There was a rare moment to pause last week and consider what 2009 holds in store business - given the overwhelming opinion and evidence that organisations will find trading conditions somewhat tougher next year, there will be an inevitable culling of certain training&development spend.

What will remain will invariably be prioritised and spent on development activity which is seen as adding real, immediate value to the business - there will always be an eye on building the long-term capability of the business, but less so at this moment in time.

Developing great leadership capability should always be a focus, and in these times, many of the current leaders will be facing unprecendented change and turbulence, the like of which they haven't seen before in their tenure - in order to succeed, they will need to learn how to deal with this different situation effectively, engage with their employees and steer them through the 'downturn' as painlessly as possible.

Companies will need to carefully assess what leadership competencies, skills and knowledge their require, be that through 360 Degree Feedback or other processes, and develop in a very targeted way.

Similarly, in difficult times, the need to work efficiently and effectively becomes paramount - Line Managers will have to get to grips with performance management and ensure that they are getting the best from their team.

With the wide opinion that managers are lacking in this discipline, some straightforward, 'back-to-basics' performance management and appraisal training would be a useful tactical approach to adopt.