Gartner proposes CIO resolutions for 2009

The research firm published a report which suggests senior IT professionals resist the natural impulses they might have during a downturn. My favourites out of the 10 proposals:

Stop being the exception that enforces the rules: In tense times, leading by example matters more than usual – from body language to dress code, and from vocabulary to attention-span. CIOs should design and adopt two or three key behaviours to match the required direction they want their reports to follow such as turning away their option to upgrade to the glitziest new smartphone. Such signals will cause people to comment and think about their own values and behaviours.

Stop ignoring people and opting for soft targets:CIOs will be under pressure to be seen taking swift action. There will be temptation to cut quickly in areas where staff is working on longer-term goals that suddenly seem of lower relevance.