Page 34 - Seniorstoday March 2022 Issue
P. 34
Nostalgia
An officer and
a gentleman?
Prabhakar Mundkur rues the rise of the “Officer” and the demise of the
“Gentleman”
In many organizations jobs have not Strategy Planning Director. I got that title
changed over the last 2 decades, but titles with great difficulty because my boss said
have undergone a dramatic transformation. the term Director was reserved only for
Take the new affliction and I may call the Directors on the board of directors of the
affectation of people in our business and company. A very valid point, in retrospect.
other businesses wanting to call themselves Wonder how people on the board of
Officers. There was a time when only directors feel these days? To see everyone
people in the armed forces ie., Army, Navy, around them also being called Directors.
and the Air Force, where people beyond a Today, nobody who has a senior planning
certain responsibility were called Officers. job worth his salt wants to be called
And being a naval officer’s son, I always anything but Chief Strategic Officer. Or
associated Executive with civilian jobs. My every Finance Head wants to be called Chief
uncle for example was an executive with Financial Officer. Chief Executives were
Shell, while my father was an officer in the always Chief Executives. Now they are
Indian Navy. You know what I mean? called Chief Executive Officers. Not that I
I started my career by being called an understand what the mere addition of the
Account Representative in an advertising word Offer does in that title. If someone
agency. While everyone else who was doing were called Chief Executive, would you
the same job in other agencies were being mistake it to mean anything but the number
called Account Executive. I started my 1 position in the company? Chief Marketing
strategy planning career by being called a Officer is preferable to Marketing Director
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