If you have a really significant and large story, you may use different parts of the story in different ECQs. Image: Leigh Prather/Shutterstock.com
If you’re applying to be a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES)—a group of 8,000 executives in the federal government—then you have probably started writing your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ). I read a lot of ECQs; here are the common mistakes I see:
1. Devoting part of your 10 pages to an autobiography. While this used to be common a number of years ago, it is no longer necessary and takes up valuable space that could be better used telling your stories.
2. Labeling your CCAR. I often see ECQs which label each paragraph Challenge, Context, Action, or Result (CCAR) and then include relevant narrative. This is not necessary. What’s worse, I see things labeled incorrectly. While I do believe that your CCAR should be clear, labeling at the beginning of each paragraph is not needed.
3. Titling stories. Neither necessary nor recommended.
4. Using the same story multiple times. Ideally, you should only use a story once. You want to showcase yourself as more than a “one trick pony.” If you have a really significant and large story, you may use different parts of the story in different ECQs.
5. Sharing your philosophy or what you believe about leadership. Your ECQs are not about what you believe; they should be about your specific leadership actions.
6. Writing about what you “always” do. Again, your ECQs should tell specific stories and not focus on generalities.
7. Using stories that are more than 10 years old. Your ECQs should reflect your most recent leadership experience—ideally from the past 5-7 years and no story should be older than 10 years. You do not want to give the impression that your best days are behind you.
8. Failing to show executive experience. Your ECQs should be about more than just doing your job; your examples should clearly show that you have gone above and beyond the day-to-day transactional work and reflect your strategic leadership. Your language needs to be executive as well…don’t talk about merely “managing” or “supervising.”
9. Putting stories in the wrong ECQ. Before writing your ECQs, read the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance and make sure your story fits the definition. I often see stories that don’t meet the definition of a particular ECQ (leading people stories, for example, should focus on people, not programs).
10. Ignoring the underlying competencies. In addition to the 5 ECQs, there are also 28 underlying competencies. These underlying competencies need to be addressed in your ECQs—and addressed in the right place!
A strong set of ECQs takes time and effort. Be sure to spend your time wisely!
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