Tuesday, September 02, 2008

What’s In a Title?

We don't have titles on our business cards. No one really gets any special treatment. No one gets a corner office to put pictures of their family and their dog in. - Jay Chiat

The British are the only European people I know who likes to put title before or after their names. From “Sir” to those who are knighted to the “nth-in-line-to-the-throne” for the royal bench-warmers. At least this passion is confined to their royalties.

Unlike here, you can see it everywhere. It’s announced in front of government buildings, in big bold letters, to connote the importance of that particular branch. Names like “General Directorate of …” and “Supreme Presidency for …” are just few of the more modest titles.

I don’t mind if an HRH is in front of a guy’s name. His royalty, that’s his official title. But commoners too like to have these vanity plates. They want to be addressed as “Doctor” so-and-so if he has a PhD from What-ever University and “Muhandes” (Engineer) if a graduate from Fly-by-night Institute of Technology. Since there are a lot of “engineers” in our project, one particular guy won’t respond if called unless you call him Besh Muhandes (top or head engineer).

South Asians are another title-obsessed group. I once knew a guy who is well liked by the man-at-the-top that he was never terminated, just transferred from one project to another. It’s not because he does amazing job, his just a good butt-kisser. The last assignment he landed to doesn’t have a title so he created his own. He called his position “Head of Logistics”. His responsible for buying all the supplies the project needs.

In terms of tenure, I’m the most senior among the employees of this project. My position or title is “Programmer”; as plain as bread without butter. The only thing that sets me apart from other programmers is that I can browbeat the Head of the Computer Department or the Project Manager if he does something stupid.

17 comments:

  1. meron ako kilala when needed to decide kung ano pipiliin nya dun sa mga in-applyan nya.. yung staff lang pero malaki sweldo or manager sya pero mas maliit sweldo. guess what? pinili nya yung maliit ang sweldo pero yun nga sa calling card nya nakalagay "sales manager"

    ako naman mas gusto ko na walang nakadikit na magarang position sa calling card or sa desk ko.. para hindi isipin na marami akong money kase malaki salary ko dahil sa position! hahaha

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  2. lei, yung title pang ego-trip lang yan eh. When a co-worker (south asian) and his family attended my daughter's birthday, biro mong calling card nya and ipinandikit sa gift. Taas kilay tuloy yung mga pinoy na naka-observed. As if we don't know their capability.

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  3. sa kuwait pare,malaking isyu rin yang calling card..nung napromote ako bilang detailer to interior designer...madaming tumaas ang kilay kasi walang mga pinoy na nagkakaruon ng calling card...para sakin sa kanila na ang position basta wag lang akong istorbohin sa trabaho.

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  4. HaHaHa. Hindi ka siguro nagkukurbata. Dito madali mong mauto ang mga katutubo pagnakakurbata ka. : )

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  5. I've encountered people back home who are head over heels with the designation. And here in the Gulf, some nationalities are just too hungry for the recognition. Hay. Naaawa ako sa kanila kesa mainis.

    If someone is secured about his/her capabilities, a title is pointless but just a bonus decoration. What's striking to me are actually big names hiding under simplicity.

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  6. oo nga noh,di ko kasi hilig ang nakakurbata.he he he.masubukan nga minsan ang mang-asar,magsusuot ako ng kurbata complete attire with my converse shoes..ha ha ha.:)

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  7. i find it hard to think bakit big deal sa iba ang title with regards to their position. i've met a lot of MOHANDES when i was there and to tell you the truth their named position doesn't commensurate well to their knowledge. parang pang-ego trip nalang cguro nila yun.

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  8. witsandnuts, what makes pinoy title-obsessed-free is that we focused our minds to one thing only. To save enough money to bring back home. Our salary is more important to us than position. A pinoy engineer once asked if he'll take a job as a road painter. His reply was "Bakit hindi, basta ba ang sahod e katulad o higit pa sa sinasahod ko ngayon".

    ever, ganyan magpauso ka nang sariling fashion statement ala Will Smith ang dating... hehehe.

    theonoski, kahit ngayon. Marami na sa kanila ang may PhD at ang Mohandes e mass-produced dito pero nandito pa rin tayo. That means technology wise, hindi pa rin nila kaya.

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  9. Dito sa amin kahit basurero may calling card ,pati piyon pagkakausapin mo o kaya ay magset ka ng appointment pagdating nakurbata sabay abot sa iyo ng calling card kahit wala siyang empleyado may title siyang nakalagay duon...LOL

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  10. ed v., I think it has nothing to do with "pasiklaban". Koreans, like the Japanese are very formal in their business dealings and the calling cards are just their way of showing their professionalism.

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  11. i'm not really a big fan of titles. i'm more concerned with the level of authority bestowed to me. plus, the technical skills gleaned from experiences.
    i had bosses with great titles but had little or no say when in comes to decision making.

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  12. Britain is a class-conscious society. And judging from what you wrote, it seems that its former colonies in the Middle East have inherited the same bad habit.

    A title, like respect, needs to be earned in my opinion. One earns it through one's expertise, knowledge, and experience. No title ought to be given to someone who didn't bust his/her ass to make him/her deserve the title.

    Just my view on this matter.

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  13. maraming ganyan lalo na sa academe. Mga doktor daw. pinaghirapan nila kasing makuha siguro kaya ayun sinusulit.

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  14. will smith..hmmmm! magandang simulain para saking pagbabalik kuwait..,pormang i robot ang dating...he he he.

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  15. Mari, we're in the same level of opinion pagdating dyan.

    panaderos, I agree. Kaya hindi ako "believe" sa mga award-award na yan nabinibigay sa atin. Some of them can be bought, manipulated or given in a "palakasan" way.

    Ka Rolly, di ba habang nadaragdagan ang iyong kaalaman at tumataas ang antas ng dunong dapat nagigiging humble ka? Narinig ko yan sa isang speech ni Carl Sagan.

    ever, piliin mo yung puro itim para combination ng I Robot at MIB and dating.

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  16. got here via a link from a friend's blog and i can't help but comment on the interesting posts you made here and i will definitely come back to read more. take care and GOD bless. :)

    titles? some are just overrated.

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  17. Lawstude, thank you. Balik ka ulit.

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