Seeing the Big Picture
Seeing the Big Picture means understanding how your role fits into the wider Civil Service and the public it serves. At every grade, assessors want to see that you think beyond your immediate tasks and consider the broader impact of your decisions.
What assessors look for: Evidence that you understand organisational priorities, consider wider stakeholders, and align your work with government objectives.
What Seeing the Big Picture means
Seeing the Big Picture means understanding how your role fits into the wider Civil Service and the public it serves. At every grade, assessors want to see that you think beyond your immediate tasks and consider the broader impact of your decisions. This behaviour is one of the nine assessed under the Civil Service Success Profiles framework. Most departments ask for 250 words per behaviour at AA–HEO level, and 500–750 words at SEO and above.
The Civil Service defines Seeing the Big Picture as a core behaviour that assessors evaluate at both sift and interview stages. The exact wording of the framework may vary slightly by department — always check the job advert for the specific wording used.
Example statement
Below is a 250-word example for Seeing the Big Picture. Every example on this site is original, word-count accurate, and includes a STAR breakdown.
[S] I was working as a customer service supervisor in a retail chain when I noticed our store was receiving an unusually high number of complaints about a new returns policy.
[T] I needed to understand whether this was a local issue or part of a wider pattern, and ensure the feedback reached the right people.
[A] I reviewed complaint logs from the past three months and cross-referenced them with two nearby stores in the same region. I found that all three stores showed a 40% increase in returns-related complaints since the policy change. I compiled this data into a concise report, including customer verbatim quotes, and sent it to our regional manager with a recommendation to review the policy at the next quarterly meeting. I also briefed my team on how to handle returns empathetically in the meantime.
[R] The regional manager presented the data at the quarterly review. The policy was revised within six weeks, and returns-related complaints across the region dropped by 55% in the following quarter. My store manager commended me for spotting the wider issue rather than treating it as a local problem.
- Shows awareness of the wider system (other stores, regional patterns) rather than just local problem-solving.
- Uses a specific number (40% increase, 55% drop) to make the result concrete and measurable.
- Demonstrates initiative in gathering data and presenting it to the right decision-makers.
- Balances strategic thinking with practical action (briefing the team on interim handling).
- Focusing only on your own team or department without mentioning wider stakeholders.
- Using vague language like "I considered the bigger picture" without showing what you actually did.
- Confusing this behaviour with Leadership — it is about understanding context, not directing others.
Plagiarism note: This example is for inspiration only. Adapt it to your own experience. Assessors can spot generic or copied statements, and they score poorly.
Examples by grade
Each grade requires a different level of complexity. Click your grade to see a tailored example.
Focus on following procedures, supporting team goals, and showing awareness of wider context.
EOShow initiative within your role and understanding of how your work supports the team.
HEODemonstrate broader awareness, stakeholder engagement, and proactive problem-solving.
SEOShow strategic thinking, cross-team influence, and management of wider priorities.
Grade 7Demonstrate senior-level strategic oversight, policy awareness, and organisational impact.
Grade 6Show director-level strategic leadership, cross-departmental influence, and systemic change.
How to write a Seeing the Big Picture statement
Follow these steps to write a strong statement. For a full guide, see how to write behaviour statements.
- Pick one specific example. Choose a real situation from your work, volunteering, or education. One well-told example beats three vague ones.
- Write the Situation in two sentences. Set the scene quickly. Assessors do not need every detail — just enough to understand the context.
- State the Task in one sentence. What did you need to achieve? Be specific about your responsibility.
- Spend 60% of your words on Action. This is where you show what you did, not what the team did. Use "I" not "we".
- End with a clear Result. Include a number if you can. What changed? What was the outcome?
Write long, then cut. First drafts of 350 words usually contain a strong 250. Focus on cutting adjectives and filler phrases like "I felt it was important to" — they add words without adding meaning.
Interview questions
At interview, you may be asked follow-up questions about your behaviour statement. Prepare for questions like:
- "Tell me about a time when you demonstrated seeing the big picture."
- "What would you do differently if you faced that situation again?"
- "How did you ensure your approach was the right one?"
See the full interview question bank for Seeing the Big Picture.
Frequently asked questions
Most departments ask for 250 words per behaviour at AA–HEO level. SEO and above may allow 500 or 750 words. Always check the job advert — the limit varies, and on Civil Service Jobs it is sometimes a word limit and sometimes a character limit.
Yes, but you must rewrite the example to focus on the specific behaviour being assessed. The same project could show Leadership (how you directed the team) and Working Together (how you collaborated with stakeholders), but the emphasis and wording must be different for each.
You do not need a dramatic story. A well-told ordinary example — Retail team leader who noticed their store's customer complaints were part of a wider regional pattern and escalated the insight to head office. — scores better than an extraordinary one told badly. Assessors look for clarity and evidence, not grandeur.