Come on....Letters After Your Name. Are You Serious?

I am fairly certain that little Johnny's parents didn't proudly announce to the world that here is our new baby boy John Smith Esq.. Nor do I think that Amy Wright's grandmother tells the ladies at bridge that their sons absolutely need to meet her granddaughter Amy Wright PhD.. But this trend of putting impressive indicators of one's higher education or professional certification seems to be running rampant. It leaves me wondering if our society has become so myopic that we wouldn't want to meet, connect or even hear someone speak without some level of indication that they are better than us somehow. The letters or string of certification indicators after a name seems to bark ego and I for one don't get it.

I recently received an invitation to a local business function where the speaker was simply advertised as George Jefferson, PhD.. It was advertised with such emphasis on this man being a PhD that what he was speaking about was actually lost in translation. It left me feeling as if I should be so lucky to see the incredible George Jefferson PhD what with me being just a mere mortal and all. Needless to say I didn't plop down my thirty-five bucks to see the PhD and I am certain it was my loss.

I know my comments may offend some of you and that is not my intention. I am quite certain if I achieved a level of certification or educational importance I would be quite proud of it myself. I just wonder however, how many people one might be intimidating with the very in your face public display of professional or academic achievement.

Case and point, I have a good friend that for a while has somewhat been fascinated with a particular person in my local business community. He believes this person would be able to accelerate his learning curve a great deal for his job given this individual's professional standing in their industry. Recently over coffee I suggested my friend just pick up the phone and honor this individual by saying he would like to meet him because he is someone my friend really respects and he would like to learn from him. My friend shrunk back in his seat and said he couldn't do it...the guy was too important and, this is no lie, sited the letters after his name as some indication of their social class difference.

Hogwash! I am quite certain this particular individual is not a God in his profession and that he very well could learn something from my friend who is brilliant in so many ways. But I've seen this man's card and he has more letters after his name then Starbucks has combinations for their drinks. I could see at first why my friend would possibly be intimidated. Then the more I thought about it the more I wondered what the letters might mean to the man carrying them in terms of lost opportunities for himself. Opportunities he doesn't even realize he is missing out on because he is intimidating people which his self-promoted importance.

I don't believe the letters define you and perhaps in certain circles those letters mean a great a deal and have practical application. But if you are business coach trying to drum up business at your local chamber of commerce, no one gives a rat's you know what if you are a CSP, CES, ICP, CPC or whatever...they just want to know you as George or Jane. The impressive title or long string of letters following your name is not what defines who you are and what you might bring to my personal or professional life; you do. But we may never get the chance to explore that if you shove a card in my face that makes me, a mere uncertified, unsanctioned, unannointed mere mortal feel intimidated. Just go with the card that says, Shelia Waters, Executive Coach.

I don't do business with my attorney because he is John Tarbox Esq.. In fact I have no idea if he is an Esq. or not and I don't care. I do business with John because he is John and that's how I met him and how I got to know him. But bet your bottom dollar I wouldn't refer him if he pontificated that he was an Esq. because my peeps don't role with that.

But hey....this is only an opinion and I hope no one minds me sharing my rant too much. It's just something that bugs me and if I can't share it with you then who can I share it with? And to be completely fair I give medical doctors a pass on this rant. It's always good to know who might stop the bleeding and fix you up after you do something stupid!

On second thought, perhaps maybe I should start going around calling myself Steve Harper, P.R.C.E. (Professional Ripple Connector Extraordinaire). Nah.....just call me Steve....or maybe Ripple Man!!!

Ripple On!!!