Seeing the Big Picture: Civil Service Behaviour at Executive Officer Grade
The behaviour Seeing the Big Picture is about understanding how your work connects to wider organisational goals and priorities. At Executive Officer (EO) grade, you are expected to recognise how your daily tasks contribute to the bigger picture, stay aware of relevant policies, and keep sight of the needs of end users and stakeholders.
This behaviour shows that you can balance the detail of your role with an awareness of how your work supports your team and department. It involves understanding why tasks matter, being alert to developments that may affect your work, and considering how your actions contribute to government objectives.
When preparing a 250-word statement for this behaviour, aim to demonstrate:
🌍 A belief statement showing your commitment to supporting wider organisational goals.
🌍 A situation where you needed to consider the broader context of your work.
🌍 The actions you took to align your task with team or departmental priorities, and how you responded to new information or guidance.
🌍 The results, which should show how your contribution supported colleagues, improved service delivery, or ensured consistency with wider objectives.
The B-STAR method provides a clear structure, helping you explain the background, your task, the specific actions you took, and the positive results. Strong examples will show that you understand the bigger picture, that you take responsibility for aligning your work to it, and that you add value through awareness of organisational and user needs.
The image above provides a full example statement for Seeing the Big Picture at EO grade. Use it as a guide to frame your own example, keeping the link between your work and broader priorities clear throughout.
