The economy is down – and anxieties are running high in the workplace. Every day, I speak with coaching clients from Jewish nonprofit organizations who range from uneasy to panic about the security of their jobs. Will my funding get renewed? What if I get laid off? What can I do to safeguard my position in my organization? My clients are looking for answers – answers that nobody has. Not their boss, not their board, and not their coach. What I can remind my clients is that, in the face of uncertainty, they can commit to providing even more value in a currency that we all have control over, even in troubled times: the currency of respect — for our workplace, our colleagues and ourselves.

It’s too easy to let private concerns become public fodder, to let professionalism slide, and to give up when the going gets tough. It’s worth the extra effort to rise above the anxiety, raise the bar, and be a class act. Here’s 30 ways to do it:

1. Respect and represent your organization’s image and reputation
2. Respect hierarchies within – and outside of – your organization
3. Respect your organization’s culture – and don’t confuse casual with carelessness
4. Respect personal and professional privacy – and err conservatively
5. Respect personal boundaries
6. Respect diversity in the workplace – cultural, moral, political, religious and creative views
7. Respect your organization’s property and resources
8. Respect people’s time
9. Smile
10. Be welcoming
11. Be proactive
12. Intend to help
13. Assume others’ positive intentions
14. Create pleasant and agreeable experiences for everyone
15. Be a team cheerleader
16. Don’t gossip or pass on rumors
17. Don’t talk about staff, volunteers, clients – or anyone – negatively
18. Understand what “confidential” means to each person with whom you interact
19. Model discretion and professionalism in word, deed and attire
20. Speak softly in public
21. Do not hold personal conversations in bathrooms, elevators or other public spaces
22. Keep personal information personal – yours or others’
23. Avoid slang and foul language
24. Minimize sarcasm – especially on email
25. Don’t assume people understand jargon or acronyms
26. Say “please” and “thank you”
27. Hold the door
28. Use humor carefully, sparingly, gracefully – and only with people you know well
29. Apologize as needed
30. Acknowledge others’ contributions regularly

You can read more on Professional Development from Deborah here and at MyJewishCoach.com.