seeing the big picture presentation

Starting your presentation: giving the big picture

• First Online: 24 June 2022

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• Adrian Wallwork 3  

Part of the book series: English for Academic Research ((EAR))

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This chapter answers the following questions. What is the most important thing I need to know about how to start my presentation? How do researchers typically start their presentation and is this the best way? What are some good ways to start a presentation? What kinds of questions can I ask my audience at the beginning of my presentation? How should I talk about statistics as a way to introduce my research? How can I begin by relating my research to my country? If my research area is very complex, how can I begin in a way that is not too academic and formal? How should I introduce myself at a presentation that is not for a conference? What doesn’t the audience need / want to hear in my first 30 seconds? How important is my English at the beginning of my presentation?

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About this chapter

Wallwork, A. (2022). Starting your presentation: giving the big picture. In: Giving an Academic Presentation in English. English for Academic Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95609-7_6

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The Importance of Seeing the Big Picture Big-picture thinking is critical to understanding what is possible in the present and in the future.

By Phil Geldart Edited by Dan Bova Apr 30, 2020

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Today, the velocity of change is continually increasing. Anyone in business today — from senior leadership to the frontline workers — feels immense pressure to deliver on accountabilities while juggling the realities of today's world. The trouble is when we constantly operate in this state, it can become too easy to lose sight of the big picture .

For a moment, let's consider the big picture is a mountain top. Picture yourself having hiked up to the top of a mountain and looking down at the valley below where you live. While most of your time is spent in the valley living your everyday life, solving common problems and overcoming challenges, when you do climb to the top of the mountain, you gain a new perspective. You have a birds-eye view of the village layout, shops, and roadways.

Related: Getting Clarity on Your Big-Picture Vision

From this perspective you can see things clearly that may not have otherwise been so obvious; roads are not straight, homes and shops might not be ideally located. Going to the top gives you the ability to observe and correct or improve things that might otherwise be missed. It's an opportunity to ask yourself, "How can I make things better?"

This exercise is imperative to organizational success, especially for those in positions of leadership. The need to see broadly like this is important to establish perspective, and in turn judgment. Your judgment is based on how well you can keep the big picture view (the view from the mountain top) while executing against your day-to-day tasks (the valley).

Related: Are You Really Seeing the Big Picture?

When you take the time to look at the big picture it can cause a shift in perspective, modify your judgment, and ultimately change your focus and activity, either as an individual, team, or entire organization. Getting a big picture perspective tends to reinforce the things that are important and subsequently refocus your attention on what you determine to be true priorities.

When looking at the big picture, ask yourself the following three questions:

• Why are things occurring as they are?
• What is really necessary?
• How do the various single pieces with which I'm involved fit into the grand scheme of things?

Three benefits of looking at the big picture

• It allows you to see opportunities for improvement
• It allows you to bring that big picture view to be communicated to the rest of the team
• It serves to reinforce the real reason for the activities you do daily

When we get pulled in so many directions, with shifting priorities, and the never-ending pressure to produce results now , it can be difficult to step back, take a big picture view and evaluate. However, the alternative is worse. You may wake up one day and find that what was is now no longer relevant, inefficient, or becoming less profitable. While it can seem difficult to find the time in a busy calendar to set aside for big picture thinking, it is critical to the achievement of what is possible in the present and the future.

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How to Help Your Audience See the ‘Big Picture’

Dec 26, 2018 | Connect with Every Audience , Persuasion , Public Speaking Tips , Speaking Tip , Speech Writing , Stand OUT! Speaking Tip , Write a Meaningful & Memorable Message | 0 comments

Take a good look at the picture above. Look at it for several seconds. 

What do you see?

Most people see a white triangle. It’s resting upon a black-lined triangle and three circles. 

The reality is there isn’t a white triangle in the illustration. There are three v-shaped lines and three ‘Pac-Man’ discs.  

This illustration is a Kanizsa Triangle . Created in the 1950s, it helps show how the brain perceives objects and colors in everyday life. It also demonstrates that we don’t always see what what’s really there.

Research has determined that humans have visual ‘blind spots.’  

Our eyes don’t see everything in our field of vision. Our brains have developed the ability to fill in the missing pieces and create false images. This is why we ‘see’ the white triangle that isn’t there. 

It occurs to me that audiences often have ‘blind spots’ about the topics we speak about. One of the roles of speakers is to help audiences see the world in a different light.

For 20 years, I was a Certified Financial Planner. We often invested time with clients to show the reality of financial products. For example, how the stock market functions, or how life insurance products work. 

