“This is fantastic work—but remember, we haven’t accomplished anything yet.”
I said this to a client team after we’d just spent a full day mapping their entire talent roster using the 9-Box Grid. We’d assessed performance and potential, identified high performers, and flagged risk areas. The team felt accomplished.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most talent reviews are elaborate theater. Beautiful spreadsheets, color-coded grids, and detailed discussions that result in… absolutely nothing.
Far too often, talent reviews are activity without impact.
The reviews that actually matter—the ones that move the needle—put action plans in place to ensure the following impacts:
- De-risk the business. Do you have successors ready, or are you just hoping your star players never leave? Are there single points of failure that could sink you? Is there actually a retention plan for your key people, or just wishful thinking and good vibes?
- Develop your people. Once you spot high potential, are you investing in them, or just patting yourself on the back for “identifying talent”? Not just money—though that helps—but stretch assignments, exposure to senior leadership, honest conversations about their future. (Check out my The Next Generation post for ideas.)
- Strengthen team dynamics. Are you identifying complementary skills and gaps, or just ranking people in isolation? Who works well together? Are you building diverse teams where different strengths actually amplify each other, or are you creating internal competition?
After our session, one of the newer leaders sent me a note: “I learned SO much from seeing our team through this lens.” Turns out this was a development opportunity … for them.
That’s the real power of talent reviews that actually work. They fundamentally shift how you see your people—not just as individuals, but as an interconnected team.
Once you understand where each person is, where they could go, how they work together, and your role in orchestrating all of it, it becomes impossible to manage on autopilot. You want to commit to action.
Most organizations will keep doing talent reviews that check the HR box. But the leaders who take this seriously? They’re building something completely different.
The framework matters, but the perspective shift changes everything—for individuals and the team as a whole.
What have you seen more often: talent reviews that are activity or impact?
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