How to Prepare for a 9-Box Talent Review
A practical guide to gathering employee information, setting evaluation criteria, and running a focused 9-box talent review.
A productive 9-box talent review starts before the meeting. You need reliable employee information, shared definitions of performance and potential, and enough time for managers to consider their ratings. Good preparation keeps the discussion focused on evidence, differences in judgment, and useful next actions.
Decide what the review should cover
Start by defining the purpose and scope of the review. A 9-box grid can support succession planning, development discussions, or a broader view of talent across a team. Be clear about which goal matters for this meeting.
Choose the employee group you will review. This might be one department, a management level, or another defined group. Avoid changing the scope once managers have begun their assessments, because that makes preparation and comparison harder.
You should also decide:
- Which employees are included
- Which managers will provide input
- Who will attend the review meeting
- Who can view the completed grid
- What decisions or actions should come from the meeting
- When ratings and supporting information are due
A clear scope gives managers a practical assignment rather than a vague request to “review talent.”
Set shared criteria before rating anyone
Performance and potential can mean different things to different managers. Define both axes before participants begin scoring employees.
Performance usually reflects what a person has delivered in their current role over a stated period. Your criteria might consider results, consistency, role expectations, or other measures used by your organization. Potential is a separate judgment about someone’s capacity or readiness to take on different or more demanding responsibilities.
Write short definitions for low, medium, and high ratings on each axis. Keep them specific enough that two managers can apply them in a similar way. If your organization uses different terms, the 9 Box Grid Maker lets you adjust axes and labels to match your evaluation model.
Check that your criteria do not confuse strong current performance with future potential. An employee can perform very well in a current role without wanting or being ready for a broader one. Someone else may show potential but still need support to improve current results.
Gather consistent employee information
Give every manager the same list of information to prepare. Consistent inputs make comparisons more useful and reduce the chance that one employee receives a detailed discussion while another is rated from memory.
Useful preparation may include:
- Employee name, role, team, and manager
- Time in the current role
- Recent performance information
- Examples that support the proposed ratings
- Relevant development goals or follow-up items
- Any important context the group should consider
Use information that is relevant to your stated criteria. Avoid filling the review with unrelated personal details or assumptions about an employee’s circumstances.
Set a common review period for performance evidence. Without one, a recent success or problem can outweigh a longer pattern of work. Ask managers to distinguish observed facts from interpretation so the group can examine both during calibration.
Add employees to the grid
Once your scope, criteria, and source information are ready, create the review grid. In 9 Box Grid Maker, you can add employees manually or import them from a spreadsheet. Add the basic information needed to identify each person and support the review.
Check names, roles, and reporting relationships before moving to ratings. Small data errors can distract participants during the meeting and create uncertainty about who is being discussed.
You can begin with a ready-to-use template or create your own structure. If you have an established talent model, customize the axes and labels before adding scores. This keeps every placement tied to the same definitions.
Evaluate performance and potential
Ask managers to rate each person on both axes using the agreed criteria. In the app, each employee appears on the grid after being scored, giving you a visual view of the proposed placements.
Managers should prepare a brief reason for each rating. The aim is not to produce a long written case, but to connect the placement to relevant evidence. Notes can record context, questions, or points that need discussion.
Before the meeting, review the draft grid for gaps and inconsistencies. Look for employees without ratings, managers who have used only one part of the scale, or placements that do not appear to match the supporting information.
Treat the initial grid as a starting point. It represents individual judgments before the group has compared standards. Ratings may change during the review when participants hear additional evidence or apply the criteria more consistently.
Analyze the grid and prepare the agenda
Review the complete grid before the meeting. Look for patterns that deserve discussion rather than trying to debate every employee for the same amount of time.
For example, you might identify placements where managers disagree, ratings with limited evidence, or parts of the grid that contain an unusually large number of people. A pattern is a prompt for questions, not proof that a rating is right or wrong.
Build the agenda around the areas that require calibration. Allow time to confirm straightforward placements, but reserve most of the discussion for meaningful differences in judgment. Decide who will facilitate, who will capture changes, and how follow-up actions will be recorded.
9 Box Grid Maker supports notes and action items for each person. You can also export the grid as a PDF or image, or share it through a link with appropriate stakeholders. Team access controls help you manage who can see the review.
Run a focused calibration meeting
Open by reminding participants of the purpose, scope, and rating definitions. This is especially important when managers come from different functions or use different examples of strong performance.
Discuss evidence rather than defending labels. Useful questions include:
- What results support the performance rating?
- Which examples support the potential rating?
- Are we applying the same standard across teams?
- What information would change this placement?
- What action should follow from the discussion?
Watch for common judgment problems. Recent events can dominate a rating, familiar employees may receive more detailed advocacy, and leadership potential can be confused with a single career path. Return to the agreed criteria when the conversation becomes subjective or inconsistent.
Update placements when the group reaches a better-supported conclusion. If evidence is incomplete, record a follow-up instead of forcing agreement. The grid should reflect considered judgment, not meeting-room pressure.
Turn placements into next actions
A completed grid is useful only when it informs what happens next. For each employee discussed, capture any agreed action, owner, and follow-up point. Actions should relate to the evidence and needs raised in the review rather than relying only on the name of a box.
Review the final grid for consistency after the meeting. Confirm that rating changes are recorded and that notes are clear enough to understand later. Use the available export or sharing options to present the result to the people who need it, while keeping access limited to appropriate participants.
Plan when the group will revisit actions or update the grid. Talent assessments can change as employees take on new work, develop skills, or produce additional results.
Frequently asked questions
Can I prepare the grid on a phone or tablet?
Yes. 9 Box Grid Maker works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, so managers can access the grid from the device available to them.
Can we use our own performance and potential labels?
Yes. You can customize the axes and labels to fit your evaluation model. Pro users can also customize colors and the full grid structure.
How can I try the app?
Click “Open App” on the landing page to get started. You can create up to three grids for free, and no credit card is required.
Prepare your next review with the 9 Box Grid Maker.