A recount of my own Group Discussion - held 22 years back. The tips here are still as good as gold!
Feb 26th 1992.. Just got up from the bed of the hotel at Kalkata, had bed tea and rushed off to my first GD-cum-Interview in life: It was by SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited) for the position of Management Trainee..
On the way, I had bought a newspaper.. entered the building and approached the waiting area where many like me came down for the job test. Some smiles, some nodes. Thereafter, took my seat in one of the sofas. I began reading the paper I brought.
The person next to me approached me and asked if I could read the paper after I finished. I said “Why not?” and gave him immediately few pages I was not reading.. I won a friend. After I was thorough reading the paper, I asked few more individuals sitting in front of me if anyone would like to go through the paper. Few hands were extended.. I gave the pages at my hand… .. I won more friends..
Than I began chatting with the people with whomever I could around me, so that I win more friends…. a tall, dark individual (whom I came to know later as Mr. Patnaik) was not taking part in our discussions…
The observer came at this time and called the name of 9 individuals of my group.. we got up to go inside the GD room. I suddenly found that Mr. Patnaik was shaking hands with everyone and introducing himself.. as he neared me, I shook his hand but also patted his back.. why? Just to tell him: “Yes, I know what you are doing. But just do not overdo it!” (Whom do you pat on the back? either your colleague or a subordinate, never a superior!. these are mind games!)
As expected inside the GD, Mr. Patnaik was about to dominate the whole GD. But he could be tamed by me, with the friends I had won in the sitting area.
The rest of the GD process was smooth.. 7 out of 9 of our group members got the job offer, including humbled Mr. Patnaik!
What can you learn from my GD?
1.0 Actions for the GD should start from beforehand.. may be even while in the waiting area. Win as many friends as possible even before GD begins.
2.0 Use very subtle ways to avoid and persuade a dominating individual from dominating the group.
3.0 As many as 7 out of 9 (77%) of our group members were selected, while in other groups, less than 30% was selected. So Recruiter does not decides the number of candidate to select from a group even before the GD starts.
On the way, I had bought a newspaper.. entered the building and approached the waiting area where many like me came down for the job test. Some smiles, some nodes. Thereafter, took my seat in one of the sofas. I began reading the paper I brought.
The person next to me approached me and asked if I could read the paper after I finished. I said “Why not?” and gave him immediately few pages I was not reading.. I won a friend. After I was thorough reading the paper, I asked few more individuals sitting in front of me if anyone would like to go through the paper. Few hands were extended.. I gave the pages at my hand… .. I won more friends..
Than I began chatting with the people with whomever I could around me, so that I win more friends…. a tall, dark individual (whom I came to know later as Mr. Patnaik) was not taking part in our discussions…
The observer came at this time and called the name of 9 individuals of my group.. we got up to go inside the GD room. I suddenly found that Mr. Patnaik was shaking hands with everyone and introducing himself.. as he neared me, I shook his hand but also patted his back.. why? Just to tell him: “Yes, I know what you are doing. But just do not overdo it!” (Whom do you pat on the back? either your colleague or a subordinate, never a superior!. these are mind games!)
As expected inside the GD, Mr. Patnaik was about to dominate the whole GD. But he could be tamed by me, with the friends I had won in the sitting area.
The rest of the GD process was smooth.. 7 out of 9 of our group members got the job offer, including humbled Mr. Patnaik!
What can you learn from my GD?
1.0 Actions for the GD should start from beforehand.. may be even while in the waiting area. Win as many friends as possible even before GD begins.
2.0 Use very subtle ways to avoid and persuade a dominating individual from dominating the group.
3.0 As many as 7 out of 9 (77%) of our group members were selected, while in other groups, less than 30% was selected. So Recruiter does not decides the number of candidate to select from a group even before the GD starts.
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