Far too often, they had incorrect assumptions about these financial tools. These beliefs caused them to make poor financial decisions. Until we clarified these, our clients couldn’t make good decisions that they felt good about.

As a speech coach, one of my first jobs is to work with people on their fear or anxiety about public speaking. These feelings are real for many, but are often based on false premises. People may feel that great speakers are born that way, or that audiences want them to fail. Neither of these is true, but, until I help them under this, the rest of my coaching will be less effective.  

As you prepare your next presentation, do this:

Write out a list of common misconceptions that may be blinding your audience. If they are stuck on these beliefs, you won’t be able to connect with them at a deep level and see the benefit of your message.

Then create a list of  ‘truths’ to counter those beliefs. These will help them see the picture as it really is.

When you change audience perceptions, you’ll open their minds to seeing your topic in a new light. You’ll enhance the chances of leaving a lasting impression on them.

Want to ‘Become a Speaker Everyone Wants to Hear? Join me for a no-cost, no-obligation webinar this Thursday at noon (EST). Discover three of the most common speaking myths that hold speakers back. You’ll also learn the next steps you can take to become a speaker who Stands Out every time you speak.

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 I found Michael easy to work wit h, flexible with his schedule, and a wealth of information about the art of speaking.  If you need to improve your presentation or speech, I highly recommend you consider hiring Michael.  It is one of the best investments you can make in your own growth.”

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6 big picture thinking strategies that you'll actually use

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What is big picture thinking? 

An example of big picture thinking, 5 benefits of looking at the big picture, 4 ways to embrace big picture thinking, 6 exercises to develop big picture thinking.

“Big-picture thinkers broaden their outlook by striving to learn from every experience. They don't rest on their successes, they learn from them.” John C. Maxwell, author, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership  

More than ever, organizations are looking ahead to the future with a close lens and keen strategies. This type of big-picture thinking is imperative to the success of any company. It's part of building mental fitness . 

After all, our world is in a constant state of change. With much of the future unknown and uncertain, companies (and people) need to stay agile and think strategically about what’s to come ahead. In fact, half of us feel unable to plan for the future. 

At BetterUp, we’ve studied what this type of thinking looks like in the workplace. To be a future-minded organization means that you’re both pragmatic and optimistic. You look ahead to find the upside and possibility of opportunity. You have confidence in your ability to take action and influence outcomes. 

But you also make space to be reactive. Your organization knows that the future isn’t set in stone. To look at the bigger picture ahead, you know that you need to make space for reflection in case things don’t go as planned. 

Because if there’s anything we’ve learned in the last couple of years, things don’t always go as planned. Even the best-laid plans are disrupted. After all, external factors like the global pandemic , a fluctuating market, and political unrest all play a role. 

In this post, you’ll learn how to adopt habits to become a big-picture thinker. Find out how strategic thinking can keep your organization a step ahead — and be better prepared to pivot when needed. 

First, let’s understand what we mean by big picture thinking. 

What is big picture thinking?

Big picture thinking is a type of thinking that helps you think about the future. It’s strategic thinking that helps you build a vision of the opportunities ahead. 

These types of thinking skills aren’t inherently natural to us. Like any other sort of skill or muscle, it takes practice to start thinking with a big picture view. Let’s look at some examples of big picture thinking — and why it’s worth investing in building a future-mindedness in your workplace. 

Let’s take a step back to look at some examples of big-picture thinking in the workplace. You could potentially use this example as a thinking strategy with your team members. 

Lucy is a director in a technology company. As an HR leader, Lucy has a breadth of experience in human resources management . Her team is responsible for making sure that employees are well taken care of. 

Throughout the pandemic, Lucy and her team have wrestled quite a few challenges to help make sure employees are a top priority. When the pandemic first hit, Lucy was challenged with leading the COVID-19 workstream to help pivot to remote work . She and her team needed to form guidelines and policies around COVID-19 . 

She was tasked with looking into employee benefits and resources to offer employees in response to the pandemic. She was also asked to think about the future of work strategy and present it to the senior leadership team. 

Lucy’s initial future work strategy incorporated a return-to-office approach. Lucy's company previously required employees to work from the office. She knew it was a top priority for leadership to have employees return to the office. 

But Lucy kept up-to-date on industry trends and research. She found that employees preferred working from home . But more importantly, she learned employees wanted the flexibility to make decisions about how (and where) they work. Companies agreed, with 83% of employers saying the shift to remote work has been successful . 

