Problem solving: mapping experience to behaviours
Use diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place as raw material for Success Profiles statements. The same real incident can often evidence different behaviours depending on which actions you emphasise.
You do not need Civil Service experience. Assessors care about the quality of evidence at the grade, not the logo on your payslip.
Choose the behaviour before you write
List what you actually did. Then ask which behaviour those actions best match. Forcing a teamwork story into Making Effective Decisions usually scores poorly.
Behaviour angles for problem solving
Seeing the Big Picture
How problem solving experience can evidence seeing the wider context and how your work connects to organisational goals.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Changing and Improving
How problem solving experience can evidence seeking better ways of working and adapting to change.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Making Effective Decisions
How problem solving experience can evidence using evidence and sound judgement to decide and explain why.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Leadership
How problem solving experience can evidence setting direction, inspiring others and taking responsibility.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Communicating and Influencing
How problem solving experience can evidence communicating clearly and persuading others with evidence and empathy.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Working Together
How problem solving experience can evidence building positive relationships and collaborating to achieve shared goals.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Developing Self and Others
How problem solving experience can evidence learning continuously and helping others grow.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Managing a Quality Service
How problem solving experience can evidence delivering a reliable, user-focused service and improving quality.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Delivering at Pace
How problem solving experience can evidence delivering timely results with focus, pace and resilience.
Tip: pick one concrete incident from diagnosing issues and putting lasting fixes in place and write it in STAR aimed at the grade in your advert.
Worked approach
- Pick one incident with a clear before/after.
- Write Action bullets only: what you did.
- Match to a behaviour hub and grade example.
- Add Situation, Task and Result; cut to the word limit.