The January phenomenon

INC. THIS MORNING The January phenomenon Good morning, You’re not alone if you feel like January tends to be an awful month business-wise. Sure, it's full of newness and hope, but it plays out more like every business person on the planet had too much sugar over the holidays and now they're all screaming and running into walls. It’s what Joe Procopio, founder of TeachingStartup.com and Inc. columnist calls, “the January phenomenon.” He notes that when it comes to planning, leadership often forecasts outrageous goals, and winds up selling unattainable nonsense to the team, only to discover that when you ask someone to do the impossible, they usually wind up achieving less than they would have otherwise. On the flip side, if you take too conservative of an approach and develop a wide array of backup plans, it’s likely a completely unforeseen scenario happens. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Read on for how to create a business plan that’ll yield the results you want. SPONSORED CONTENT Get real digital marketing results to help your business succeed. Drive sales and connect with customers—all from one easy-to-use digital marketing platform. Try it free. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: Using A.I. to hire? Here’s how to make sure it’s really saving you time–without creating more problems in the process. –Inc.  Now's probably a pretty good time to offer your team a little dose of reality. –Inc.  Money alone won’t keep your highest-paid employees from leaving. This matters more. –Inc.  Without hard rules about employees who test positive, business owners and workers are weighing safety against finances, and not always agreeing on the answer. –NYT  To lure workers back, companies are renovating their physical spaces in major ways. –WSJ ONE MORE THING: Take your public-speaking skills to the next level with these three simple tips. –Inc. --Brit Morse Associate editor, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback at BMorse@inc.com and on Twitter at @britnmorse. Join the visionaries who choose Inc. as their trusted source for the most accurate reporting on business. Join Inc. Unlimited today. Click here to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, Unsubscribe • Update Profile • View in Browser • Privacy Policy