Entitlement

I work for a small company of around a dozen employees. Recently, we re-branded. When I say re-brand, I mean - every thing and everyone is not what we used to be. We got a new logo, new stationery, new web site... and a good number of us got new titles.

I’m not big into monikers, nomenclature, or other various shingles. Where it’s nice to have a title of authority, I think it’s by far more important to do good work, perform in good faith, and let others discover my genius on their own, sans influence. But alas. My job description is preceded by the term “Senior.”

The people above me have been given the following tags: “president,” and “Vice president of Sales and Marketing.” My lateral coworkers are now “Directors of” or “Managers.” The other day, I had to laugh. We were all in a staff meeting, introducing ourselves to our new intern (Despite the fact that he drives a nicer car than all of us... his title remains ‘intern’). Each employee introduced him/herself by name and title: “I’m CEO...” “I’m the President,” “I”m the VP of Sales and Marketing,” “I’m Senior Producer,” “I’m the Director of AV,” “I’m the Director of the Design Dept.,” “I’m the Office Manager....” etc... It made me laugh. What better position than to be one in an office of Kings and Lords?

Everyone barring two employees had an important title. I work in a company with TWO subordinates! AND! One of them quit a couple of weeks ago! So - I ask - are my coworkers Directors By Default, seeing that most of them only manage themselves in their departments of one? Is this room-to-grow-wishful-thinking? Hard to say.

Here we are, however, finding ourselves in our little offices of our creative company with grandiose titles.... Titles that seem to be reminiscent of much larger and much stuffier corporations.

I have amused myself, in the Office, by changing all of our titles to what they should rightly be. I, for example, am Empress of Production. We also, in my world, have a Grand Poobah, Queen Mother, Duke of Conquest, and Overlord of Design. I haven’t thought of any titles for the Office Manager, but give me time. It’ll be a good one.