Written by Kevin Wilde from General Mills on October 25, 2010

"Lost at Sea" is a classic group exercise in which you imagine being set adrift in a life raft after your ship sinks. The task is to select essential survival resources. The list of possible resources ranges from good choices, such as water, a mirror and food rations, to questionable ones, such as mosquito netting, a transistor radio and a map of the Pacific Ocean. The point of the exercise is group consensus wins out over individual rankings, as compared to the expert list from the U.S. Coast Guard.

I've had a few phone calls from talent management leaders recently that remind me of this "Lost at Sea" exercise. The callers are new to the role and are looking for advice on how to start up or turn around a talent management practice. Like the group exercise, the choices are many, and it's smart to seek out the collective viewpoints of colleagues.

I don't work for the U.S. Coast Guard, but allow me to offer my list of essentials. One caution: Context counts, so it's important to understand your surroundings to apply in practice. A good choice in one setting may be crazy in another.

My top five to build high-performing talent in an organization include:

* Sponsors who matter: You can't do it alone, no matter how powerful your talent management toolbox. Identify the pro-talent members of the line management staff and cultivate strong relationships. I've been fortunate to have many such partners over the years, and they have played varied and important roles in the success of talent management efforts. Some are strong advocates for development changes, and others have helped keep me close to business realities and provided personal mentoring. Some serve as guides to navigate the organization culture, and others act as supportive, yet demanding "clients" to solve talent challenges.

* A strategic forum to talk talent: Set up a new meeting, refresh a stale succession review process or leverage other avenues where staffing decisions are made. The aim is to create a strong process that integrates business planning routines, such as strategic or financial planning, with a respected and impactful practice. This will firmly link the business plans with the human capital capabilities necessary, judge the health of the talent pipeline and accelerate top talent development. It also will introduce and encourage a talent mindset in line executives. With that value embedded, all the doors open to talent development possibilities.

* 160-proof rum and shark repellent: This is from the "Lost at Sea" list, but on rough days it may help you ease stress and defend yourself from change resistance. Seriously, setting a strong talent management agenda is hard work. Enabling personal support while championing a better way is just as important as any clever talent-building tool.

* Strong external partners: Along the lines of "you can't do it alone," introducing or renewing real talent management processes takes good ideas and practical tools. Most of the best tools or processes I've introduced have originated from great HR consultants and other providers in the talent management field. Whether it was Joe from Utah, Pat from California or Bob from Minnesota, I am indebted to an extended network of great friends and resources. In many cases, they have provided a lifeline to help me think through a challenge or came forward with just the right solution. I've also leveraged the strong and credible voices of outside experts to help influence line managers or existing HR leaders.

* Performance management systems that align: It's of little lasting value to turbocharge one dimension of HR and not create symmetry and linkage with all other relevant parts. For example, the introduction of a new leadership competency model does limited good unless the staffing, measurement and reward systems are also adjusted to the new thinking. That means great partnering with internal HR leaders and working as a team to serve the business rather than standing out as the lone star of HR excellence.

It's better to know what to grab when you are faced with a new situation. At sea, that means the right survival gear. In HR, it means having a well-tuned set of can't-fail tools and practices. What are your top five?

This article was originally published in the September 2009 edition of Talent Management and was reposted with the permission of the author.