1st name basis at work

aishah · 08-21-2012, 08:41 PM

when i was in college i addressed professors by their title and tas by their first name (mostly because we were in a lot of classes together as students). when i was in grad school i addressed everyone by their first name, though it took me some time to adjust. in every other job i've always addressed bosses and coworkers by their first name.

nowadays i work for myself and i address just about everyone by their first name. i'm a pretty informal person and i prefer to relate to people on a human level, without a lot of power plays, so i don't like it when people address me by titles either.

i mean, i'm a southerner at heart and i ma'am and sir most folks older than me, but i can't think of any situations offhand now where i address people by titles anymore...i'm on a first name basis even with most of my doctors now. i grew up addressing people by their titles and it took several years of being in situations where it was normal to address everyone by their first name for me to start being okay with it. especially at church and places like that.

stephfromMIT · 08-21-2012, 09:57 PM

aisha-Calling profs by their 1st name is something I never got used to. I also never quit lost the habit of raising my hand.

P.S.- thanks for the point about calling TAs by 1st names. I wondered how to direct my charges.

Martina · 08-21-2012, 10:22 PM

I would say that I called about half of my profs "Professor Whatever" and half by their first names.

I am currently a public school teacher. I address my colleagues as Mr. and Ms. in front of the kids, which is most of the time. It takes me a while to learn the first names of teachers I don't see often.

Where I was in grad school, professors were addressed as "Professor." Using "Doctor" was pretentious. No one did it although I know of schools where it's common.

So when administrators with Ph.D's go by Doctor, it makes me a little nauseous. But then administrators make me a little nauseous.

ruffryder · 08-21-2012, 10:23 PM

I would address professors as "Professor" and whatever their name was unless they asked to be called by their first name and sometimes that is the case. As for my work colleagues I call them by their first names. Since I work at a upscale 4 star hotel people like to use Sir, Ma'am, Miss, Mr alot and we get a lot of the management doing this with their subordinates. Personally I hate it and ask people to just call me by my name and I will not address someone as Sir, Ma'am, Mr, Miss unless I am sure that is what they want. I have also addressed people by their last name. great thread!

Toughy · 08-21-2012, 11:41 PM

I get my healthcare at the SF VA Medical Center. All of the staff (and I mean all...doctors, nurses, physical/occupational therapist, clerks at the clinics, etc) refer to patients as Ms ________ or Mr or Mrs or Miss. It makes me nuts cuz I am always looking around for my mother (who passed 20 years ago) when I hear Ms _________, How are you today?.

My primary care provider for the last 6 years is a nurse practitioner. I call her by her first name and always have. One day I asked her why she called me Ms _______ and her response was it is a sign of respect, plus it is hospital policy. I asked her to call me by my first name and she just cannot seem to do that. I on occasion will call her Nurse Practitioner __________ and that makes her laugh.

When I was active duty we all addressed each other by our rank except when hanging out or amongst our peers. Every place I worked as a civilian we all addressed each other by our first name/nickname.

I think the formality of how we address each other is certainly dependent on the job we do.

Tcountry · 08-22-2012, 12:13 AM

In my industry I call them whatever they will answer quickest ..but then again most things are super urgent & over the 2-way radios...
We sometimes forgo the first & last & just go for the nicknames ..lol

Miss Scarlett · 08-22-2012, 04:40 AM

i work with attorneys... i never refer to my attorney by her first name (except privately) and seldom call her colleagues by their first names. There are very few clients i call by their first names. Judges? Never, even though they will introduce themselves by their first names when they call our office. It's out of respect and just not appropriate. My attorney, her clients, colleagues and Judges use my real name and not the familiar form used by my family, friends and colleagues.

weatherboi · 08-22-2012, 09:06 AM

My job has me in and out of peoples homes daily. I keep it very formal and usually always have someone with me at all times to prove it because people are really inappropriate in their homes when they are paying you money. If they try and force something different I usually give them my "For liability purposes our company policy blah blah blah".

08-21-2012, 11:41 PM	#5
Toughy Senior Member How Do You Identify?: pervert butch feminist woman Preferred Pronoun?: see above Relationship Status: independent entity Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Oakland Posts: 1,826 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,068 Thanked 7,654 Times in 1,523 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	I get my healthcare at the SF VA Medical Center. All of the staff (and I mean all...doctors, nurses, physical/occupational therapist, clerks at the clinics, etc) refer to patients as Ms ________ or Mr or Mrs or Miss. It makes me nuts cuz I am always looking around for my mother (who passed 20 years ago) when I hear Ms _________, How are you today?. My primary care provider for the last 6 years is a nurse practitioner. I call her by her first name and always have. One day I asked her why she called me Ms _______ and her response was it is a sign of respect, plus it is hospital policy. I asked her to call me by my first name and she just cannot seem to do that. I on occasion will call her Nurse Practitioner __________ and that makes her laugh. When I was active duty we all addressed each other by our rank except when hanging out or amongst our peers. Every place I worked as a civilian we all addressed each other by our first name/nickname. I think the formality of how we address each other is certainly dependent on the job we do. __________________ We are everywhere We are different I do not care if resistance is futile I will not assimilate www.butchfemmesocials.com/

