Rohit Shah, Founder of Getting You Rich is an ardent believer of No Sir No Madam ideologies. Getting You Rich is a young professional company offering financial services based out of Mumbai, India. With their approach they have helped Indian families all across the world to manage their personal finance. Some of their clients are major companies like IBM, Accenture, Capgemini, Microsoft, Prudential, TCS, and Vodafone.
Rohit is a bachelor of commerce graduate who has earned his MBA with specialization in the field of finance. Additionally, he has received a certificate in project management from Project Management Institute, USA. Moreover, he is also a CFP and SEBI certified financial advisor.
Rohit has experience of working in various organizations like IBM, Citi group, and Sterlite Industries. He came across first-name culture, at Citi group. Ever since, he has tried to instill the same tradition in his office. After joining Citi group, I realized that we do not have to address someone as ‘Sir/Madam’ in order to show respect.
He states — At first, I was surprised to this new office culture. However, with time I got accustomed to it and found it to be a very comfortable way of communicating with your peers.
He continues, “No Sir No Madam convention allows employees to communicate without any restraints. It eradicates the hierarchy burden, thus, making individuals feel independent and work without any pressure. I personally found bonding and connecting with my peers was much simpler when I adhered to first-name habit. It also enabled the exchange of ideas as there is more openness. No Sir No Madam order enables newcomers to feel welcomed and gel in with their colleagues.”
We Indians have been habituated to utilizing salutation while communicating at workplace. Especially, when addressing someone senior to us by designation.
Rohit shares —I have had a lot of difficulties while instilling No Sir No Madam custom at my workplace. My team members were not exposed to this sort of culture and they were reluctant to embrace a salutation ridden tradition. Whereas, there have been clients who have interrupted me and requested to be addressed by their first-name. It makes me happy that people have slowly started to get rid of unnecessary formalities.
Although, the public sector, in India still remains adamant to adopt any form of restructuring. Rohit enumerates, “Government officials like to impose salutation order onto others in order to feel respected. They misuse their designation to display their authority over others. I have met a lot of senior tax-officers who cling to ‘Sir/Madam’ edict.
One of the negative outcomes of salutation custom in government offices, is that bureaucrats try to escape from their duties. They are aware that ordinary citizens cannot hold them responsible. Therefore, they try to run away from their duties rather than focusing on coming up with solutions for the problem.”
Furthermore, ‘Sir/Madam’ culture has created the social gap between people of different economic classes, over the years. Rohit ventures that liberating blue-collar workers of salutations would at least ensure that they can have the freedom to think and express themselves.
It would also enable them to approach their employers without any inhibitions and talk about any issues that they are going through. To make this a reality, people need to be made aware on a wide scale.
Ergo, Rohit suggests that No Sir No Madam values should be taught in schools. He voices “Indian education system lacks in educating kids about empathy and moral values. Thus, students should be informed about respecting others and empathizing towards people’s problems. In abroad, people are sensitive to each other’s difficulties.
Whereas, we Indians, only think about ourselves. No Sir No Madam practice would help kids in understanding the concept of parity and assist them in being more aware about each other’s difficulties.
To spread this cause further, he advices, to approach schools and colleges. He shares — Talk shows should be conducted for the public where the essence of No Sir No Madam is being informed to them.
We as human beings hold immense power in the way we make each other feel. Therefore, let us be kind and be somebody who makes everybody feels like an equal.
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