Who does your coffee benefit?

So the huge controversy that everyone has been talking about recently is the new guy getting coffee. If you haven't read the news article you can check out that through the link from this...today's inspiration.

I really enjoyed what the author had to say here. I mean, everyone has to get the coffee now and again, and some days, it might even be nice to OFFER...or maybe that's just me, I like to be helpful. But the point is...WHO/WHAT is this coffee helping/accomplishing. Is this because the coffee drinker is using you because you're new OR could it be because they're having a really rough morning and could use the extra minute that it would take them to walk to the kitchen for more coffee? Or even more importantly...are they helping a client or preparing for a big meeting and need to be focused on what's best for the company and truly don't have time to worry about how much cream and sugar they should be consuming.

I know upon hearing about this fiasco that everyone is up in arms about how Gen-Y is either full of themselves and thinks they're "too good" to get the coffee or how the young people think they're getting stepped on because they're "new" and "undeserving" of real responsibility in the eyes of their older coworkers and/or supervisors. Well I think all of this is crap.

Are there some coworkers who are going to ask you to get coffee because they're lazy...probably. Are there some Gen-Y-ers who could use cut down to size...most definitely but is one person refusing to get coffee and quitting their job worth all of this hulabaloo and arguments about who's to blame and who's entitled to what? No.

Think before you act...if you think you're being used, bring it up...NICELY. If you think someone is being a whiner because they're too special to bring the coffee explain to them how it helps the WHOLE (not just you because that defeats the whole purpose of this) and nicely tell them to get the coffee or take their amazing self somewhere where they feel they will be more appreciated. I'm a firm believer in working hard and reaping what you sow. So if you work hard and do what's best for the whole, then getting the coffee a few times is going to reflect good on you and you're going to go far. And vice versa.

So let's all stop worrying about who's getting the coffee and move onto what is more important...are we doing what's best for everyone involved? Are we productive? Are we efficient?

I believe if we worry about that...then who gets the coffee should NOT even come into play.