Free Your Talent System
From the 9-Box Grid With Simple,
Organisation-Wide, Conversation-Led Approach
Reserve Your Spot
4 Dates Available
Choose your preferred session
HRDs & L&D Leaders
Senior practitioners only
This conversation explores how to build organisation-wide talent and succession systems that leaders actually use, because they're simple enough to adopt, conversation-led rather than form-driven, and integrated into how work gets done. Not another layer of complexity. Less really is more.
Limited to 25 Attendees
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✓ Free to attend
✓ Real value, no hard sell
1 hour
Strategic conversation
The Problem
Most talent systems are too complex to be used, too spreadsheet-driven to feel relevant, and too rigid to reflect how people actually develop. Leaders don't want another framework, they want better conversations.
Three Principles That Change Everything
Why less complexity = more adoption and better talent decisions
Simple
vs Complex Systems
Streamline and simplify what exists. Integrate into current processes. Leaders engage when it's simple enough to use, not when they're drowning in forms and frameworks.
Organisation-Wide
vs Leadership-Only Focus
Talent visibility and progression at every level. Succession is an outcome, but the system supports development across the organisation, not just
at the top.
Conversation-Led
vs Spreadsheet-Driven
Build around calibration discussions, honest conversations, and collective decision-making. Forms support conversations, they don't replace them.
Traditional vs Esendia Approach
Why most leadership programmes fail and what we do differently
Traditional vs Esendia Approach
Why most talent systems fail and what we do differently
✔️12 months to strategic leadership
Core Tool
Complexity
Primary Mode
Scope
Adoption
Decision Quality
Philosophy
Traditional Approach
Esendia Approach
❌ 9-box grid
(rigid categorization)
✔️Flexible, conversation-based frameworks
✔️Simplified, integrated into existing work
❌ Too complex to use,
multiple systems
❌ Forms, spreadsheets,
data collection
✔️Calibration conversations & decisions
✔️Organisation-wide talent visibility
❌ Leadership succession
only
✔️Simple enough leaders actually engage
❌ HR-driven, leader
resistance
✔️Honest conversations, genuine calibration
❌ Box-ticking, political
positioning
✔️Less is more (focused, usable)
❌ More is more
(comprehensive systems)
Element
Traditional Approach
Esendia Approach
Diagnostics-First
Framework
A practical tool for auditing your current talent system: what to keep, what to streamline, what to stop, guided by the principle that less really is more.
Conversation
Design
How to structure talent calibration conversations that create genuine alignment, honest assessment, and better decisions, not defensive positioning.
Organisation-Wide Framework
A scalable approach that works at every level: not just leadership succession, but talent visibility and progression across your organization.
Integration Strategy
How to embed talent processes into existing rhythms, performance reviews, planning cycles,
1-on-1s, not as separate "talent events."
Case Study: Simple Works
Real example of an organisation that simplified their talent system, increased adoption from 40% to 85%, and made better talent decisions as a result.
What You Will Walk Away With
Practical approaches you can implement immediately
Escape the
9-Box Grid
See alternatives that are more flexible, more nuanced, and more useful for real talent decisions, without rigid categorisation that creates politics.
Your Host
Led by someone who's seen what works (and what doesn't) in talent management
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Ines Wichert
Ines has spent 15+ years helping organisations fix their talent systems. Her philosophy is simple: if leaders aren't using it, it's not working. The answer isn't more complexity, it's simplification, organisation-wide visibility, and conversations over spreadsheets.
FTSE 100 Clients
Organisational
Psychologist
What Past Attendees Say
Join hundreds of HRDs and L&D leaders who've attended our strategic conversations
"We've been using the 9-box for years and everyone hates it. This session gave us permission to try something different. We're piloting a simpler, conversation-led approach in Q3."
Head of Talent, Pharma Scale-up
"The 'less is more' philosophy resonated immediately. Our talent system had become so complex that no one used it. Simplification was the answer, not more features."
Head of L&D, Food Industry
"Finally, someone who gets it. Our leaders don't want spreadsheets—they want better conversations about people. This approach of designing around conversations is exactly what we needed."
Head of HR,
Professional Services
Common Questions
Everything you need to know before registering
What's wrong with the 9-box grid?
Nothing, if it works for you! But most organisations find it too rigid (forces people into boxes), too simplistic (performance vs potential isn't nuanced enough), and too political (positioning people becomes a game). We'll show you alternatives that are more flexible and more useful for real talent decisions.
Won't simplification mean we lose important data?
No. Simplification means removing complexity that doesn't add value. It means better conversations instead of endless forms. It means focusing on what actually drives decisions, not collecting data for the sake of it. We'll show you how to simplify without losing what matters.
Who should attend this session?
HRDs, Heads of Talent, Talent Directors, and senior HR professionals responsible for talent management and succession strategy. If your current system is too complex, not being used, or feels disconnected from real work, this is for you.
Is this just for large organisations?
No. The principle of "simple, organisation-wide, conversation-led" works at any scale. Small organisations need systems that don't create unnecessary admin. Large organisations need systems that scale without becoming unmanageable. Both benefit from simplification.
Will you try to sell me software or a new framework?
No. This is about simplifying what you have, not adding more. We'll share practical approaches and real examples. At the end, we'll explain how we work with organisations, but there's zero pressure. Many attendees find value and never engage further.
What if I can't make these dates?
We run these quarterly. Register your interest and we'll notify you when the next sessions run. We also run 1:1 sessions for organisations, get in touch if that's of interest.