She also kept a pulse on the job market and climate outside of the corporate world. With employees leaving in droves during the Great Resignation , Lucy pivoted her strategy. She also realized that while the job market is still competitive, the company would need to retain and continue to develop its top talent. After all, the company was tightening its budgets. 

Lucy stayed agile and adopted the skills of a future-minded leader. Her strategy included a detail-oriented, employee-driven approach to returning to the office. Instead of requiring employees to work in the office, Lucy proposed an employee-centric approach. Let employees pick and choose how they want to work. Accommodate employees for hybrid work environments and invest in professional development opportunities. 

Lucy also proposed initiatives like virtual team activities , team offsites, and “in-office” connection days to help keep social connections strong . The leadership team saw Lucy’s strategy as an inclusive, culture and people-first approach. They agreed to implement Lucy’s strategy thanks her to big thinking. 

Thinking about the big picture has its benefits. Let’s talk through five benefits of looking at the big picture. 

• It helps organizations stay resilient in the face of change and adversity. Big picture thinking helps you build a cushion of resiliency amid change. When things throw you for a loop, your big-picture thinking can help you adapt with ease. 
• It keeps companies agile (especially during challenging times). Agility is more important than ever with change as a constant. Especially when change becomes more complex, big-picture thinking keeps your company agile. 
• It helps improve your bottom line. Adopting strategic thinking helps improve your organizational performance . When organizations are future-minded, your overall performance benefits, too. 
• It creates a culture of imagination and creativity. At BetterUp, we value zest, playfulness, and imagination. When you’re able to weave strategic thinking into your company culture , your employees benefit. 
• It can increase your organization’s ability to adopt strategic foresight. Strategic foresight is the ability to look ahead and provide insight into what might happen in the future. This future-minded decision-making helps your organization stay ahead of the curve. 

If you’re looking for specific actions to take to help embrace big picture thinking, try these four tactics. 

Build future-minded skills 

We know the future isn’t clear. And that’s OK. Organizations everywhere are navigating the same uncertainty and unknown. In fact, 63% of Americans say they’re stressed about the unknown . 

But your workforce doesn’t have to feel like it’s navigating the unknown alone or without support. Creating future-minded leaders in your company will help keep your workforce agile, healthy, and engaged.

Our data shows that future-minded leaders report increased team agility, team performance, innovation, and resiliency. We also know that 82% of people have significant room for improvement in at least one area of future-minded leadership skills.

How are you building your leaders’ problem-solving skills ? In what ways can you keep big picture thinking top of mind for your organization? 

Practice imagination 

At BetterUp, we have a set of high-impact behaviors that help guide what we do (and how we do it). One of my personal favorite high-impact behaviors is called practice imagination. 

The idea? Well, every idea is a good one. You can think outside of the box and propose new projects that may seem unattainable. You can pitch big-picture initiatives that might seem impossible to pull off. 

But here’s the surprising thing: you’ll surprise yourself with what you’ll come up with. And with a bedrock of psychological safety , trust, and inclusive leadership , your ideas might even come to fruition. 

Invest in your employees’ professional development 

Employees want career development opportunities. Without a vision for what their future could look like in your organization, you risk losing your top talent. 

Make an investment in your employees’ development . Are you investing in virtual coaching for your employees? What upskilling opportunities do you have available? Are you encouraging your employees to invest in their own professional development? 

At BetterUp, we know the value of learning opportunities. In addition to our own coaching and personal development, BetterUp gives us a yearly stipend for learning. I’m able to use my stipend for workshops that support my passions, like writing. 

Provide coaching 

Strategic thinkers are people with growth mindsets . Companies that adopt a growth mindset and invest in coaching have seen the benefits first-hand. And with access to virtual coaching, you can tap into the full potential of your workforce. Your employees (and your bottom line) will reap the benefits. 

At BetterUp, we partnered with a publicly traded cloud technology company to support its sales goals. As part of this partnership, we provided a group of sales leaders with personalized Sales Performance coaching. The goal? To help unlock their capabilities (including strategic and big-picture thinking) to drive revenue. 

We took a close look at the performance of those sales managers who were provided with coaching versus those that were uncoached . The results speak for themselves. Teams of coached sales managers saw an 11% boost in reaching sales goals versus non-coached teams.

Ultimately, this translated to an additional $10 million in total bookings per team. Coached sales leaders saw a 60% increase in the number of their direct reports who achieved quota.

By dedicating time every week to their Sales Performance Coach, sales managers experienced significant Whole Person growth. They saw 24% gains in productivity and focus, as well as a 16% gain in strategic planning .

