Demonstrating problem solving

 Applicants are encouraged to tell stories to demonstrate how they handle work-related situations. Structures for these stories include:

STAR

• S = situation. Describing the context of the example.
• T = task. Explaining what the person’s role was.
• A = action. Outlining what the person did to handle the situation.
• R = result. Describing what the result of the action was.

SAR

• S = situation including role.
• A = action.
• R = result.

When giving examples, particularly about problem-solving, two aspects of the example to consider are:

• What was the difficulty?
• What was the desired state and was it achieved?

There is language that relates to both of these.

For example:

Difficulties                                                           Desired states

problem                                                              solution

blocked                                                              freed up

slowed                                                                accelerated

barriers                                                               break-throughs

out of date                                                          renewed

missed                                                                regained

silos                                                                    cooperation

deadlock                                                            re-focussed

bottleneck                                                          freed up

You can probably think of other examples.

Where this language can be helpful is in including it in the story. Difficulties are part of the context. Desired state is part of the result and may be mentioned in the action.

For example:

Situation:

I attended a branch planning meeting to revise the corporate plan and identify goals for the coming year. After a heated debate about priorities staff became bogged down in implementation detail, section silos resurfaced, and blinkered thinking presented barriers to resolving the discussion. While I was not facilitating this discussion, as a manager I could see that we weren’t going to reach an outcome if the current state of play continued.

Action:

To break through this deadlock I suggested three lines of action. First, that we all take a refreshment break to leave the room, mix and mingle and have time out. Second, that we revisit our goals for the session to get us re-focused on the big picture. Third, we have a timed discussion about section concerns that were unresolved. The meeting agreed to these steps and to the facilitator leading the discussions under accepted ground rules.

Result:

The break provided the opportunity to shift focus and renew energy levels. Revisiting the goals resulted in shifting the perspective back to the big picture with reassurances that implementation detail would receive structured attention. The discussion of concerns, while painful at times, resulted in a break-through in understanding between sections that contributed to improved cooperation. The outcomes of this meeting were fully met, with goals that had 100% support. My manager later thanked my for my contribution, which she described as "critical to the success of the meeting".

Other useful articles:

• Why how you do something matters 
• Turn nouns into verbs for strong applications

Dr Ann Villiers, learning guide, professional speaker and author, is Australia's only Mental Nutritionist® specialising in mind and language practices that help people build flexible thinking, confident speaking and quality connections with people. Visit www.mentalnutrition.com to learn more about Mental Nutrition. Visit www.selectioncriteria.com.au for free resources unlocking the mysteries of public service jobs.