A strategic move today for some companies that are anticipating more aggressive business levels as the recovery progresses is proactive use of mentoring programs to enhance the development of current talent and enrich jobs.

We have talked about "flexible staffing" as a business concept for years — primarily because we are in the talent management business and have long understood the blend of contract, temporary, regular fulltime positions and use of consultants to be one of the most powerful and efficient approaches businesses can take to fill human capital requirements for business strategy and goal attainment.

Change when it comes suddenly and uninvited is often quite difficult for most of us.

At the same time, life becomes more difficult than it needs to be when change is overdue.