Is Your Company's Missing Q1 Targets?

It seems clear that many companies will miss Q1 numbers & be forced into more layoffs. IBM announced they are cutting 5,000 people today. My prediction is their are a lot more coming. Most companies get this wrong.  Here is a post i wrote for dan farber @ cnet last october that seems even more relevant now:

Strategies For The Downturn

Get Ready For More Layoffs in Q2

As the DOW continues to move down (i am no stock market expert, but it looks like the DOW @ 6000 or lower is a very real possibility), get ready for your company to have a bad 1st quarter, miss Q1 targets and do another round of layoffs in Q2.

If your company did a layoff of 10% or less in q4 or q1, chances are you didn't cut cut deep enough. plan to cut another 10-20% in q2. this time, go deep. if you don't you may be forced to do another lay-off in q3 or q4. the more times you do it, the worst off you are. rip the band-aid off fast. once.