Job Titles
July 12, 2010
Kerry Sulkowicz a friend (and a blogger for Business Week) mentioned the other day the June 24th business and management column of the Economist, (called Schumpeter) entitled “Too many chiefs: Inflation in job titles is approaching Weimar levels.”
The article laments the fact that we are witnessing a tidal-wave of job-title inflation in the corporate world. The article gives some amusing examples such as paper boys being called “media distribution officers” lavatory cleaners called “sanitation consultants” and “managers” who no longer have anyone to manage. At the conclusion of the column, the author(s) writes: “The essence of inflation, after all, is that it devalues everything that it touches.”
I found the article very interesting and thought I would look at the ethical aspect of how we represent ourselves or would like other to see us in the workplace.
What values come into play?
I can think of three:
- Honesty:
We should avoid being deceptive in the titles we choose or ask our employer to give us. We should try to be a truthful as we can when using titles. Titles should communicate the essence of what we actually do at work.
- Humility:
Pride or should we say a lack of humility seems to me to be the main motivator when we promote our self-importance. Someone said that the definition of a “big shot” is a small shot a long way from home!
- Reputation
We should worry more about our name (our reputation) rather than the title that accompanies it. Many years ago, in Europe it was considered of high class to have just your name on your business card and no title. Your name said everything.
Someone in a posted comment on the Economist article wrote: “This is a true reflection of how phony, egotistical and narcissistic we as a society have pathetically morphed into. We have embraced and unashamedly glorified a culture of brazen deceit and superficiality, sacrificing honesty and openness at the altar of self-aggrandizement and greed.”
I think he is right.
Emmanuel Tchividjian
CEO!
(Chief Ethics Officer)
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