Like most skills, big picture thinking takes practice. Here are six exercises to help develop your big picture thinking skills. 

1. Start with reflection 

It’s hard to know where to go if you don’t know where you’re starting from. If you’re striving to become a big picture person, the first step is to press pause. 

Take some time to reflect on your current thinking strategies. What’s your approach to solving problems? Are you adopting a future-minded approach when it comes to thinking about the future? What are your team needs and how can a big picture lens help? What are your strengths? What are your opportunities for growth? 

2. Ditch perfectionism 

Detail-oriented people, you may not like this one. But your perfectionism is getting in the way of you becoming a big picture person. 

If the perfectionist inside of you is clinging to the perfect plan, you’re probably not able to look past the short-term. Challenge yourself to let go of things. 

3. Think about other perspectives 

Part of being a big picture thinker is considering other perspectives. Of course, we live in a world where plenty of people have plenty of opinions. And sometimes, that can be overwhelming. 

But if you take the time to think about the counterargument or try to understand another point of view, it can help. Take some time to think about perspectives that differ from your own. 

4. Use mind mapping as a tool

It helps to write things out. 

If you’re interested in journaling , this could be a good way to spill your big pictures onto paper. Mind mapping helps you articulate what you’re thinking into tangible goals, actions, or ideas. 

5. Ask yourself the tough questions

Think about your audience or the counterargument to your big-picture ideas. What are the higher-level tough questions you might receive? What questions can you anticipate that might challenge your strategic thinking? 

Take a minute to do some brainstorming and ask yourself the tough questions. You’ll be better equipped to navigate those challenges — and it might even shift your thinking. 

6. Stay focused on your purpose

As a creative myself, thinking up big ideas is a lot of fun for me. But sometimes, as they say, the dreamers can get lost in the clouds. 

Stay focused on your purpose to make sure you’re staying on track with your goals. Remind yourself what problems you’re hoping to solve and root down in your purpose. 

Make sure your workforce understands the purpose behind their work , too. With purpose as your North Star and a coach as your guide, you can unlock your workforce’s full potential. 

Start thinking big 

With BetterUp, you can start thinking big. Access to virtual coaching can help tap into your strategic thinking skills. By doing so, your organization can drive growth, development, and better business performance. 

Together, we can help your workforce start to adopt strategic leadership skills. With the help of a coach, your employees can be prepared for a better (and brighter) tomorrow.  

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Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

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8 types of internal communication (and 4 factors that matter most), 5 tactics for managing managers effectively — and why it matters, 3 reasons why your company needs workforce management, what’s systems thinking the secret to a future-minded organization, how to use strategic foresight to stay ahead of the curve, managers vs. senior managers: become the boss you want to be, 10 examples of principles that can guide your approach to work, the secret to developing managers that help your business thrive, 6 employee coaching examples to empower agile teams, how to develop critical thinking skills, 6 strategies for supporting employees that actually work, whether you're a professional athlete or a professional, you need a coach, reactive vs. proactive management styles: which one gets results, a strong coaching culture makes dollars — and sense, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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Presentation Guru

Big picture or deep detail do both with powerpoint zoom.

[This article contains affiliate links. For more information, see our disclosures here .]

Sometimes in our presentations we need big-picture thinking to set vision and direction. Yet at other times, we need to deep dive and drill down into the detail.

But what if we need to do both ? What if we need to talk about the future, but explain the specifics and how we’re going to get there?

It’s near impossible to jump around inside a PowerPoint doc or zoom in on details – unless, that is, you use the new Microsoft Zoom.

As part of Office 365 , Zoom is an interactive presentation tool that creates the illusion of depth. The menu for your slides resembles a tablet interface and allows you to easily control the presentation flow based on where you want to go.

Zoom in on the facts

• Only available on Office 365 – make sure you run the latest updates.
• For the latest instructions and features of zoom click here .
• You can’t back save versions, so if you have Office 365 but your colleague is running a previous Office version, the animation will not work.

Don’t just take our word for it – have a look at Zoom in action in this example that Presentation Studio created inspired by the movie Inception .

The animation was created using Zoom in PowerPoint and saved as a video.

Inception PPT Zoom from Presentation Studio on Vimeo .

So next time you need to combine big and little pictures – make the most of Zoom.

To find out more about other PowerPoint features check out our PowerPoint Design Training course .

