Diagnostic
Performance × Culture Grid
A simple 2x2 for rating people on role performance and culture fit so talent decisions are explicit, comparable and faster.
Use this for existing employees and for hiring debriefs. Keep the flow simple: score three role outcomes and three values first, plot the person on the grid second, then use the matching decision card.
Score inputs (before plotting)
| Performance box (3x JD outcomes) | Culture box (3x values) |
|---|---|
| 1. Role outcome #1 - __/10 | 1. Own outcomes - __/10 |
| 2. Role outcome #2 - __/10 | 2. Raise the bar - __/10 |
| 3. Role outcome #3 - __/10 | 3. Build others up - __/10 |
| Average = performance score | Average = culture score |
- Write each JD line as an outcome, not an activity.
- Use evidence from the last 30-90 days for each score.
- For hiring, score from structured interview signal, work sample and references.
Culture vs performance grid
Credit: Outstride original
Decision cards (after plotting)
| Card | Decision | What to do now |
|---|---|---|
| High performance + high culture | Scale responsibility | Give more scope and build a team around them. |
| Low performance + low culture | Exit quickly | They are both a performance miss and cultural detractor. |
| High performance + low culture | Manage out at the right time | Short-term output may be useful; long-term culture damage is costly. |
| High culture + low performance | Invest if capacity allows | Set a focused development plan with clear timeline and milestones. |
Run this quarterly in calibration meetings and force one clear action per person: scale, invest, manage out, or exit.
Worked example (anonymised)
A sales lead at a seed-stage startup. Culture, scored against the company's values: hunger 6.5, proactivity 4, reliability 5. Performance, scored against the three outcomes in the job description: generate qualified calls — 3/10; represent the company at industry events — no score yet; lift the team's close rate — 6/10. Averaged and plotted: middling culture, low performance — the "invest if capacity allows" quadrant, with a focused development plan and a deadline.
Notice the criterion with no score. A "?" is not a neutral mark — it means you lack evidence for a core part of the role. Go collect it before the next calibration; don't average around it or guess.
Source / credit
Outstride original
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