Surface Ripples

Do Job Titles Matter?

I’ve just read a question-provoking article in which the author exhorted people not to get “hung up on titles”.

After working in different global markets where titles literally mean everything, one can see that, where the title “vice president” is used, people may not understand how to “place” the holder.  In the US or Philippines, a “Vice President” is understandable.  In the UK, it isn’t.  In another country that shall remain nameless, it certainly used to be considered a “demotion” if a job tile was changed and considered to be “lower” than the previous one.  

As business markets develop, we’re seeing new titles such as “Chief Wellness Officer”.  What does one make of this? To me it conjures up visions of the job title of “Chief Morale Officer” granted to the character Neelix in Star Trek Voyager.  For me, the fact that an organisation even needs a “wellness officer” suggests management aren’t doing their job… 

The title dilemma will continue to plague us for the foreseeable future.  Every culture has its own frame of reference as I discovered during my many and varied international postings during my career.  In some countries, people will not even speak to you if you aren’t a “Senior Manager” or a “Director” of some sort.

To put it into context, I’m a “Director” of a business of which the total number of staff is six.  How should I be compared with a “Director” of a multi-million (if not billion) global organisation?  Given the small size of our company, I perform different rolls such as sales, financial control, training and development and HR and advisory.  Compare this with our previous example of a global organisation director who may have one single function only.  Am I “better” than them due to the number of roles I have?

What do titles mean in your market, culture and organisation? How do they impact your ability to do business and sell?

This is a fascinating topic which will continue to demand our attention as global, national and cultural boundaries become ever more blurred.

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website  provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  

Labels: Career, Leadership, Regulation, Teamwork

posted by William Martin @ 09:15