

You should practice making notes online or offline because it helps you in quick revisions before the GD. It is one of the most sure shot ways of doing well in a GD. The more you know, the more you’ll be able to contribute.

Notes can be compiled either chronologically or topic wise depending on how you can retain them better. A big advantage of topic wise compilation is that it lets your mind focus on the main matter.

Rather than mugging up your notes, use pointers, flow charts, mind maps etc. to retain the material for a longer period of time. Visual data is known to make a stronger and a more lasting impact on the human brain.

Revise

The best method of revision is re-visiting your notes again and again. Because current affairs are continuously evolving daily, the best way to retain the content is through constant revision. Doing so will definitely improve the quality of your contributions in the GD.

What is your style of leadership?  Are you a directive or non-directive leader? It could be that like a lot of people, your style might fall somewhere in between the extremes of the leader who dominates the group completely, and the leader who essentially leads not at all. Many effective group or meeting leaders are, in fact, facilitators, whose main concern is supporting and maintaining the process of the group’s work.

A good leader helps the participants of a GD set rules for themselves. He/she sees to it that every member participates and that no one dominates. An effective leader also encourages the development and expression of all ideas, including odd ones, and safeguards an open process, where no conclusions are foregone and everyone’s views and ideas are respected.  In most GDs, the leader’s role is probably a good ideal to strive for. Let’s look at the different responsibilities of a leader in more detail below:

• Put People at Ease

Sometimes it may be that most members of the GD are not familiar with each other because of for example, different academic backgrounds. In such a case, it is the leader’s job to help establish a comfortable atmosphere and set the tone for the discussion.

• Set Ground Rules

The ground rules of a group discussion are the guidelines that prevent the discussion from going off-track and/or deteriorating into name-calling or an unfruitful debate.  As a leader, you might suggest some ground rules if the group has trouble coming up with them. Let’s look at a few:

• Respect

Everyone should treat each other with respect. There must be no name-calling, no emotional outbursts and no accusations.

• No Arguments

Arguments should not be directed at people – only at ideas and opinions.

• No Ridicule

Any disagreements or clash of ideas should be respected and should not contain any ridicule.

• Listen

Patiently listen to others’ views instead of using that time to go over what you will be saying next.

• Respect Time

Respect the group’s time and make sure that your comments are brief and to the point, so that others have a chance to speak and express their opinions.

• Consider Comments Seriously

Consider all comments seriously and try to evaluate them in a fair way.  Others’ ideas and opinions may change your viewpoint sometimes and it’s important to be open to that.

• Don’t be Defensive

Don’t be defensive if someone does not agree with your viewpoint.  Rationally evaluate both positions, and only continue to argue if you believe yours is still right.

• Uphold Ground Rules

Everyone is responsible for following and upholding the ground rules.

• Lead the Discussion

As discussed, a leader shoulders many responsibilities some of which include fostering an open process; involving all participants; asking questions or offering ideas to advance the discussion; summarizing or clarifying important points, arguments, and ideas; and wrapping up the session.

Let’s now look at some do’s and don’ts for leaders:

• Ensure Clarity

If the topic is unclear, then someone needs to help the group define it.  A leader can take the initiative by asking the right questions, defining the problem, and encouraging ideas from the group’s members.

• Foster Open Process

This means paying attention to the interpersonal dynamics of the discussion which is not a simple thing to do. As leader, your task is:

• To ensure that are no right answers to start with i.e. no premature conclusions are made
• To ensure that no one person or small group dominates the discussion
• To ensure that everyone follows the ground rules so that the discussion is civil and organized
• To ensure that everyone’s ideas are subjected to careful critical analysis.
• To resolve interpersonal issues when required for example by saying, “We all seem to be picking on Mr. X here – let’s avoid making the discussion personal”.

Your actions as leader should be geared towards furthering the open process. Your job is to protect even the unusual and off-beat ideas. That however, does not mean that you are in agreement with them, but you should ensure that they are discussed respectfully. Unless it is discriminatory or false, an idea should not be stifled.

• Involve Everyone

It’s important that there is a continuous exchange of ideas if the end result of the GD is to be fruitful. This is possible when everyone has plenty of opportunities to communicate their thoughts. As a leader, you must do your duty by involving even those who are shy or not so assertive. It simply could be that such participants are unable to speak up quickly enough. You can involve them by asking for their opinion. You can also encourage them subtly by for example, smiling at them when they speak up.

