Pros and Cons of the 9-Box Grid
The 9-box grid has been used by HR leaders for decades to develop talent. While some swear by it, it’s also been the source of some controversy for its subjectivity and potential for oversimplification.?
So should you use it?
Here are the pros and cons of the 9-box grid to help you make a well-informed decision.
What Is The 9-Box Grid?
The 9-box grid is a matrix tool that sorts and categorizes employees based on their performance and potential to help determine and implement growth and development initiatives that will add the most value depending on individual employee needs.?
The grid is separated by two axes: performance – an employee’s current performance level – and potential – an employee's growth potential, typically referring to leadership roles or taking on more responsibility. Performance and potential are measured on a low, moderate, and high scale. The classifications can then determine how employees can be nurtured, developed, and managed based on their placement in the 9-box grid.?
The 9-box grid is primarily used for talent development
Pros of the 9-Box Grid
Understanding the advantages and setbacks of the 9-box grid can help you make a more informed decision about how best to implement it in your organization.?
Here are some of the pros of the 9-box grid:?
Cons of the 9-Box Grid
Here are some of the cons of the grid and a few action tips to help overcome them.
Final Thoughts
The 9-box grid is a popular tool for talent management, employee development, and succession planning. However, the efficacy and fairness of the tool have been widely debated for years by HR pros.?
The 9-box grid comes with its own set of pros and cons like any other assessment tool. If organizations do use the 9-box grid, using it strategically can help ensure that potential issues are mitigated and employees are evaluated fairly.??
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Energising Human Resources & Business Leader. Builder of high-performing teams. Agile, multi-industry: Tech, Finance, Service & Sales. Engages people through change: M&A, OD, Talent, Culture.
8 个月There's a danger putting people into boxes, that they will conform to the expectations. On balance a nine box is a really used useful tool to look at overall organisational vitality and potential. My preference is to work with people on their own terms. To encourage them to grow their own potential and performance, no matter where the organisation may see them.
Executive HR leader who embraces human-centered leadership approach
8 个月The subjectivity of evaluating potential has always been an issue with a 9-box. Unless you very clearly define what your organization considers potential, it can be rife with bias.
Strategic HR Business Consultant driving culture, change and talent management
8 个月The 9 box definitely adds structure to decisions about promotions and succession planning. It's a good tool to teach leaders how to evaluate potential and performance. In larger organizations, the people in the room don't know all the employees being discussed so it becomes difficult to give the manager/evaluator constructive feedback. Ultimately, having good SLAs and OKRs are better predictors of employee success.
Employee Experience & Transformation @Avanade (Accenture Microsoft JV) | Data driven people solution | AgilePM? Practitioner
8 个月A good tool in my view but only to be used as a baseline to spark the conversation, challenge thinking and guide actions. Decisions should be calibrated, and actions defined on a individual-situation basis.