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We often spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our families. While we can choose the people we socialise with, it is usually beyond our control to select the people we work with on a daily basis. This means that in the workplace, we should have a different set of expectations when it comes to the behavior of others. The qualities needed to ensure that there is as little personal conflict at work as possible are complex, but can be encapsulated in just 5 words: discretion, honesty, commitment, productivity, humour.

The first of these words, discretion, is a very important but often overlooked quality in a co-worker. Knowing when to speak up or stay silent is a key skill, not only in the workplace in general but also in life as a whole. Knowing when to let things go, like the occasional few minutes lateness when you know the person will always make up the time from their lunch break, is an important tool in staff management.

Honesty is something everyone talks about but not something that everyone applies fairly. When a friend asks you if their dress makes them look fat, you have the option as a friend of saying that maybe wearing a jacket with the dress would be better. In the workplace, there is a business need to be honest with other people's performance that does not skirt round the issue of under achieving. If a co-worker is not pulling their weight and their actions are starting to effect how well you do your own job, being honest with them about it should be your first step. Give them the chance to improve things before you run to your line manager and your co-worker may be more willing to cooperate. Equally, if someone is doing a great job, don't be afraid to say so openly. Praise does not always have to come from the top down.

In terms of commitment from our co-workers, we all need to know that we can rely on someone to complete the tasks assigned to them by the given deadline. There is little more frustrating than having to wait for someone else to finish their work so that you can carry on with yours. Commitment also extends to being punctual for meetings or sending apologies in good time, being well prepared for presentations or workshops, and generally being interested in the job at hand.

Productivity is relative to the specific job you do. Not everyone actually produces a product as part of their employment; it could just as easily be a service. However, when there is work to be done, spending time gossiping at the water cooler

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