• Advance the Discussion

As a leader, you should be cognizant of the progress of the GD and should be able to ask questions or provide information or arguments that stimulate thinking or take the discussion to the next step when necessary. Sometimes it may happen that the group is having trouble dealing with the topic and is getting side tracked by trivial issues. It’s the leader’s job then to carry the discussion forward and don’t let the discussion lose steam.

If in case two opposing ideas reach an impasse i.e., no one is able to say anything to advance the discussion, your effectiveness as a leader can be weighed by your ability to take the discussion forward by for example, identifying points of agreement or common ground.

• Summarize

Clarifying important points, arguments, or ideas entails making sure that all participants understand the points made in the discussion. This can include restating a conclusion that the group has reached, or clarifying a particular idea or point made by an individual.

A good leader has to pay close attention to the process and content of the discussion as well as to the participants.  She has to help the group establish ground rules that will keep the GD moving forward in a civil way. She must promote an open process; involving everyone and let no one dominate. She must summarize or clarify when appropriate; ask questions to keep the discussion moving, and put aside her own agenda, ego, and biases.

It’s not an easy task to play the role of a leader, but when done right, it can be extremely rewarding!

Even though you will not be required to resolve major business problems during the GD, but your ability to solve the smaller ones will also demonstrate to the panel that you will be able to live up to bigger challenges eventually when you are given more responsibility.

There are many ways in which you can develop this skill, and learning how to demonstrate it can prove invaluable during the job placement process. Let’s look at some of the ways:

Play games

You don’t always have to do serious work to learn a valuable skill. One way to build your problem-solving skills is through playing games in any mode – online or offline (board games). You might recall from your childhood how you would spend a long time staying stuck on the same level of the game before you could make your way to the next by trying again and again and thinking of new ways to advance.

Trying to overcome even a fictional problem can train your mind to think creatively. Doing so repetitively will make the creative mind-set that you would have acquired a part of your everyday life. Needless to say, you will be able to apply it to your professional life as well.

Face it!

When we find ourselves in a sticky situation, it is natural to feel the urge to run away from that situation instead of facing it and resolving it. But we all know that merely wishing for problem to go away does not make it disappear. Therefore, looking it in the eye and promptly solving it can boost our self-confidence and self-trust in the face of the next one.

It might be that there is no immediate solution to your problem. Even then, the way in which you handle the consequences and minimize the negative impact of it will give you the confidence to handle any future adversity.

Welcome Advice

A lot of us hesitate in asking for advice because we feel that we will come across as weak by doing so. But the truth can’t be farther from this. Do not hesitate to learn from people with more experience. If you seek their help, they will be willing to extend a helping hand to help you learn the ropes.  Their guidance and experience will help you to learn what it takes to overcome challenges. You can ape their skills until you become trained and feel confident about solving problems independently.

Do Your Research

In order to solve a problem efficiently, you first must arm yourself with all the facts that can help you to understand the issue completely and identify the root cause of it. While using your instinct and proposing a solution is good, it is always a wiser idea to have facts and figures in your back pocket so that you can present your recommendation with conviction to your boss and team members. Doing so will also enable you to handle criticism if there is any with confidence.

Seek Opportunities  

Some situations like the following can help you to refine your problem-solving skills without you even realizing it:

• Attempting to troubleshoot technical issues with your devices such as your phone, laptop etc.
• Trying to reach common ground to settle a dispute between two of your friends
• Doing DIY jobs around the house
• Turning around the finances of a society in your college that you are a part of
• Organizing events with a limited budget in hand
• Mentoring your juniors in college
• Participating in competitions involving creative problem solving either individually or in groups

There is no doubt that problem solving is the mark of an independent employee but how does one demonstrate problem solving skills during the job placement process? This is not always easy as there is only so much time in your hands during a GD or an interview and you cannot include an unlimited amount of information in your resume.

Case study-based group discussions are great opportunities to demonstrate that you are a creative problem solver. Once you and the other participants have identified the problem at hand, you can break it down and target each component analytically. However, in group discussions based on factual and generic topics, demonstrating that you are problem solver can be more challenging because you are not explicitly presented with a problem that needs resolution unlike in a case study.

Whichever kind of GD you may be a part of, you can make a great impact on the employer by:

• Analysing the problem from different angles
• Handling counter arguments without hurting any group member
• Resolving sticky situations through proper mediation and reasoning
• Stepping in when if the discussion reaches an impasse and thinking laterally to get the discussion going again
• Recommending practical solutions to the problem

Remember that no problem is big enough if you are determined to find a solution for it!