Potential Definition Worksheet

One of the most common breakdowns in talent reviews is confusion between performance and potential. When performance and potential are conflated, talent reviews risk turning into backward-looking scorecards rather than spotting who can take on bigger, different challenges ahead.

This worksheet–built from real-world examples and tools shared by i4cp members and backed by research–gives HR leaders a practical way to make talent reviews faster and less biased with a shared language for evaluating potential.

Use this worksheet to:

• Establish a consistent, evidence-based definition of potential
• Guide managers on how to coach employees who aspire to grow
• Improve transparency so employees know what the company values
• Anchor calibration sessions and succession planning in future readiness