SOAR examples
SOAR explains an experience by separating the setting from a barrier, whether a thing, a rule or people, then showing the response and outcome.
These are fictional teaching examples, not accounts of real events.
Example 1
Tell me about adapting an activity.
I organized an outdoor sketching session for beginners. We had planned to draw the view from the park, with enough time for everyone to try a second sketch.
Heavy rain made our planned spot unusable. The forecast showed no break before the session was due to end, and the park had no shelter big enough for the group.
I moved the group under the station canopy and changed the subject to passing travelers. I gave them a quick exercise in capturing movement instead of the landscape exercise.
Everyone completed a sketch, although we missed the landscape exercise.
How the answer works
- Situation
- Give the setting and intended activity.
- Obstacle
- Identify the specific barrier that interfered with progress.
- Action
- Explain the response that navigated or reduced that barrier.
- Result
- Report what happened, including any barrier that remained.
Why it works: The barrier explains both the venue change and the revised activity; the result acknowledges the lost objective.
Example 2
Tell me about a time someone pushed back on your plan.
I was moving our team’s weekly planning meeting from Monday to Thursday, so it could use the latest sales figures.
Two senior colleagues objected, because Thursday clashed with their client calls.
I met each of them to find out which calls could not move, then proposed a 30-minute slot before those calls. To make the shorter slot work, I agreed to send the figures round the evening before, and we set it up as a one-month trial.
Both of them attended all four meetings of the trial, and afterwards the team voted to keep the Thursday slot.
How the answer works
- Situation
- Give the setting and intended activity.
- Obstacle
- Identify the specific barrier that interfered with progress.
- Action
- Explain the response that navigated or reduced that barrier.
- Result
- Report what happened, including any barrier that remained.
Why it works: The obstacle is people disagreeing, described by what they needed rather than their character. The Action answers that need, and the Result is a clean success.
What makes the difference?
The same kind of answer can sound complete while leaving an important part unclear.
Tell me about a barrier in a group task.
Not quite
Our team was arranging a display. Alex was difficult. I sent reminders. The display was ready.
The obstacle is a judgement about a person, not what actually happened. Saying what happened to Alex’s time shows the real barrier without blaming anyone.
Make it clearer
Our team was arranging a display.
Alex, who was writing the captions, had been moved onto another project, so two captions were missing at the printing deadline.
I asked Alex for just the names and dates, printed those first, and left space for the full captions.
The display opened with names in place and fuller captions added later.