The 9-Box Grid: What Happens After the Boxes Are Filled?

I have used the 9-box grid in different talent management contexts over the years, and I still believe it can be a valuable tool.

But only if we use it for what comes after the assessment.

Too often, talent reviews become an exercise in placing people into boxes: high performance, high potential, solid performer, development needed, and then the process moves on.

For me, that misses the most important part.

The real question is: What do we do with this information?

Performance and potential are not the same thing. Someone can be highly successful in their current role without being ready for a bigger or more complex position. Equally, someone with strong potential may not yet have had the opportunity to demonstrate it.

This is why calibration matters. Bringing different leaders into the conversation can challenge assumptions, create a broader perspective and help establish more consistent standards.

But there is another dimension we should not overlook: context.

A person's performance is also influenced by their role, leadership, environment, opportunities and resources. Before labeling someone as a "low performer", I believe we need to ask whether we have created the conditions for them to succeed.

Before we ask what an employee needs to improve, we should ask what the organization needs to change.

And then there is motivation.

Not every high performer wants to become a leader. Not everyone wants a bigger team, a bigger title or more responsibility. Career aspirations are individual, and good talent management should make space for that.

A successful career is not always about moving up. Sometimes it is about moving towards work that creates more meaning, impact and energy.

This is why calibration should lead to action.

Depending on the individual and the situation, that action could be:

• targeted development or learning

• coaching or mentoring

• a stretch assignment

• internal mobility

• leadership development

• succession planning

• performance support

• retention or recognition measures

And sometimes, the right question is even more fundamental:

Is this person actually in the right role?

A good talent review should help us answer that question.

The 9-box should therefore not become a labeling exercise. It should help leaders make better decisions about people, roles and future capabilities.

After all, putting someone in a box is not talent management. What you do next is.