• Latest Posts

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Seeing the Big Picture – Being aware of how your actions impact the wider project or organisation

Seeing the Big Picture is part of the Civil Service ‘ Success Profiles ‘ framework. It is one of 9 core behaviours that can be tested. Most commonly it will be tested within leadership or project oriented roles.

As it is a core behaviour it can be assessed in a number of ways and, just as importantly, it can be assessed at any stage of the recruitment process. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Your application answers
• During the interview
• As a standalone exercise
• During a presentation
• At an assessment centre

What I am getting at is that if the job advert says that you will be assessed on your ability to ‘See the Big Picture’ you need to make sure you convey your abilities whenever the opportunity arises.

That is why in this article I am going to explain exactly what Seeing the Big Picture means. I am going to look at what it is your assessor/interviewer is expecting of you in the application and interview stages PLUS what might occur in an assessment centre should you be invited to one. Then finally I will attempt to answer some of the common questions that arise when discussing this particular behaviour. (if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us)

• 1 What is Seeing the Big Picture
• 2.1 On your CV
• 2.2 During the Application Process
• 2.3 Seeing the Big Picture 250 Word Statement Example
• 3.1 During the Interview Stage
• 4 Seeing the Big Picture Interview Questions
• 5 In the Assessment Centre
• 6 Seeing the Big Picture – FAQ

What is Seeing the Big Picture

We can’t show off our abilities if we don’t understand what it is we are being assessed on.

Fundamentally ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ is looking at your ability to understand how your piece of work, or area of focus, impacts the wider project or organisation as a whole. There are two key parts to this behaviour. Firstly are you able to showcase that you “see” what is going on in other areas of the organisation? How do you keep yourself abreast of developments (this is a good opportunity to drop in your stakeholder management & communication skills)? 

Then secondly knowing what you know about the “big picture” how do you ensure your actions align with the overarching big picture goals?

In the context of applying for jobs at the civil service, “seeing the big picture” refers to an individual’s ability to understand the broader context, goals, and objectives of the organization, and how their specific role fits into that larger framework. This skill is particularly important for civil servants because their work often involves complex, interconnected policies and initiatives that aim to serve the public interest.

When civil service recruiters look for candidates who can “see the big picture,” they are seeking individuals who:

• Understand the mission, values, and priorities of the civil service and how their work contributes to these overarching goals.
• Can anticipate future trends, opportunities, and challenges that may affect the organization and its objectives.
• Recognize the connections between their role, the work of their colleagues, and the broader organizational strategy.
• Can make informed decisions by taking into account the wider implications of their actions, both within and outside the civil service.
• Are able to adapt to changing circumstances, policies, and priorities while keeping the organization’s goals in mind.

How Will Seeing the Big Picture Be Assessed

I said before that the core behaviours can be tested at any stage of the application process. The vast majority of the time you will be made aware of when you are being assessed as you will be told by your interviewers (either on the application or in the assessment centre or interview stage). Let’s look at the occasions where you will most likely be assessed on this behaviour:

Now those of you who have applied to the Civil Service in the past will be aware that a lot of the advertised roles do not allow you to upload your CV direct. Instead they ask for you to copy and paste relevant sections into the the boxes on their form. Make sure you follow the instructions and remove any identifiable content as this will result in your application being automatically rejected (many many people learn that the hard way!)

Even though you don’t need a traditional CV when applying at the Civil Service I still recommend that you keep an up-to-date copy available as I find that some jobs do ask for them and often some jobs will ask for them prior to the interview stage. Plus they come in handy for you to copy and paste the relevant sections into the form!

If you need help with your CV send it over to us using the form below and we will let you know how it stacks up:

Submit Your CV For Review

During the Application Process

During the application process you will be asked to spend up to 250 words describing your skills and experience as it pertains to each behaviour that is being tested.

That means you will have 250 words to show the assessor that you:

250 words is not a lot of space when you are trying to get a point across.  For reference this entire article is c.1500 words long, and I would say it is one of the shorter pieces I have written.

The recommended strategy for completing these statements is to use the STAR system

B – Belief

S – situation

T – task

A – action

R – result

Put simply: 

What are your thoughts/feelings? What was going on? What was the goal? What did you specifically do? How did it all play out?

The best advice for completing these statements is to spend the bulk of your word allowance on A & R. Actions & Results. 

No need to get bogged down in world building. Just set the scene quickly, say what was happening and what you’d been asked to do. Then focus on the activities you picked up and why you picked them up. Then round it off by confirming how your actions allowed you to help with the overarching goals of the organisation (i.e. you successfully saw the big picture!)

