Establish positive relationships with your new colleagues and develop good communication habits to maintain those relationships. Be honest, open, friendly, reliable, and clear. Pay close attention to the company's internal politics and culture, and align yourself in the most productive ways possible.

Cultivate good relationships with everyone, including the employees above and below your level at the organization. Get to know people's names. Reach out to the mail guy, the security guard, the IT guru, your manager's executive assistant — everyone! You want friends in a 360-degree arc around you. Why? Simple — it makes working with these folks a lot more pleasant and productive. And when it's time for another round of layoffs, having good friends at the company could help you avoid getting another pink slip.