08-22-2012, 12:13 AM	#6
Tcountry Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Country Boi Preferred Pronoun?: call it as u see it Relationship Status: Completely...complete ;) Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Either at the beach or in the pool Posts: 1,665 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 3,929 Thanked 4,287 Times in 1,181 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	In my industry I call them whatever they will answer quickest ..but then again most things are super urgent & over the 2-way radios... We sometimes forgo the first & last & just go for the nicknames ..lol __________________ "You don't Find life worth living; You MAKE IT that way"

08-22-2012, 09:06 AM	#8
weatherboi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Owned boy Preferred Pronoun?: Hey boy!!! Relationship Status: counting freckles slowly under Her direction!!! Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: i have 2 sets of geographic coordinates!!! Posts: 6,097 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 26,797 Thanked 12,549 Times in 2,993 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	My job has me in and out of peoples homes daily. I keep it very formal and usually always have someone with me at all times to prove it because people are really inappropriate in their homes when they are paying you money. If they try and force something different I usually give them my "For liability purposes our company policy blah blah blah". __________________

08-21-2012, 08:41 PM	#1
aishah Member How Do You Identify?: queer stone femme shark baby girl Preferred Pronoun?: she, her, little one Relationship Status: dating myself. Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: dallas, tx Posts: 1,495 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,823 Thanked 6,440 Times in 1,288 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	when i was in college i addressed professors by their title and tas by their first name (mostly because we were in a lot of classes together as students). when i was in grad school i addressed everyone by their first name, though it took me some time to adjust. in every other job i've always addressed bosses and coworkers by their first name. nowadays i work for myself and i address just about everyone by their first name. i'm a pretty informal person and i prefer to relate to people on a human level, without a lot of power plays, so i don't like it when people address me by titles either. i mean, i'm a southerner at heart and i ma'am and sir most folks older than me, but i can't think of any situations offhand now where i address people by titles anymore...i'm on a first name basis even with most of my doctors now. i grew up addressing people by their titles and it took several years of being in situations where it was normal to address everyone by their first name for me to start being okay with it. especially at church and places like that.

08-21-2012, 09:57 PM	#2
stephfromMIT Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Troll Preferred Pronoun?: she her Relationship Status: engaged to my fiancee Amanda Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: cambridge MA Posts: 230 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 703 Thanked 408 Times in 143 Posts Rep Power: 0	aisha-Calling profs by their 1st name is something I never got used to. I also never quit lost the habit of raising my hand. P.S.- thanks for the point about calling TAs by 1st names. I wondered how to direct my charges.

08-21-2012, 10:22 PM	#3
Martina Senior Member How Do You Identify?: * Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: * Posts: 4,999 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,409 Thanked 18,283 Times in 4,166 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	I would say that I called about half of my profs "Professor Whatever" and half by their first names. I am currently a public school teacher. I address my colleagues as Mr. and Ms. in front of the kids, which is most of the time. It takes me a while to learn the first names of teachers I don't see often. Where I was in grad school, professors were addressed as "Professor." Using "Doctor" was pretentious. No one did it although I know of schools where it's common. So when administrators with Ph.D's go by Doctor, it makes me a little nauseous. But then administrators make me a little nauseous.

08-21-2012, 10:23 PM	#4
ruffryder Senior Member How Do You Identify?: FTM Preferred Pronoun?: guy ones Relationship Status: ... Join Date: May 2011 Location: chillin' in FL Posts: 3,690 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 21,951 Thanked 9,679 Times in 2,875 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	I would address professors as "Professor" and whatever their name was unless they asked to be called by their first name and sometimes that is the case. As for my work colleagues I call them by their first names. Since I work at a upscale 4 star hotel people like to use Sir, Ma'am, Miss, Mr alot and we get a lot of the management doing this with their subordinates. Personally I hate it and ask people to just call me by my name and I will not address someone as Sir, Ma'am, Mr, Miss unless I am sure that is what they want. I have also addressed people by their last name. great thread!

08-22-2012, 04:40 AM	#7
Miss Scarlett Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Relationship Status: . Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: . Posts: 5,530 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,478 Thanked 12,947 Times in 3,419 Posts Rep Power: 21474857	i work with attorneys... i never refer to my attorney by her first name (except privately) and seldom call her colleagues by their first names. There are very few clients i call by their first names. Judges? Never, even though they will introduce themselves by their first names when they call our office. It's out of respect and just not appropriate. My attorney, her clients, colleagues and Judges use my real name and not the familiar form used by my family, friends and colleagues.