The TikTok Coffee Debate Is Missing the Point

There’s a TikTok question going viral right now, and the comment sections are on fire. A recruiter asked a simple question: Is it appropriate to bring your iced coffee with you to a job interview? Some people say it looks too casual, like you didn’t take the interview seriously. Others say it’s just coffee, so everyone needs to relax. It’s turned into a full-blown generational debate.

So what’s my take?…

It’s only appropriate if you bring me one too! 😊

The Rules That Matter More Than the Cup

Here’s why I love this debate. It shows that some people care about getting workplace etiquette right, and some don’t. After years of helping companies with leadership development, I’ve seen the same do’s and don’ts show up in every workplace, whether you’re the CEO or you started on Monday. 

They aren’t leader rules or employee rules. They’re rules that occur at every Destination Workplace®, and they apply to everyone. Here are four rules you don’t want to get wrong.

1. Build People Up, and Never Tear Them Down

✅ DO: Build team members up. Catch someone doing something right and say it out loud, in front of others, and be specific.

❌ DON’T: Gossip or tear people down. Everyone who hears you talk about someone else assumes you talk about them too.

We asked 750 working adults what they’d do if they worked in a negative culture, and 2 in 5 said they’d start talking negatively about their employer, manager, or co-workers. That means gossip is often the first sign a culture is slipping, and it makes the slide worse.

2. Own Your Mistakes Instead of Handing Them Off

✅ DO: Own it out loud: “That was on me, and here’s how I’m fixing it.”

❌ DON’T: Blame, deflect, or make excuses. (The printer, the traffic, and “nobody told me” have taken enough heat.) 

3. Protect People’s Time Like It’s Your Own

✅ DO: Show up on time and ready, whether it’s a meeting, a deadline, or a callback you promised.

❌ DON’T: Treat other people’s time like it’s free. Running ten minutes late to a meeting with eight people just cost your company 80 minutes.

4. Speak Up With Solutions in the Room, Not the Parking Lot

✅ DO: Bring up concerns in the meeting, respectfully, with at least one idea to fix them.

❌ DON’T: Nod along in the meeting, then hold the “meeting after the meeting” in the parking lot.

The ROI Of These 4 Rules 

Your values show up in what people watch you do on a normal Tuesday, far more than in what’s written on the wall. 

Here’s the ROI. When these four rules become workplace habits, trust goes up, conflict goes down, and your best people stay to be part of the better workplace instead of taking their talent to your competition. That can save your company thousands to millions down the road.

The Bar Raiser™ Move: Tomorrow, pick one DO from this list and do it where people can see it, starting with you.

Tell me, which one of these do you see most in your workplace, the do or the don’t? Pick one to work on this week, and keep raising the bar on yourself! 💪

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important workplace do’s and don’ts?

The habits that matter most are building people up, owning your mistakes, respecting other people’s time, and speaking up with solutions. They apply to leaders and team members equally, because culture is built by everyone’s daily behavior.

Is it appropriate to bring coffee to a job interview?

It’s usually safest to finish your coffee before you walk in, so your hands are free and your focus is on the conversation. Interviewers are judging preparation and respect far more than your drink choice.

How does gossip affect workplace culture?



Gossip erodes trust, because people assume they’ll be the next topic. In the National Workplace Trends Study, two in five working adults said they’d talk negatively about their employer, manager, or co-workers in a negative culture, which makes gossip an early warning sign.

SHARE THIS: Leaders, send this to your team before your next meeting. Team members, send it to the coworker who always builds people up, and tell them they’re one of the reasons your workplace is better.

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About Betsy: Betsy Allen-Manning is the wake-up call you didn’t know you needed. She’s a high-energy leadership keynote speaker and creator of the Bar Raisers™ Movement: a proprietary system redefining how organizations are approaching performance, leadership, and culture. Featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, and TEDx, Betsy works with organizations across corporate, franchise, association, nonprofit, and government sectors. She’s the lead researcher behind the National Workplace Trends Study, and delivers programs around her Bar Raisers™ and Leadership Mastery frameworks. She is the founder of Destination Workplace®, an award-winning leadership development firm in Dallas, Texas.