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Raz · #98 Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by waqar mohammad

sir eagerly waiting for your guidance and support

thanks

I congratulate you all on clearing written test.

In fulfillment of my promise:

Here are some points about group discussion based on my own observations.

Each group consists of 5 to 8 members. Time allocated ranges from 15 to 30 minutes. This time is for all the participants and no specific time is allocated to a particular member. So don’t expect any member or the GD managing SBP team to permit you for your participation. Around 2 to 5 minutes are allowed for brainstorming before resuming the discussion. You will be provided with blank page and pencil to jot down your points on the assigned topic. During these 5 minutes list down your points in bullet form and get help from these points when you start participating in the discussion. Don’t worry about the topic because normally those topics are selected about which we do have at least basic understanding. While assigning topic it is generally considered by the GD SBP team that candidates will not be examined solely for the extra ordinary knowledge they posses in that particular topic rather they aim at measuring the logical argumentative style, time management, team work, team sprit, leadership qualities, and above all managerial /administrative competencies. That is why topics are normally non-technical about which we do have at least basic knowledge.

Don’t:

1) Be overconfident
2) Make it battle field
3) Consider other group members as your opponents / enemies
4) Humiliate others
5) Be extremist in your opinion (Inflexible)
6) Follow lose -Lose policy
7) Consume major time on the cost of all other members
8) Be reticent and shy
9) Repeat the points of other members and copy others

Do:

1) Take initiative for positive steps
2) Try to organize the group if you find any deviation. Take it as team. Consider yourself as an active member of that team. Do assume the role of a leader /manager if you think it necessary in the time of hot discussion which is going to result in fruitless discussion without any conclusion.
3) Follow win-win strategy
4) Jot down your points speedily
5) Bring some innovative points (some thing new)
6) It is in your favor if you break the ice and initiate discussion.
7) It is in your benefit if you find an opportunity to conclude the whole discussion
8) Adopt moderate stance.
9) Notify both pros and cons of that topic
10) Note down the points of other members which you consider worth praising, do appreciate and praise these member on those points, second them and add some value to these points. Don’t negate them; negating them will be a suicidal step for you.

Misconceptions:

He wins who speaks more than the other members. Most talkative person has more chances of passing this GD exercise and least talkative person has lesser chances of success. (This is a common misconception among our candidates).

Real example: In our group Mr. Shaikh and Mr. Tunio were the most talkative participants and they consumed more than 50% time of the group. (Result: Both of them could not clear GD).

Reasons of their failure:

1) two extreme ends: Mr. Shaikh was Talibani in nature and Mr. Tunio was very liberal in nature. Mr. Opposed Cable channels and was of the opinion that there should be no Television Channels as these are against Islam. Mr. Tunio was of the opinion that there should be freedom of everything and no channel should be banned even if these channels are promoting immoral activities (porn channels etc.). Mr, Tunio believed that it depends upon the viewers whether they want to adopt good or bad thing.

2) Exploitation of the overall group: They adopted all the don’ts which I have mentioned earlier in Don’t list starting from serial number one to serial number seven. Both of them interrupted all the members time and again. They were of the opinion that one who speaks a lot is the one who wins this discussion. They didn’t know the essence of a group. Had they understood the group dynamics and team work they would not have failed in their strategy.

Mr. Khan didn’t speak at all but two sentences which were totally irrelevant. Result: Failed in GD. Reason of failure: He adopted serial number eight from Don’t list.

Mr. Pasha spoke only two and half sentences which were to the point. Reason of Success: He avoided all the blunders which are mentioned in Don’t list starting from Serial and one to serial number seven and serial number nine. He adopted point number 3, 8, and 10 from list of Dos.

Reasons of my success:

1) Blunders of Mr. Shaikh and Mr. Tunio: Isn’t it shocking that failure of two guys was the base for my success. Think over it and learn a lesson from this result. When I observed that both of them were unnecessarily hijacking the time of all the other members and were trying their utmost to ban all the other members to enter into discussion because their sole motto was to consume major portion of GD time and to defeat others with this strategy. I thought it necessary to stop them and to make them realize that they are going in a wrong direction.

“I suggested them that by playing undue dominant role and irrelevant discussion we people are not going to reach at any conclusion. Our discussion is not leading us towards the logical results. I request you to adopt a team work approach don’t make this a battle field and don’t consider group members as opponents. We have to work in a collective and positive manner. Now onwards no body will be consuming more than two minutes. Each member has two minutes to express his opinion and no other member will be allowed to interrupt him in his two minutes period. If any member wants to criticize or support the point of any other member he should do it in his own two minutes time period but not in the time of that other member. And there will be a 5 minutes session in which we will announce our concluding remarks.”

This was the interim interruption which made us able to conclude our discussion properly. When I suggested this work plan I got positive gesture from the SBP GD observation team and a moral support from the members except Mr. Shaikh and Mr. Tunio. So the blunders of both of them provided me an opportunity to play a leading and a time managing role in the group discussion.
2) I avoided all the points mentioned in Don’t list and applied point number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 from Dos list.

We were 7 members in our group and only 4 participants could clear GD. Topic of our group was “Cable Channels- whether they provide us information or deteriorate moral values in society”.

Two extreme scenarios about GD topic:

1) When you have rich information about the topic: Do take an opportunity to break the ice and start the discussion.

2) When you don’t know even the basics of the topic: Don’t be confused and don’t panic. Wait and watch other members do participate after the few members have expressed their opinion. You will definitely learn some points from their discussion and will be accumulating some points in your mind while listening to them. Don’t copy them exactly and don’t repeat their words. Do present some points in similar ideas with differing terminology and a little bit novel approach. One who clears written portion is able enough to reproduce the ideas of other in his own way and in his own words. This approach may save you in this worst scenario when you don’t have even basic knowledge of the topic.

Regards

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