Shifting from Leadership Potential to Developmental Readiness | BetterUp

Last week I made a post about the limitations of the 9 Box talent assessment and how in my opinion it: 1) adds more complexity without value: only a few boxes are actually used in practice, 2) raters still struggle to differentiate between performance and potential in spite of definitions, 3) there is an emphasis on the top and bottom boxes, which overlooks talent planning for the bulk of an organization. 4) complexity requires multiple calibration sessions that often waste time and don’t add practical value. As organizations consider alternatives to the 9-box, this white paper provides one option by offering the concept of “developmental readiness.” The notion of developmental readiness posits that everyone can learn and grow, but certain people are better positioned at certain times to benefit more fully from certain types of development. By incorporating a more agile approach like this one into talent processes, organizations might be better positioned to enable their workforces to reach their development potential. Further, it can help organizations to deploy development resources for a greater ROI.