Layoff Worries? Five Conversations You Should Have

By Joseph Grenny, co-author of "Crucial Conversations"

As the economy continues to take a downturn, more and more American jobs are at risk. But with all the cutbacks, what's the likelihood that you will face a layoff in the coming months? One study shows that the majority of people fear the worst.

An online poll conducted by VitalSmarts, a Utah-based corporate training company, reveals that three out of four people believe their organization is likely to issue layoffs in the next 12 months. Incidentally, one in three people believe their job is at risk today.

So with the pending threat, what are you doing to either ensure your job is not the next casualty, or reduce the consequences if it is?

As it turns out, people are doing very little to secure their jobs in this weak economy. For example, one of the easiest steps to take is to solicit information from your boss about layoff potential; yet according to the survey, more than one-fourth of respondents fail to take even this simple step.