Chapter Ten-How To Master Situation Reaction Test
This chapter has a detailed study of one of the most challenging situations of situation reaction test.
Chapter 10-SRT 4-He had gone to a temple and he found beggars harassing the people for money. He will__
This is the fourth situation we have chosen for study. Please write your reaction on it quickly and only then read further.
Let us first understand why this kind of a situation will come during the situation reaction test. This kind of situation will come only to check the compassion factor in the candidate’s personality. The situation deliberately mentions that the beggars are harassing people. The word harass has been used to see if this will generate a negative thought in the candidate’s mind of taking some sort of an action against the beggars by doing something like calling the police or temple security or by complaining about the beggars to police or temple authorities. Majority of the candidates will end up taking some action against the beggars. They will either call the police or guards or complain about them to police or temple trustees and by doing that they will clearly confirm to the board that they lack compassion. Let me help you understand how. Beggars are people who are extremely unfortunate. Nobody begs by choice. A person resorts to begging only when he is left with no other option. Ask any beggar on the street if he would like to earn some money, no matter how small the amount, by doing labour work or any kind of work and he will instantly say yes. Everybody wants a life of dignity.
The other thing we need to understand is that in a country like ours if we go to any big temple, church, gurudwara or mosque or any religious place, we will see that there are lot of beggars sitting at it’s entrance. The reason being, they know that most of the devotees visiting that place of worship might do some charity as positive karma. The possibility of getting alms is highest at such places. That is why if you ever visit such a place, you will notice that beggars come after you and plead you a lot to give them some money for their needs as they are very poor.
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There is nothing unusual about this. Beggars are generally the most unfortunate and hapless people having no other option for their survival. Any good human being will feel bad looking at their plight. So, if the candidate writes about taking action against such people who are already leading a miserable life which is very painful and full of suffering, then it leaves no doubt in the assessor’s mind about the lack of compassion in the candidate’s heart.
There is one more extremely important thing we need to understand about this situation. What is important to understand about the situation in question is that a word like harassment has been used for the way the beggars literally walk behind you and follow you and gently touch your hand or shoulder pleading for money. Harassment word here does not mean any sort of physical violence or sexual harassment. This is also a way to test the candidate. If the candidate is a healthy minded person with a good heart, then he will interpret the meaning of the word harassment as beggars following you asking for money without having any intention to harm you in any way. If the candidate is a negative minded person, then he will perceive the meaning of the word harassment in this situation as beggars intending to cause harm.
It is not only about positive or negative mentality but also about understanding of life and human beings. A person with a good heart and a good understanding of life will know that the beggars are doing this purely out of helplessness and are indeed in a bad situation in life. This kind of a realisation will not come to someone who is having a negative mentality and also doesn’t understand people and life. This way an answer which talks about taking action also reveals that the candidate is not just someone lacking compassion but also lacks the understanding of life and of human beings.
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A person who lacks the understanding about even the most basic human behaviour is not at all suitable to be made a leader or be given a people manager’s role. I am sure now you will understand how this situation will help the assessor understand the candidate in a very deep manner. Let us now analyse the candidate’s responses and then we will take a look at model answer.
1) Shrey-call the security of temple to handle the situation.
Analysis-Exactly what I spoke about. The answer makes it clear that the candidate has no compassion in his heart. I have already explained reasons about why the answer will be interpreted like this. The answer will come across as very negative to the board.
2) Naveen-try to call NGO for counselling the beggars and tell them about all opportunities according to their age groups.
Analysis-Try to denotes lack of confidence and clarity of thought regarding the step planned. This is another category of answer which candidates write. They write answers which talk about changing the life of all the beggars totally. Won’t the answer come across as unrealistic and day dreaming? We come across beggars all the time in our country. At every traffic signal we come across beggars. Has the candidate changed the life of every beggar he has come across in life? If not, then why suddenly there is such a drastic step being taken for this select group of beggars? Won’t the step raise more questions rather than reveal qualities? There is one more reason why this step sounds unrealistic. If jobs were just so easily available for beggars through NGOs and that too as per their age then will our country not become free of the sad sight of people begging on the streets? Think about it! For all these reasons, the answer will not be acceptable to the board.
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3) Ravi-ask the temple management to help and save the people.
