Fleming: Working today is stressful. To make work easier, you should avoid creating enemies in the workplace. Many people don’t realize that what they’re doing is making their jobs so much more difficult. Here’s how you can avoid making enemies at work. People hate surprises. Consistent people are better like than those people who are inconsistent. If you compliment someone in public and then say something different in private, that’s inconsistent. That’s a surprise that will make people dislike you. Avoid inconsistencies.

You should also avoid public criticism. There are going to be times you are critical of someone else’s behavior. Publicly chastising them is inappropriate. Calling someone’s idea or action stupid is inflammatory and totally inappropriate. Even in private, avoid name calling.

Prepare for any known confrontations. How can you do that? Before the meeting, discuss any obstacles you see. Try to get consensus before the meeting. If you can’t then put the item on the agenda to be discussed, just make sure the group has ground rules for civil discussion. This means no name calling.

Your best strategy is to make friends. Help others achieve their objectives. This starts with your manager. So know what their objectives are. Then look at your peers. Make sure you are doing everything you can to help them. It may not be part of your job description to avoid creating enemies but it is and now you know how.