The 9 box grid is a well-known talent management tool in which engineers are divided into nine groups, based on their performance and potential.
When assessing our engineers performance, supervisors often pay attention to two things. First, how well they perform today, and second, how well they are likely to perform in the future (i.e. their growth potential).
For example, hardworking engineers who do well in their role but have little growth potential are great to have in our team, as well as Allstars who perform well and have great potential. However, low performing engineers with low potential will require a lot of guidance and attention and are unlikely to improve. These require a different approach.
The 9-box grid provides a framework that helps to improve all engineers in the organization. In the next sections, we will explore how to assess performance and potential, after which we will explain how the 9-box grid can be used as a performance improvement tool.
Creating a 9 box grid When we go about creating a 9-box grid, we go through three steps. Assessing performance, assessing potential, and bringing it together.
