We had a packed house this morning for our HR Roundtable as we talked about the challenges HR leaders have to overcome in their daily roles. Just some of the highlights from our discussion included:

• Succession planning – Most organizations recognize the need for succession planning throughout the organization, but because the need isn’t immediate it is often put aside while more pressing issues can be addressed. Our group talked about some strategies for incorporating regular succession-planning discussions with all levels of management.

• Senior leadership development – Executives who are proactive about their coaching opportunities tend to be more successful. When approaching a leader about the need for development, it’s often best to build a business case rather than making it sound personal.

• High-potential employees – Attendees shared their organization’s approaches toward identifying and developing high-potential employees. We discussed whether resources are better spent on growing and retaining high-potential leaders or on boosting up middle-of-the-road performers.

• Career paths – More than ever, employees want to know there is a career path for them—and many are even asking about it during the hiring process. Our group talked about the importance of sharing the path with employees so they don’t leave the organization assuming there is not one ahead of them.