Improve your chances of survival with a few common sense steps.

A slow economy often leads to mass layoffs, victimizing workers of all collar colors and salary levels. Your best defensive moves can also help you get ahead when times are good, so there's no harm in getting ready-just in case. In fact, preparing for the worst is sound career advice even if everything turns up rosy.

Stay on the ball

First and foremost, make sure that you're doing your job-and doing it well. A stressful work environment often follows when business isn't good, but that shouldn't be an excuse for giving up on your duties. Ignore the rumor mill as much as you can, and focus on taking care of your responsibilities.

Show up on time, or even early. Dress and groom yourself like a professional, and keep your chin up. If the rest of the office is slouching, unshaven, or sloppy, your efforts will stand out more as a good example for others. If they're all soldiering on just like you, at least you won't be the black sheep. After all, you're doing your job as well as anyone, and you'd be missed if you weren't there. The better your performance, the more likely you'll get to keep doing what you do.

Friends of a feather

Keeping out of the gossip circuit doesn't make you a loner. Stay in the social office life-have lunch with your co-workers and supervisor, go golfing with Mike from Accounting, share gardening tips with the web support team. In short, make friends and contacts across the company. They'd be sorry to see you go, and might have some pull in the decisions when layoff orders come. Not only that, but their professional connections could help you land a new job if the unthinkable should happen.

If you manage a team, sector, or division within the company, make sure that your subordinates respect you professionally, and like you personally. They're more likely to put in a good word on your behalf. Again, this is simply good business in many ways-happy employees perform better, internal allies can help you keep your job, and an extended network comes in handy for your next career step.

Stay in the game

You may already have all these good habits, but it's still worth enlivening these qualities. Gloom and doom in a difficult business environment with job cuts looming can make it hard to stay on track, even for the most focused workers. There are serious rewards for making the best of a bad situation, including job security and a better career path. If you can keep up with these demands under the gun, imagine the wonders your toolkit can work when the storm passes and daylight breaks through the clouds again.