Seeing the Big Picture 250 Word Statement Example

Here is a good example that recently scored very highly at the EO stage for one of our readers

Get access to more examples by clicking here

How to complete your own 250 word statement example

There are many ways you can structure your 250 word statement. The one we find creates the best and most consistent statements is the B-STAR method . For a closer look at how to use the B-STAR method for ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ statements check out the below video:

Click here to learn more about the Civil Service 250 Word Statements PLUS get access to 50 example statements to use as inspiration

During the Interview Stage

If you are reading this now because you have scored a Civil Service Interview and are looking to see what you might be asked. First off congrats on getting this far. This means you are on the shortlist for the role. But the hard work doesn’t stop here, you need to hammer home your skills and experience even more so in the interview than at any point in the application process so far.

If the job advert said that you will be assessed on the behaviour “Seeing the Big Picture” you can be 90% certain that you will receive a question that will be directly about this behaviour. 

It is important when you attend a behavioural interview that you have multiple ‘stories’ to tell for each behaviour. You need to then choose the story that fits the question the best and use that.

Similar to the application process when answering questions in the interview it is recommended to use the B-STAR system

However unlike the application process you are not limited to 250 words. Generally the interviewers will be expecting you to talk through your answers for at least 5 minutes (most interviewers will tell you how long they expect your answers to be so play off what they tell you).

This additional time gives you the ability to get more in-depth about your experience. It is still advisable to spend most of your time on A – actions & R – results. 

But this time when you are describing what it is you did you should drill down into why you did what you did and why you thought that was the best option. Were there other options that you could have gone with? Why were they not chosen? Etc.

Seeing the Big Picture Interview Questions

These are some of the questions that I have personally seen asked during a competency based interview. How well do you think you can answer them?

Tell me about a time when a project you were working on had an impact on the way another area went about their work?

How does your current (or previous) role fit into the organisation’s wider goals?

How do you ensure that you have considered all stakeholder needs when undertaking a new initiative ?

See more…

In the Assessment Centre

Assessment centre evaluations have fallen out of favour as of late, they are now usually reserved for entry level roles where there are lots of jobs available and lots of applicants to sort. Say for example a new customer service centre is opening and they require 100 colleagues to take inbound calls.

When you go to an assessment centre evaluation you will be put into a team alongside your fellow candidates. Then as a team you will be given a scenario and will be asked to come up with a plan on how best to achieve an objective.

It doesn’t really matter what the scenario is or what the objective is. The tips you need to follow are:

– Highlight the blockers – there will be parts of the scenario designed to slow you down

– Understand the success factors – you will not be able to deliver a 100% perfect solution so ensure you know what the important factors are and ensure you deliver them

– Do not hog all of the work and do not sabotage your teammates – this happens all of the time in these group evaluation sessions. Applicants think if they take on all of the hard work or make their other applicants look bad then they are more likely to get the role. But in fact the opposite is true. The assessors in these places have seen it all before. They are looking for team players. People who can provide value to the organisation efficiently and without issue. If you show yourself to be incapable of working with others you will not progress.

– Remember to showcase your results – you’ve put in all the work so make sure you show and highlight to your assessors how your efforts paid off.

Seeing the Big Picture – FAQ

Should my statement/answer change based on the job role?

Yes, different job roles will come with different responsibilities. If you are going for a Team or Project Manager level role then you should tailor your answer to say how you instilled in your team that they need to look beyond their own roles and ensure their work aligns to the organisation’s goals and values. If you are going for an even senior level role ( operations manager or a director level role) then you need to talk about how you instil the behaviour of Seeing the Big Picture into your department as a whole. I recommend reading the behaviours document linked here for more information.

Do my answers have to be relevant to the job itself?

Strictly speaking, no. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to talk about your experience in the role so don’t worry if your ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ example is about something unrelated to the industry. If you are going for a, let’s say, Delivery Driver position it might be difficult to come up with a time when you’ve had to understand the company’s goals, but maybe you have outside experience that might be relevant. Go with that instead. 

Obviously if you have a direct example that mirrors the job description that would be great but don’t sweat it if you don’t just find something that covers the behaviour itself.

Where can I learn more about Seeing the Big Picture?

Make sure to read the Civil Service document on behaviors. And don’t be afraid to ask your assessors what it is they are looking for. Worst case scenario they say they can’t give feedback, best case you find out exactly what you need for your next application.

Where Can I Learn More About The Civil Service Behaviours?

We have gone into detail about the Civil Service Behaviours in this post here . If you would like to learn more about any individual behaviour check out the posts below:.

