USA - Part 2 - The Sir Culture

The queen of England bestows knighthood to people who have achieved excellence in their respective field. Post this, their name are prefixed with “Sir”. The case is a little different in Indian Corporate World and this starts right from the schools. I remember going thru a few ragging sessions back in school (Not the very serious types), where the seniors instructed all the junior batch students to address them as sir.

When you step into the corporate world, one generally ends up calling everyone senior as Sir. However, I have a problem with this. If one addresses someone as Sir out of respect it still makes sense but when it is out of compulsion that’s when you feel getting stretched within. By addressing someone as Sir, you show your gratitude towards that person for educating you / enlightening you. And, when one is compelled to address someone as sir; just because of his /her seniority, it leaves you with a bad taste.

This is one starkling difference in US. You address everyone by their first name. Be it a CEO or an intern, their first name is how they get addressed with. Though this might seem to be just a cultural nuance, but it does have an implicit meaning. It cut shorts the difference that exists between people. An organization success is not a single person’s outcome. It is like a mechanical clock with each part interacting with the other to make the instrument function the way it needs to. Addressing by first names just keeps you grounded. It removes any baggage one tends to carry or thinks of carrying. Years of experience, tenure in the current organization matter but not as much as performance and performance has no age barrier. Corporates have CEO's who are in their Early thirties.

I think this small thing can make wonders in the Indian corporate scene. Addressing a senior by first name is not a means of saying that an experience doesn’t count; it’s just a way to say that in this competitive world, fresh ideas weigh as much as the experience does.