Step 1
Strengths
Where does this person already create disproportionate value?
Career coaching
Career conversation template for managers and mentors
Guide career talks across Strengths, Interests, Gaps, Opportunities, and Next experiments. Share a link — no participant sign-up.
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Career Conversation
Live columns ready to facilitate
Strengths
Interests
Gaps
Opportunities
Next experiments
How the framework works
Each column is a stage. Capture cards as you talk, then leave with a visible next step.
Step 2
Interests
What kind of work energizes them — topics, environments, impact?
Step 3
Gaps
Which skills, experiences, or relationships are missing for the next step?
Step 4
Opportunities
What roles, projects, or exposures exist inside or outside the current team?
Step 5
Next experiments
What small, time-boxed move will they try before the next conversation?
How to facilitate
Lead with strengths and interests
Starting on Gaps makes the talk feel like a deficit review. Build energy first.
Separate opportunity from promise
Opportunities are options to explore, not offers. Keep language honest.
Pick experiments, not five-year plans
One or two next experiments beat a vague aspiration map nobody revisits.
Bring the board back next quarter
Career progress shows up as updated columns, not a single dramatic meeting.
When to use it
- Quarterly career check-ins between managers and reports
- Mentorship conversations that need more than coffee chat
- Internal mobility discussions before a formal application
- Stay interviews focused on growth rather than only retention risk
Ready to run it live?
Open the board, share the link, and facilitate from the columns — no setup workshop required.
FAQ
How is this different from a performance review?
Performance reviews score past delivery. A career conversation explores direction, energy, and experiments — usually with lower stakes and more curiosity.
Who should fill the board?
Ideally the employee leads. The manager adds opportunities and support cards, then helps choose next experiments.
Can HR use this?
Yes as a facilitation aid for career workshops or manager enablement — not as a ratings or compensation system.