There have been so many mixed signals about the state of the US economy lately. One day a pile of negative reports is released followed by a couple of positive ones the next. I do not like being an alarmist. I am not a negative person by nature. In fact, I try to maintain a positive outlook. That being said, I also don’t believe in slapping lip stick on a pig.

In my 14+ years in management, I have been through many downsizing initiatives and even a company bankruptcy filing. As a manager, I have been faced with the difficult task of deciding which of my staff will have to be let go, due to no fault of their own. If given the choice, management will always choose to retain employees who are on time, stand out, interact and go above and beyond consistently. If you are perpetually late, always complaining and avoid the boss at all costs, you will probably be among the first to go. Follow these steps to help stay employed, no matter what the economy is doing.