9-BOX GRID

The 9-Box Grid is an organizational development tool used to identify the range of skills and abilities of its current workforce and to identify the path to success for each.  

Each employee is placed within one of the 9 boxes, based on their demonstrated performance and manager observations.  

Criteria are developed for the 9 boxes, and employees are then placed in the boxes.  See figure below.

There are several benefits of using a 9-box grid, from planning employee development to identifying future leaders of the team.

Current employees often make strong candidates for future division leaders, vice presidents, or C-level executives. A 9-box grid can help identify these employees and identify what professional development they need to be successful. Not only does this help the company retain talented people, but the opportunities for career advancement and learning new skills can contribute to an employee’s overall satisfaction.

Knowing which box an employee falls into shows HR and managers how they can best support the employee toward reaching their next career goal. Here’s a template with suggested action items in each box.

For example, this 9-box template shows that an employee with low performance but high potential might be an excellent candidate for coaching or mentorship.

The 9-box model can also highlight ways the organization as a whole can improve, such as a more thorough recruiting and hiring process, which might include changes to job descriptions and processes, among other things.

The model can also help identify several potential leaders. In that case, you might want to invest in coaching products, leadership development retreats, and other training tools to develop new leaders.

While downloading a 9-box grid template is a solid start, you’ll likely need to tweak its format or language to fit your company’s values. You’ll also need to consider how to implement the model into your current performance review process.

Will the 9-box grid help you identify leaders, plan employee development, improve the organization, or something else entirely? Knowing exactly why you’re using the model will have an impact on how you use it. Consider facilitating a discussion between HR, managers, and company leaders to decide how to use the 9-box grid so that it aligns with company-wide objectives.

Some HR specialists argue that objectively and fairly measuring for potential is difficult, if not impossible. Depending on the priorities of your organization, you may want to measure something other than potential along the y-axis, like aptitude for change or job-specific responsibilities

Deciding which category to focus on can happen during the same meeting when you define the desired outcomes for the 9 box assessment.

HR and managers should schedule a time to discuss the 9-box assessment immediately following annual performance reviews when managers will have employee evaluations fresh in their minds. HR will be able to help them crystallize those evaluations and develop steps for improving employee performance throughout the coming year.

Just because an employee is identified as a low performer with moderate potential doesn’t mean they can’t turn things around and exceed their goals, especially with the right support and training. HR and managers who practice open-mindedness empower employees to grow and change beyond their current situation. Leaning too heavily on labels, meanwhile, disempowers people and creates an unhealthy work environment.

In the spirit of open-mindedness, HR and managers should schedule follow-up meetings to reassess employees with the 9-box grid. Quarterly meetings can evaluate which steps have been successful at improving employee performance and if further action is needed.