Students' Speak: How to deal with a difficult situation in GD
By: Kandarp Patel
What if you know nothing about the topics in GD? Kandarp Patel gives a few points on what to do in such tricky situations.
Results of some MBA Entrance Exams have been declared and some are about to be declared. So after the results, the most important factor on which your admission depends is GDPI. So in this article, I will not talk about what is GD but will straight forward give you the solutions in the form of question and answer of difficult situations that are generally faced by the candidates during their GD.
Before that, I would like to list a few things that you should focus on during a GD -
- Knowledge of current happenings around the world
- Good communication skills
- Positive attitude
- Better listening skills
- Leadership skills
- Confidence
Now here are some tips on how to handle a difficult situation during a group discussion-
What to do when we know nothing in a group discussion?
In this situation, the right thing would be to keep quiet for some time and listen to what others are saying. But that does not mean that you will not speak anything during the group discussion. Suppose you have 10 minutes of GD, then keep quiet for 1–2 minutes. You can rephrase what are others are saying and present the same in a different way. Trust me it’s better than remaining quiet in a GD. It’s not about what you speak but it’s about how you speak.
What to do when the group discussion starts turning into a debate and we don’t get a chance to speak?
In this type of situation, let others speak and participate but meanwhile keep your eyes open as well as your mind and ear alert. But make sure you create the chance or opportunity to conclude at the end because that will fetch you a lot of points. Have patience. Keep calm and wait for the winning shot.
What to do when we feel that you are the only one speaking and participating in the GD?
In this situation, you will be much benefited if you have leadership and team spirit skill in you. If you feel that you are the only one participating and speaking in the GD, then it’s your job and responsibility to ask other people or candidates for their opinion and trust me that will aid in getting extra points. Asking others for their opinion wins you good points.
What other things do we need to take focus on in a GD?
Apart from the above strategies, if possible, try to initiate the group discussion. Yes, it can benefit you but also it is a bit risky. Because if you fail to speak quality content and by your statement you somehow mislead the group, then you can get negative points from the evaluator.
Getting support or stand of others by your quality statement can surely provide you with good points.
About the Author:
Kandarp Patel is a student at Nirma University, Ahemdabad, pursuing Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering (final year). He is also a campus representative with Shiksha.com since 2016.
