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In the office world, miscommunication and conflict are two things that happen frequently. These are two things that are inevitable, seeing as how multiple individuals with different backgrounds, views and personalities are required to come together to work as a single cohesive unit. The small differences in personality and manners are magnified when work styles, work constraints and stress are added into the mistakes. Add in age and cultural differences and you have a breeding ground for misunderstandings in the workplace.

This is precisely why time and resources must be spent for the training and development of employees and managers. Communication training is something that every business owner and professional must seriously look into in order to reap the benefits of a more productive workplace. Conflict is indeed inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you should let it ruin your work environment and cause unneeded stress.

Here are 4 tips to resolve conflict in your work office. If you’re thinking about all undergoing proper communication training, these are great ideas for your workforce to acquaint themselves with.

1.  Complain the Right Way

As tempting as it is to do so, moaning and whining is never a good way to formulate a complaint in the office. Instead of pouting and saying that, you were somehow never allowed to speak at meetings, why not say instead that you believe you were in a position to contribute some good ideas at meetings? Always provide valid reasons behind your complaints and formulate them in a professional manner.

2.  Listen to Others’ Points of View

Misunderstandings are the single biggest culprits when it comes to conflicts in the office, so it only makes sense for us to tell you to listen carefully to what others have to say. If a problem arises in the office, listen first to the other party’s views on the matter, and then reflect back on what you understood. Try to throw back what you understood by summarizing what the other party just said by saying, “So from what I understand…” and then throw in what you think. More often than not, arguing parties and officemates are oblivious to the fact that they are standing on common ground, which can easily resolve conflict.

3.  Be Considerate when Resolving Conflicts

For matters that require further discussion, find a middle ground when it comes to finding a place and time to talk. Don’t just pick a fight when your co-worker or employee is stuck working on a tight deadline, as this reeks of unprofessionalism.

4.  Keep it Between Yourselves

For employees, the snitch, or the person who tells superiors about all issues in the office, is often the object of much resentment—rightfully so. There are times when involving superiors get in the way of conflict resolution—if it’s a difficulty that can easily be handled between you and the other party, then by all means, keep it between yourselves.