Seeing the Big Picture – Assessing the candidates ability to understand how their actions impact other people/teams and the wider organisation. Learn more…

Making Effective Decisions – Assessing the candidates ability to source and then weigh up different options and recommend the best solution. Learn more…

Communicating and Influencing – Assessing the candidates ability to get their views across and get people on board with their way of thinking. Learn more…

Changing and Improving – Assessing the candidates ability to identify areas of improvement and assessing their motivation to implement these changes. Learn more…

Working Together – Assessing the candidates ability to work well with others. Learn more…

Developing Self and Others – Assessing the candidates drive for self-improvement via learning new skills and the impact this drive has on others. Learn more…

Managing a Quality Service – Assessing the candidates drive to produce high quality work and meet stakeholders needs. Learn more…

Delivering at Pace – Assessing the candidates ability to produce quality deliverables on time and within budget under limiting circumstances. Learn more…

Leadership – Assessing the candidates ability to lead a team and to motivate others. Learn more…

How does seeing the big picture improve teamwork and collaboration?

Seeing the big picture enables team members to understand how their individual roles contribute to the overall objectives of the team and organization. This understanding can foster better communication, coordination, and collaboration among team members.

What are some strategies for maintaining a big-picture perspective in a fast-paced work environment?

To maintain a big-picture perspective, it’s important to periodically step back from day-to-day tasks, review the organization’s goals and priorities, and assess how your work aligns with these objectives. Regularly participating in team meetings and staying informed about industry trends and developments can also help you maintain a broader perspective.

How can managers and leaders encourage their team members to see the big picture?

Managers and leaders can encourage big-picture thinking by clearly communicating organizational goals and priorities, involving team members in strategic planning, and providing opportunities for professional development and learning that focus on broader industry trends and challenges.

Can seeing the big picture help with problem-solving and decision-making?

Yes, seeing the big picture can improve problem-solving and decision-making by allowing individuals to consider the wider implications of their choices, identify potential long-term consequences, and make decisions that align with the organization’s overarching goals and objectives.

What are some examples of seeing the big picture in different industries or job roles?

In marketing, seeing the big picture might involve understanding how a specific campaign fits into the overall brand strategy and contributes to the company’s growth. In software development, it could mean considering how a particular feature or improvement aligns with the product’s long-term vision and user needs. In public service, big-picture thinking might involve understanding how a policy decision impacts various stakeholders and contributes to broader societal goals.

How can I complete the personal statement part?

Seeing the Big Picture

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Learning Objectives

• Recognize that historical outcomes are affected by the combination of numerous events, actions, and individuals
• Understand that events or ideas result from a number of smaller events, actions, and ideas
• Understand relationships between events, people, and ideas
• Understand that interpretations formed about the past must be supported by sufficient historical evidence
• Grasp that the understanding of history is tentative: differing sets of evidence lead historians to form differing conclusions

To Create a Seeing the Big Picture Activity:

• Go to  My Activities  and create a new activity.
• Choose documents to include; pull in all pages of a document, or only specific pages. Include both documents that students will use to create pairs, and the image that will be revealed when students finish matching. Add your own text for the matches if you'd like. You can also upload images to include documents, photographs, or other images from sources beyond the National Archives. Decide whether students will be able to access all of the details available for the documents (including dates and descriptions) or simply the document images and titles.
• Choose your grid size based on how many documents and other elements you have, and how many pairs you want students to create. Select the image that will be revealed when students finish matching. Use the full image or crop it to show a specific section.
• Match the documents and other elements in pairs, according to how you want your students to match them.
• Write instructions for your students, including an introduction and conclusion. You can include questions or a follow-up assignment in your conclusion. Students can email their responses to you if desired.
• Preview the student activity and create a snapshot.
• Lastly, describe your activity to other teachers by providing a summary. Tag it with the appropriate historical era, historical thinking skill, level of Bloom's Taxonomy, and grade level. You can also include detailed teaching instructions.

