Employees are less likely to jump ship during a recession so whether you run a global small business or local big business -- focusing on how to develop people to ensure you are not caught short of strong managers when the economy recovers -- is a smart notion.

Here's what some of the big guys are doing. I see a lot of ideas in this article. Webinars and executive coaches are a good way to train and counsel high-potential employees on a tight budget. Even ordering a simple HBR case study and discussing it as a group at one of your regularly scheduled meetings shows you're on it and care. More ideas can be found here.