From management consulting case writing, a shape with no single author; its STAR variant comes from the Targeted Selection interviewing system of William C. Byham (1975).
Tells a piece of work in three beats, the problem faced, the action taken, and the measured result, so the activity reads as evidence of impact.
When to reach for it
When writing a case study, proposal, or status report, and the audience must judge competence from past work.
How it runs
- Pin down the result first, with numbers where possible.
- Size the problem so the result is plausible.
- Describe the specific action taken.
- Match the credit claimed to the actual role.
- Draft in order, and check each beat leads to the next.
- Compress to the format, and read it aloud.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
Go to the source
- Targeted Selection behavioral interviewing system, the source of the STAR format, Development Dimensions International, 1975