Surviving slowdowns

Know your business.

Be well informed about your company and industry. Make sure the efforts of the IT department are in lockstep with overall corporate initiatives.

Communicate with your staff.

Be frank about your company's financial performance. Tell your staff what's happening to the IT budget and let them suggest cuts.

Empower your staff.

Ask your staff to identify and prioritize initiatives that will bring efficiencies. They know what works and what doesn't.

Lead by example.

If you ask your staff to do more with less, you better do more with less, too - this is not the time for new office furniture.

Be adaptable.

Economic conditions change quickly. Make sure you're prepared to manage in good times and bad, and plan for both scenarios.

Be circumspect with layoffs.

If you cannot maintain payroll, be careful who you let go. Keep a core group of top players who will be ready to hit the ground running when things turn around.

Focus on the core business.

Don't take on risky, large-scale projects. Instead propose smaller, short-term efforts that will reap rewards in terms of improved efficiencies and measurable savings.

Brush up on your marketing skills.

Be prepared to simply and clearly explain the value of IT projects to upper management. Get key executives on your side.

- Carolyn Duffy Marsan and Jennifer Mears