Greetings from the Staff at Gardner Resources Consulting:
In the past weeks turbulence continues to be the only constant in the economic waters that companies and individuals are trying to navigate. Though it's an incredibly challenging task, keeping your career, and if you are a manager, your staff, on a positive course is even more critical than ever. We asked prominent Boston area IT managers for their advice.

This month's insight piece examines local IT managers who tell us how they manage their staff and cope with the impact of the economic downturn. Here are their tips for keeping yourself and your team focused and productive.

What IT Managers Say About Weathering Turbulent Times

Have you been thinking about your career and what lies ahead for you and your company?   Perhaps you've already experienced staff reductions or budget cutbacks.  Or maybe you're fortunate enough to work for an organization that has remained - at least so far - relatively unscathed by the recession. 

We spoke with IT leaders at Massachusetts-based healthcare, biotechnology, financial services and educational institutions to learn how diverse organizations are coping with today's turbulent times.  Unsurprisingly, the feedback varied by industry, company and each individual's responsibilities.

• One educational institution suffered major layoffs, leaving an overextended development team to manage the workload.
• A biotechnology firm is taking "pre-emptive measures" to control costs and save jobs, despite a strong market position and positive projections. "In a field where we never thought we'd be talking about layoffs, we are talking about it now", the biotech manager reports.
• One financial services institution is looking for productivity improvements to preserve jobs and maintain funding and another is grateful for zero job loss even though "people are still afraid for their jobs and cuts in benefits".
• A healthcare IT team that powers the billing and registration system for a major hospital feels secure because of the critical nature of their application, yet they are sensitive to the overall business environment.

Whether your company has been hard hit by the economic crisis or is operating in business-as-usual mode, the global economic downturn hovers like a cloud over management and employees alike.  Even in companies that have not experienced cutbacks, it's impossible to avoid the anxiety that filters in from the outside world.  Since you can't shield yourself or your colleagues from the stress and confusion that comes with uncertain times, here are some tips from the IT Managers we interviewed on how to deal with today's realities and position yourself for challenges that may lie ahead. Read More