Talk about exercising people skills, Andrew Carnegie is probably the most well-known of all self-help heroes. Ever since he penned those words, countless numbers of people have read them and really tried to use them as a mantra in their daily lives.

While the words and the meanings are timeless, adapting them to our frantic lifestyle today requires some tweaking so the meaning isn't lost in translation.

If you have a belief system that is anchored in the knowledge that most people would "do better" if they "knew better" then you are off to a good start. Now it's time to fine tune and hone your people skills so you really can "do better" at getting along with others.

That's a worthy goal, especially now in the midst of the financial crisis. While hundreds of people are losing their jobs and scores of others are walking a tightrope of uneasiness, you couldn't ask for a better reason to "Power Up Your People Skills."

Sure, some of the people who are losing their jobs are losing them as a result of budget cuts. However, when your name and a co-workers name are on a list and only one will be cut, how can you be sure it isn't you? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that your people skills have a HUGE affect on their decision.

How long has it been since you brushed up on your communication skills? Do you have any clue how people talk about you when you aren't around? Do they say, "oh yeah Joe is a good guy he goes with the flow."

WRONG! If that's what you are relying on, think again. "Power Up Your People Skills" gives you an entire chapter devoted to "just getting along" and why it's just isn't good enough!

How do you deal with negative situations? Do you just ignore bad behavior in your co-workers hoping it will go away? Do you argue with a protagonist? Whatever you are doing now probably isn't good enough either.

You don't have a minute to waste!

Let's just cut to the chase here. Do you want to keep your job and avoid the chopping block? If so, you have got to set yourself apart from the masses and you need to do it NOW, before the cut comes along.

Take a look at the following list. It's a sample of the arsenal you can put to work to help you KEEP that job:

Learn how to have better meetings

Develop your telephone techniques

Discover assertive skills

Find out how to give constructive criticism

And learn how to take criticism as well

How to be objective

Asking and getting cooperation

Learn how to delegate