The hot new approach in business is to share stories via the S.T.A.R. method. Whether you are applying for a job or up for your annual review, the S.T.A.R. method can help you shine like a star (I really couldn’t help myself there).
The S.T.A.R. method focuses on:
Situation
Task
Action
Result
Situation. Think big picture here. What’s the current environment? If you were doing a SWOT analysis of the business opportunity, you could include some of those details in your Situation.
Task. Here we get more specific of what problem you are going to solve or the business opportunity.
Action. Teamwork is vital (especially if it’s a position on a team) and so are individual contributions towards a collective goal. Share the specific steps you took and how your actions integrated with other’s efforts.
Result. What are the specifics of the results? When on the job hunt, percentages may be more meaningful than a number. Or if you’re applying for a sales position, use numbers. Results can also be qualitative and quantitative. Be confident that your contributions matter and take credit for your work.
Here’s an example of how it could look.
My company wanted to expand their digital offering. All of our competitors were competing in this space and impacting our core business. (situation)
My team was challenged with identifying the value proposition of our digital offering and demonstrating how it can enhance our core business. (task)
We worked together to develop our plan. I lead the competitive research phase creating SWOT analysis which was the foundation for the brainstorms around messaging. After the brainstorms, I synthesized the information and our team presented to the executive team.
I’m proud to say that our digital offering is growing by 135% YOY to contribute to the overall growth of the company by 105%. The executive team is very pleased with how this project expanded our digital offering and overall business. And we are getting fantastic feedback from customers about how easy the digital offering is to use. They are repeating our value prop and messaging back to us.
If written it out, keep it short but specific. About 250 words. It could fit nicely within your cover letter or online performance review form. Then during your actual review or interview, you should have notes about how you can go deeper.
The S.T.A.R. method is an evolution of the Challenge/Solution approach. It allows you to dig deeper and tell a stronger, more specific story. Shine like the star that you are! You are perfect for that new job, and you’ve earned that promotion! Let the S.T.A.R. method help you receive everything you’re worth!
Jenn Uhen (Pronounced Genuine) 