Analysis-The answer is extremely negative. It is talking about saving people. It is making the beggars look like some hardened criminals who are about to kill the devotees. This is precisely how a word like harassment acts like a litmus test. It makes it clear whether the candidate is a kind hearted and mature individual or whether he is an insensitive person with a negative outlook. The candidate has perceived the poor hapless beggars as a group of extremely harmful people. A candidate having this kind of a mindset will never come across as acceptable to the board.
4) Dhiraj-He will talk to temple security and control beggar activity.
Analysis-The interpretation will be the same as Shrey’s answer’s.
5) Nitin-he will help the people get out of the situation and inform the Mandir committee.
Analysis-The interpretation will be the same as Shrey’s answer’s.
6) Shyam-he will protect them from beggars with the help of temple security.
Analysis-The interpretation will be the same as Shrey’s answer’s.
7) Sahil-He will tell them not to do any physical violence with the people coming in the temple otherwise he will take action by calling the police.
Analysis-The candidate has left absolutely no doubt that he is viewing the beggars as people who are indulging in violence. He is even threatening the beggars with police action. The answer is extremely negative and that too in a very loud and clear manner.
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8) Tarun-Asked them firmly to do no such thing instead look for work or else complaint will be done against them to the trustees.
Analysis-Again, the answer uses the word firmly in such a way that it becomes clear that the candidate is warning the beggars in a very clear manner. This will show a total absence of compassion in his heart. The second problem is the way the candidate has written about asking them to find a job. It makes it sound like the candidate feels as if the beggars are enjoying begging sitting at the doorsteps of a temple. This is what I was talking about when I mentioned about lack of understanding of life and human beings earlier. Lastly, they have been threatened as well stating that a complaint will be filed with the trustees regarding them. The answer leaves absolutely no room for the board to show any leniency. The answer will be viewed extremely negatively by the board.
9) Rohit-He will go to the trustee committee and gave some ration or money and ask them also to start distribute food for beggars apart from money.
Analysis-The answer doesn’t talk about direct interaction with the beggars. Are we to believe that the candidate is against directly interacting with the beggars or considers them to be some sort of untouchables who are to be kept away from? What is stopping the candidate from directly interacting with the beggars when he is clearly able to see that what they are doing is perhaps not being liked by the devotees? Another negative element in the answer is the use of the word some. It is extremely important to understand that in answers like these, a word like some comes across as insulting and derogatory. Here, a word like some will reflect lack of respect for a poor human being. Let me help you understand in a little detail.
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Let us say two friends are standing on the street at a tea stall and having tea. A beggar comes by and repeatedly asks for money. One of the friends gets irritated. It is in this irritated state that a word like some money will come to his mind. He might ask his friend to give the beggar some money. Some here would just look like something you want to just throw at the beggar’s face and just make him go away. It does not reveal compassion or kindness. It reflects how we see beggar as a nuisance as source of irritation. Rather than writing some money, it is better to write just money or mention the specific amount whatever it is. Think about it and you will see my point!
Another weak point in the answer is that it looks like the candidate is going to help all the beggars with food and money. Is that going to be possible within his financial capacity? Is he a millionaire? For all these reasons, the answer will not be viewed positively by the board.
10) Pawan-he told beggars not to do so.
Analysis-Told sounds like an order. The answer is just too short and sounds like an incomplete answer. Complete solution does not seem to be provided in the answer. The board will not feel satisfied with the answer.
Model Answer: Quickly intervene. Pacify everyone. Request beggars to give way and not to harass devotees.
Analysis: Quickly shows that the candidate acts fast when he sees something undesirable happening. That is where sense of responsibility and quickness of action and decision becomes visible. He pacified everyone which means he pacified devotees as well as beggars. It shows that he is not acting in favour of any one side. He is fair to both. The use of the word request confirms that he has compassion as well as respect for the beggars. The beggars are helpless people. A normal person can easily threaten them or warn them as we saw so clearly in the candidates’ responses. Still, the candidate has requested them. It shows he is kind to them and is acting with realisation of their bad state.
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He has not written anything about changing their life completely. He is realistic and has just stopped at ensuring that the beggars give way to devotees and not harass them. This is all that the board wants to see. As an add-on you can write a sentence at the end request people to donate as per capacity. It will add additional positivity. However, even without it, the answer is acceptable.
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