A cat looking very unamused by the toy

Probation Development: It’s Not One-Size-Fits All

It’s a common scene: a manager forwards the course catalogue from L&D and dust their hands. With limited time and little structure, it feels like a reasonable nod to building a development plan. It's not. And here is how to fix it.

14 June 2025
A girl looking out the window.

Probation Goals: Are They Really SMART?

07 June 2025
A girl looking quite concerned across the desk from two women deep in discussion

Probation Check-ins: Where Things Fall Apart

07 June 2025
Man in suit holding a net that is coming apart

Probation Just Got Serious:The End of the Two-Year Safety Net

06 June 2025
The 9 box grid for HiPo talent identification

How To Identify HiPo Employees: Panning For Gold via Potential and Performance

True recognition of a HiPo team member requires identifying those vital few with the essential qualities that render them invaluable in navigating the organisation to excellence. The problem is that misidentification can be a VERY costly exercise.

02 June 2024
Is the 9 box grid the heavy weight champion of talent mapping

Is It Time To Retire The 9 Box Grid?

01 June 2024
Talent mapping is an ongoing process, not merely a singular event. It's a strategic error to let it become an exhaustive task that leaves HR and Leadership with stale data, rendering the effort futile.

Stale Talent Data: A Recipe for Disaster

28 May 2024
Punch today in the face

Talent Management Strategies: What happens with the 9 boxes

27 May 2024
A man sitting on a chair surrounded with pages

Compare Apples with Apples: Mastering Talent Calibration

Calibration sessions provide a forum for managers to discuss their evaluations, query their peers, and refine or reaffirm their judgments to ensure uniformity of application.

08 April 2024
Lego clown hidden with storm troopers

Defining Performance and Potential: The 9 Box Grid Axes Explained

Successful use of the 9 box grid requires clear definitions of what is meant by ‘Performance’ (X-Axis) and what constitutes ‘Potential’ (Y-Axis). Lacking specificity creates an opening for subjectivity to seep into the assessment process.

05 April 2024
Pilots flying plane at sunset

Implementing Talent Mapping Using the 9 Box Grid: Identifying Critical Roles

Accurately identifying critical roles is paramount in ensuring that vital target groups are talent-mapped across the workforce while also surfacing potential business risks. However, executing this task is easier said than done.

02 April 2024
Man looking through a magnifying glass

Understanding the 9 Box Grid: The Performance & Potential Matrix

Renowned for its simplicity and efficacy in yielding actionable insights, the 9 box grid tool stands as a beacon for effectively identifying top talent and devising curated talent management development strategies.

27 March 2024
A group of people holding Lego people adorned with different characteristics.

It’s Not About Being Brilliant: So What Really Makes Teams Thrive?

Ever wondered why some teams deliver outstanding results while fostering genuine camaraderie, yet others have purely transactional interactions or even meet with dread? I did, and so did Google.

19 February 2024
Women laying on tennis court surrounded by lemons

Are We Asking Too Much of Line Managers?

Developing line manager capability is a top focus for 2024, yet this clashes with the stark reality—managers are already stretched thin, teetering on the edge, if not already burning out at an alarming rate. Are we asking too much?

23 November 2023

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