GTOs Attitude Towards Candidate & Handling of Group by KARGIL SINGH

GTO’s ATTITUDE TOWARDS CANDIDATES & TECHNIQUE OF HANDLING GROUP

“When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.” DALE CARNEGIE, How to Win Friends and Influence People

Introduction 1. The candidates volunteering foe entry into Armed Forces Officers cadre are in most cases first screened by the Union Public Service Commission on their academic proficiency through a written examination and those who qualify, appear before the Services Selection Boards. The normal testing at the Services Selection Boards is spread over five days. During this stay, the interaction of the candidates is maximum with the GTO. It is therefore important that the GTO should have the appropriate attitude towards the candidate and handle them in correct manner. Aim 2. The aim is to submit paper on GTOs attitude towards the candidate and technique of handling group. Preview 3.

The paper is divided in the following parts. (a) Part I - Attitude and Values. (b) Part II - Components of Attitude. (c) Part III - Personality of a GTO. (c) Part IV - GTO’s Attitude towards candidates. (d) Part V - Technique of handling group.

Part I- Attitude and Values 4. Attitude is defined as disposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object, person, institution, or event. People can hold attitudes of varying degrees of favourability towards themselves and towards discernible aspect of their environment. Widely shared positive attitudes towards relatively abstract goals like freedom, honesty and security are known as values. 5. Attitude is considered as a hypothetical constituent, being unobservable; it must be inferred from measurable responses that reflect positive or negative evaluations of the attitude object. These categories of responses are distinguished, following a classification that goes back at least to plato. Attitudes can be inferred from responses or beliefs reflecting perception of, and information about, the attitude object. As also responses like behavioral intentions, tendencies, and actions with respect to the object. 6. Values. Attitudes are evaluative statements, either favorable or unfavorable concerning people, or events. They reflect how one feels about something. Attitudes are not the same as values. Values are the broader and more encompassing concept. Attitudes are more specific than values. Values also contain a moral or rightness or desirability. Values are relatively stable and enduring. They are a dominant force that shape and determine individual behavior. Values represent basic convictions. They contain a judgment element in that they carry an individual’s idea as to what is right, good or desirable. Values have both content and intensity attributes. The content attribute says what mode of conduct is important and intensity attribute says how much. To understand behavior, knowledge of values is important because they lay foundation for the understanding of attitude and motivation as well as influence an individual’s perception. The values people hold can explain their attitude and in many cases the behavior they engage in. Attitudes are evaluations of various attitude objects. They are based on beliefs and often are important for guiding behavior.

Part II – Components of Attitude 7. Attitude is an enduring system comprising of three components, namely, cognition, feeling and action tendency. Each of the components has dimensions called valence. Valence may either be positive or negative i.e. either favorable or unfavorable, either pro or con, either supporting or opposing. When we say attitude towards the caste system, it reflects all the components of attitude vis-à-vis its valence, i.e. positive or negative. Few scientists suggest that a few attitudes are inborn. In general, attitudes are acquired through experience. 8. Attitudes were assumed to have instrumental or utilitarian functions (helping people attain rewards and avoid punishments), knowledge functions (organizing and simplifying peoples experiences), expressive functions (enabling emotional release), and ego-defensive functions (protect and enhancing the self). In general attitudes are acquired or utilitarian functions. Part III - Personality of a GTO 9. The personality of a GTO should be one which possesses positive qualities and not just absence of negative qualities. He should be one who can enjoy life and provide opportunities for others to enjoy. A lively person who can feel anger, sadness of jealousy and can even express these feelings under appropriate circumstance without being influenced by resentment and hostility. A person who is not subservient but is an independent worthwhile individual with abilities, skills feelings and aspirations, to improve and progress and has to lead a productive, eventful and self realising life. In short, a person who has the aptitude and capacity to fit in the Armed forces who will feel happy and satisfied with his experiences as a Service Officer. Part IV- GTO’s Attitude towards Candidates 10. The GTO’s attitude towards the candidates is the prime factor towards a candidate revealing himself on the assigned tasks A GTO should be:(a) Kind, sympathetic and understanding in his attitude. He should be forgiving and generous when required.

(b) Non-discriminatory and benign. He should be unbiased towards caste, creed and religion of the candidate. (c) Should avoid being so positive so as to actually lead them or give them a pointer about the type of behavior he approves or that he hopes to find, or a particular desired solution. (d) Should be unassuming, unobtrusive and unostentatious. He should not show off and thrust himself on the candidates. He should not project his own personality, as it is a sign of insecurity and not suited for objective evaluation of others. (e) All actions and warning should be directed towards the group in general and not towards the individual any individual. If praise is given it should be only when it is required to ward off frustration. (f) GTO is like a catalytic agent to elicit spontaneous behavior. (g) He should have strength of character to restrain himself and let others project themselves. (h) He should be business oriented during the tasks and not too familiar. After the tasks he should ensure de-tensing and sealing off when required. (i) His interference should be purposive using discretion. Constant interference will result in lack of spontaneity. On the other hand being passive will result in lack of control and the productivity of the group will be low. Part V - Technique of handling group 11. Effective application of the technique needs ‘Finesse’. It comes by experience and by correct understanding and approach to the following essential ingredients:(a) Test Technique. This consists of briefing, observation, recording, interpretation and evaluation of candidates. (b) Presence of Mind. The GTO should be quick to foresee, understand, appreciate and deal with any situation during the testing. (c) Attitude towards Others. It is important for a GTO to have the right attitude towards himself, candidates, the organization and other assessors.

(d) Attitude towards himself. The GTO should know himself, his strengths and weaknesses. He should be constantly making efforts to improve him both as an assessor and a human being. Only then will he be able to rate himself highly and be motivated towards his job. (e) Attitude towards Other Assessors. The GTO should have thorough understanding of his technique and at the same time he should show mutual respect for other techniques and assessors and their expertise. He should understand the perception is from different angles while applying the three techniques on the candidates. 12. Although a therapeutic technique, free association has been used to a great advantage in group testing. To generate natural and spontaneous behaviour, the GTO, through his briefing and warm social contact allays undue test anxieties of the candidate and wins their confidence. He stimulates them into activity. The group is subjected to a number of different situations based on “free for all”. Each one is free to participate as much as he/she wants and in the manner he wants. The group is allowed to endure its own stresses. The GTO should make himself unobtrusive and inconspicuous but in a manner that his presence is still felt by the group. The GTO does not merely stays as a passive spectator, instead keeps a control over the pulse of the group activity by his careful and tactful handling and his own quick changing situations. This purposeful occasional interference enables the GTO to regulate the stresses on the group, prevent any mishaps and ensure continuity of productive data. Conclusion 13. The GTO through his positive attitude and objective assessment can discriminate between right and the wrong choice of candidates for the services and create the right environment for objective and impartial assessing in the Service Selection Boards. A healthy attitude with correct implementation of technique will foster greater trust & professionalism and make the assessment procedure more fruitful.