Applying for a Civil Service job can feel like a daunting task, especially when you get to the part where you need to write those infamous 250-word statements. These statements are a crucial part of your application, showcasing how your experiences align with the required behaviours. Today, we’re going to dive into the “Working Together” behaviour, specifically at the Higher Executive Officer (HEO) level. Let’s explore what this behaviour means and how you can nail that 250-word statement.
The Behaviour: Working Together
“Working Together” is all about collaboration, teamwork, and building relationships. At the HEO level, this behaviour means more than just being a good team player. You’re expected to take the lead in fostering a collaborative environment, breaking down silos, and ensuring that everyone’s contributions are valued and integrated.
At HEO level, you should demonstrate an ability to:
- Encourage and support your team, promoting a positive team spirit.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and other departments.
- Resolve conflicts and facilitate discussions to reach a common goal.
- Recognize and utilize the strengths of team members to achieve better outcomes.
This is a step up from the Assistant Executive Officer (AEO) level, where the focus is more on participating actively in the team and supporting team goals. In contrast, at the Senior Executive Officer (SEO) level, the expectation is to influence and drive strategic collaboration across wider organizational boundaries, often involving external partners and higher stakes.
250-Word Statement Tips
Now, let’s talk about how to craft your 250-word statement for the “Working Together” behaviour. Here are some tips to help you shine:
- Understand the Behaviour: Make sure you have a clear understanding of what “Working Together” means at the HEO level. Reflect on how you’ve demonstrated this behaviour in your past roles.
- Use the B-STAR Method: Structuring your statement using the B-STAR method will help you stay focused and concise. Here’s how it works:
- Belief: Start with your belief in the importance of working together.
- Situation: Describe a specific situation where you needed to collaborate with others.
- Task: Explain the task you were responsible for in this scenario.
- Action: Detail the actions you took to foster collaboration and teamwork.
- Result: Conclude with the results of your actions and how they benefited the team and organization.
- Be Specific and Relevant: Choose an example that is directly relevant to the HEO level. Avoid vague statements and focus on concrete actions and outcomes.
- Highlight Leadership and Initiative: Emphasize any instances where you took the initiative to bring people together, resolve conflicts, or improve team dynamics.
- Showcase Impact: Clearly articulate the positive impact your actions had on the team and the overall goals. Use quantifiable results where possible to demonstrate your effectiveness.
- Proofread and Refine: Once you’ve written your statement, take the time to review and refine it. Make sure it flows well, stays within the word limit, and effectively showcases your ability to work together at the HEO level.
And now, to give you a concrete example of how this looks in practice, let me share…
250 Word Statement Example
I believe that effective collaboration is crucial for achieving exceptional outcomes. This belief guides my efforts to cultivate a cooperative and supportive team environment.
As a Librarian at a small library, I was tasked with revamping our community outreach programs to increase public engagement and attendance. This project required close collaboration with library staff, local schools, and community organizations.
To initiate the project, I held a brainstorming session with my team to generate ideas and identify potential challenges. I emphasized the importance of each member’s input and encouraged creative thinking. This session helped us outline a clear plan and set achievable goals.
Next, I established partnerships with local schools and community organizations. I scheduled meetings with their representatives to discuss our plans, gather feedback, and explore opportunities for collaboration. This helped us tailor our programs to meet the community’s needs and ensured we had their support.
To keep everyone aligned, I implemented a shared calendar and communication platform where team members could update progress, share resources, and coordinate activities. I also organized bi-weekly meetings to review progress, address issues, and celebrate successes.
Understanding the importance of team wellbeing, I fostered an inclusive and respectful work environment. I made it clear that any form of discrimination or harassment would not be tolerated.
The revamped outreach programs were a success, resulting in a 40% increase in attendance and positive feedback from the community. This experience reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and the importance of creating a supportive team environment.