Teaching Tips

• Model  document analysis  with at least one document in the activity before asking students to begin interacting with the rest. Remind students to analyze all of the documents (and map, if using a historical one) carefully.
• Ask students to hypothesize what matches they'll make before beginning the activity. The exercise can act as a pre-assessment and can help to guide thinking. It establishes a purpose for viewing the documents and students will begin to contextualize them.
• Guide students on how they should make matches: text boxes describing concepts matching primary sources illustrating those concepts, primary sources matching other primary sources, or even text boxes matching text boxes.
• Follow activities with class discussion or writing assignments to further contextualize the documents and ultimate historical outcome.
• To help students understand how differing sets of evidence lead historians to form differing conclusions, ask students to do two different activities. Each should display the same payoff image when students finish matching the pairs, but you will choose different sets of documents for students to match. At the conclusion of both activities, ask students to contrast the views that historians might have after looking at just the documents in one activity versus the other.Consider the goals you have for your students before planning your activity. Choose documents and structure your activity based upon those goals.
• To open the activity up and allow students to show their creativity, lead a class discussion about matches made and ask students to explain other possible connections between documents. Use this as an opportunity to discuss how historians may view the same factors or sets of evidence in different ways.
• Or, ask students to suggest other documents, events, or ideas that could have been included. Encourage them to consider whether new evidence would change the historical narrative or their own conclusions.
• Help younger students practice basic document analysis and understanding cause-and-effect relationships. Construct an activity with simple written documents or photographs, posters, drawings, or audiovisual media. Walk students through careful document analysis, instructing them to look at the document first as a whole and then pay close attention to the details. Students decipher what each particular document is, then match that document to the appropriate title.
• Explore Primary Source Documents
• Discover Activities You Can Teach With
• Create Fun & Engaging Activities

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Helping employees to see the bigger picture

An age of information overload

“How do I help my employees see the bigger picture?”  This is something we regularly hear from our clients.

We live in age of information overload where we have to wade through endless “noise” before we can do our “real work”. This is particularly prevalent in larger organisations where everyone is surrounded by information on noticeboards and intranets and in newsletters and minutes generated by colleagues vying for attention. Cutting through this noise is a continual challenge for managers and leaders with important messages to share.

For employees, dealing with information in a large organisation is a bit like having a box full of jigsaw pieces but no lid.  They know all of the pieces should join up but are overloaded and confused and don’t know how to put them all together as a coherent whole. So if making sense of all of this information is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, maybe we should show them the lid of the box?

An age of visualisation

It is claimed that half of the human brain is dedicated to the task of attaching meaning to visual messages but that organisations typically fail to capitalise on this. Simple text is just not enough as employees struggle to interpret the huge amounts of data they are hit with daily and fail to see the bigger picture.

However, consider when information is presented in a well-designed, visual format; something where complex information uses images and metaphor, is brightly coloured, widely communicated and instantly understood, even by people who don’t speak your language. Better still where the images tell a compelling story.

A practical demonstration of this is the time we spend online and how we absorb information rapidly, using visual scanning, following connections. This appeals to the way our brain’s hard wiring is set up to receive it.   According to research, this familiarity is causing a shift in the way we take in and assimilate information and we are adapting to a more visual world. With over 50% of the human brain dedicated to the task of attaching meaning to visual cues and signals, it’s an opportunity that has gone largely missed within organisational communications.

How to help your people see the bigger picture

Visualisation (or the visual representation of ideas and messages) is now gaining traction though. It is an effective approach for communicating complex messages, articulating strategy, connecting employees with organisational purpose and fostering innovation. However, a colourful PowerPoint presentation or some clip art in a newsletter is usually as far as organisations take this but is not enough.

So, what specific tools exist for organisations to utilise to help your people see the bigger picture?

The three most popular approaches that we have the most experience with include the following:

• Graphic facilitation: Graphic Facilitation is the use of large-scale imagery, recorded live on paper or on tablets, to help guide groups and individuals towards a shared goal. The method is typically used in processes such as meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences. The outputs of this can be used to create a visual record of discussions and agreements and can be a powerful way to disseminate the information to others.
• Learning maps:  Learning Maps convey huge amounts of information and enable your people to understand complex and interrelated issues affecting your organisation. Learning Maps can be rolled out to thousands of people in a way that doesn’t require experienced trainers. Designed collaboratively with key people within the organisation, Learning Maps use images, icons, metaphors, and business data to tell your organisational story in a visual way. Learning maps are delivered through conversations to create common understanding within teams.
• Videos and animations: Videos and animations are being used more and more to communicate complex messages and engage your audience in a way no other medium can. We all know that ’a picture paints a thousand words’ and by adding the extra impact of video the outcome can be immense. Keeping videos short (around 90 seconds as a rule of thumb) ensures they are impactful and concise. Videos can be integrated into presentations and intranets too.

So challenge yourself to break out of your usual communication habits and go visual… help your people see the bigger picture and you’ll be amazed the difference it can make.

Get in touch with us to find out how you can apply our big picture learning approach to your organisation.

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