Hey Mister! The Etiquette of Addressing People Professionally

My mother joined the workforce in the sixties.  She was a small town girl who came to the “big city” of St. Louis (don’t laugh) and found work at Dempsey Tegeler & Co as a bond teller.  I always picture her going to work in her perfect little suit, pencil skirt and short, fitted “smart” jackets.  And of course, she always had heels and a purse to match.  After all, she was a proper young woman working in the big world.

One thing that strikes me is that even today, she still refers to her boss as “Mr. Stanek“.  I think that stands out because I do not remember the last time that I called a boss “Mr.” or “Mrs.” anything.  And that is sad.  I’ve always been respectful and for some odd reason when I address people I tend use their first and last name.  For example, when I called my friend Paul yesterday, I said, “Hello Paul Hebert.  This is Trish.”

Working in healthcare, I never quite know when to use the title “Dr.” or when to just use the person’s first name.  I usually listen to how they introduce themselves or how other people address them a majority of the time.  Going with that seems to be a safe bet.

I’m finding that most professionals prefer for you to just call them buy their first name and I’ve experienced this from the highest level executives.

How about you?  What is the best way to address people in today’s world?  Should we be more traditional or are there other accepted professional ways to address each other?  I’d love to hear how you handle this.