Honesty in Tracking Potential
March 16th, 2009 by Lois MelbourneI just saw the best tip for 9-Box usage. I have often pushed the envelope with some people, urging them to visualize different data beyond the high potential and high performance traditional viewing. My favorite unique use is still plotting age on one axis and tenure on another, placing people into the appropriate squares to visually assess risk of retirement.
But now I’ve found my current succession planning winner for using the traditional high potential and high performance axis. A company realized that so few managers were willing to put their employees in a low potential column, especially if they were good employees or high performers. The company knew they had a problem. So they changed the labels.
During the next review process they changed the “Low” potential label to “Well Placed.” They changed the “Medium” potential label to “Expandable.” They left the “High Potential” label as “High.” Managers were then much more willing to place people honestly without feeling the ranking was degrading. Many more employees moved to squares further left in the grid.
In the sample below, the new labels are shown on the bottom axis circled in red.
That is an ingenious work-around of existing tools to get the results you need. Will you try it? Do you have tips on 9-Box usage? I’d love to see them.
Cheers,
Lois
You may also like...
Related Blog Post
9 Box Increases Hiring SuccessRelated Blog Post
The Myth and Facts of a 9-Box
