What's In A Name?

“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.

I recently got a promotion at work (yay!), and at the manager meeting, the question was asked what everyone wanted to be addressed as. Several of my co-workers replied that they would like to be addressed as Mr. or Ms. So-and-so, while the rest of us were more comfortable with being called by our first name. Those who wanted to be addressed as Mr. or Ms. and their last name said it was as sign of respect to be addressed that way.

I was one of the ones who is more comfortable being addressed by my first name. When I was a shift lead at my old movie theatre, and when I was Signing Supervisor at Target, I never wanted anyone to call me Mrs. Holmes. I would get called Miss Margena by a couple of the younger employees, and that was okay. In the neighborhood I grew up in, all of my friends and myself called each others parents by their first names as well.

In school, of course I called my teachers as Mr. or Mrs.. In college, there were a couple who didn’t mind being addressed by their first name. But did I respect them less because I was on a first name basis with them? No. I recognized that they were the adult, and I showed respect to them as I would any other adult. In every job I’ve had, I have addressed my superiors as they have wanted, of course. The General Manager at Regal didn’t mind us calling him by his first name, but the District Manager wanted to be called Mr. and his last name. My husband has said in the past that everyone called the President and CEO of the company by his first name, and everyone respected him because of his intelligence and knowledge.

With this being said, I wouldn’t go up to someone I don’t know well and address them by their first name. I feel it is respectful to call them Mr. or Miss/Ms./Mrs until told otherwise.

I feel that respect is earned, no matter what anyone calls you. Just because you address someone as Mr. or Mrs. doesn’t automatically make you respect them. It’s how you conduct yourself and treat others that will earn my respect, and I hope to earn respect from those I supervise by how I conduct myself, do my job, and treat others. But do what is comfortable for YOU, no matter what others think or do.