A year ago, a paralegal went on Reddit to complain about how they were always being asked to make coffee at the law firm they worked at.
Then they asked: “who makes the coffee at your law firm?”
From the responses by other legal professionals, it was immediately clear that in law firms where several generations of legal professionals work together, one was either…
- a coffee maker (i.e., young and always tasked with making coffee), or
- a coffee asker (i.e., older and always the one asking for coffee to be made).
Three additional facts emerged from the swift responses that kept coming in:
- the coffee makers were younger than the coffee askers
- the coffee makers were annoyed by always having to make coffee for their seniors
- the coffee askers didn’t think this was a big deal
The bigger law firms, of course, reported that they had fancy coffee machines (so everybody – young or old – could make their own cup) or a fleet of service workers in canteens. Interesting power dynamics emerged in those law firms with less than 50 or 20 employees. Some paralegals wrote back with strategies on how to respond to a senior who routinely expects you to make coffee for them:
- Consider acting like you misheard them and say, “sure, I’m happy to show you how I make it”
- Why not ask them questions about how they like their coffee in a slightly annoying, nerdy way – do you want sugar, how much, do you like foam, what kind of milk, oh we only have soy, how strong do you like it on a scale of 1 to 7
- Brew a terrible cup, like, just terrible
Some young lawyers wrote about senior colleagues who set an example by quietly making their own cup every time.
Some drew interesting parallels between coffee askers and their managerial styles: managers who were coffee makers tended to both show and expect accountability, managers who were coffee askers tended to only expect accountability from their juniors.
Some attributed their positive work culture to polite coffee etiquette, where either everyone made their own coffee, or brewed a potful if they came across an empty one.
One might argue that a Reddit thread is not a reliable source of data on workplace culture, but the responses point to another dimension of generational bias: the expectation that making the coffee is a rite of passage that young employees must experience, until they are old enough to be able to pass it on to someone younger.
Senior colleagues may expect that juniors are obligated to make coffee for them – especially if they ask them to. They may support their beliefs by thinking:
- I made coffee for my seniors when I was their age
- This is just the way things are supposed to be – younger folks do as they’re told
- A junior making coffee for me is a privilege I’ve earned because of my higher age
What’s happening here?
The value systems that these beliefs are based on have more to do with how things ought to be, or how people of a certain age ought to act. This is also known as a prescriptive stereotype. Coffee askers believe that coffee makers ought to make coffee for them – because they’re older than them.
This is in contrast with treating human beings – young or old – with shared values such as fairness and respect.
Generational bias feeds into the workplace as well. It’s common for senior colleagues to offer advice on the professional lives of their younger colleagues. Where it could become biassed is when they offer (usually unsolicited) advice on the personal lives of their younger colleagues too.
On the other hand, younger employees might imagine that the workplace – where one’s identity has a lot more to do with competence, ethics and ability – will be free of such biases. The lived experiences shared by people on forums like the Reddit thread proves, however, that this is not the case.
Workplaces are an extension of the cultures we grow up in, the traditions we are taught to uphold, and the expectations that have drawn boundaries for us. Managers expect from their reportees what was expected of them when they were younger – to be the coffee makers.
But times are changing, and the coffee makers of today are willing to speak up for themselves. There are also an increasing number of coffee askers who want to break the cycle of generational bias and be truly inclusive in their approach at work.
Coffee is an essential aspect of any workplace – where there are deadlines, there must be caffeine! Making it is an essential life skill like any other, and it can evolve as one grows older. Keeping artisanal coffee and fancy brewing equipment aside, making coffee is a simple, calming ritual – but also a powerful way to drive generational inclusion. After all, office culture grows like ivy, with every little thought and action creeping across the walls from one day to the next.
So, who makes the coffee at your office?