9 Box Grid – Also known as the Performance/Potential Grid. A useful tool which plots talent into one of nine boxes measuring potential and performance. The top right box is the most valuable position (high in performance and potential). Each grid position typically has a name of ‘Talent Category’. You can see a Performance/Potential Grid being used in this video.

Critical Post / Critical Position – A role deemed as important and critical within an organisation.

Flight Risk / Tenure Risk – The likelihood that an individual will leave the organisation.  This is usually expressed in terms of high, medium, low.

High Potential – a characteristic (typically expressed as High, Medium, Low, Unknown) about an employee.  Its common interpretation relates to a prediction of the performance or ability of the person in the future when in a more senior or complex role. It is an opinion formed from a Talent Review that may include some form of evidence-based assessment.

HiPos – Employees identified as having high potential.

Readiness — Describe how ready a Successor is to take on a position or role.  This is typically expressed in terms of months or years.  It can also be used to identify those who could take on a role in a temporary, interim or ‘caretaker’ basis.

Succession Planning — The process of identifying and developing successors for key positions within an organisation. Often includes the identification of ‘critical posts’. Get a free eBook about Succession Planning. 

Succession Planning Approach – Typically organisations adopt one of three approaches: Fluid and Informal (creating talent pools of talent and using them when an appropriate opportunity emerges); Prescriptive and Formal (roles are defined clearly defined and key talent is tracked through the organisation); Flexible (data is captured to track the flow of talent but there is the ability to constantly review and monitor the efficacy of the process).

Succession Planning Model – The structure and process adopted by an organisation with regard to its succession planning policy. Often this is reflected in a Succession Planning Template that contains the relevant information about a person.

Succession Planning Software – Typically cloud-based software such as Talent Successor that helps structure, inform and manage succession planning.  Usually includes analytics and charts.

Succession Planning Template– Traditionally these are spreadsheet-based  but more commonly now (and more accurate and up-to-date) these are now within succession planning software. They collate the details of those critical positions identified by the business and the names of people who could take over – sometimes with a timeframe allocated. Flags the support needed for that individual to achieve the next role. These are used in Talent Review Meetings.

Succession Risk – key risks identified from analysing Succession Planning data.  An example would be an individual considered to be high flight risk, in a critical post and have no immediately ready successor.

Successor— A person consider to be capable of filling a specific role position in the future.

Talent Gap — Also known as a Skills gap. This is the situation when an organisation has more jobs than qualified people to fill them.  At an individual or group level it can be a consolidation or ‘roll-up’ of a group of skills gaps exhibited by that group of people.

Talent Mapping — Links the talent currently available to the talent needed in the future. Typically used to inform talent strategy, to assess shortfalls or gaps and inform development planning.

Talent Pipeline — A systematic and visible process of identifying candidates for succession, combined with the processes for their development.  Often a visual representation of how successors ‘flow’ through the organisation when personnel changes are made and successors appointed.

Talent Planning – An essential Talent Management activity to ensure that organisations have the right talent and people to deliver the business strategy.

Talent Pool — A group of people typically containing Successors with the potential to fill one or more jobs or roles in the future.  This could be a person’s role of a role described by a number of characteristics, competences, skills or behaviours.

Talent Review – The meeting at which senior management and HR discuss those in the talent pool and amends needed. Without robust information, can be subject to a range of biases.  Succession Planning Templates or software outputs are used at these reviews as discussion and action points.

Talent Strategy – The strategic plan of the talent that needs to be acquired, developed and retained to reflect the organisation’s future plans.

Talent Category – Typically a short name that describes the performance/potential combination or the intended designation of a person from a talent perspective.  A typical example would be ‘Future Leader’. Other Talent Categories are:

• Future Leader – The Highest potential — best for senior succession; top talent; ready for immediate advancement
• Growth Employee  – Demonstrates high potential to advance further; valued talent.
• High Impact Performer – Likely to have scope to move one level; challenge is necessary as under-performing. May have lost pace with the changes in the organisation; strong contributor.
• Trusted Professional – Specialised or expert talent—reached career potential.
• Core Employee – Likely to have scope to move one level; challenge is necessary as under-performing. May have lost pace with the changes in the organisation. Steady and dependable but capable of more.
• Enigma – High potential to advance further, but underperforming; may be new in job or in wrong job/wrong manager.
• Dilemma – Likely to have scope to move one level; challenge is necessary as under-performing. May be new in job or organisation, or may have lost pace with the changes in the organisation.
• Effective – Specialised or expert talent, steady and dependable—reached career potential.
• Under Performer – Has reached job potential and is underperforming.

Trajectory – Used to describe the individual’s current and near-term expectation in terms of career growth, promotion potential or mobility within an organisation.