Chanda Madam

I've gotten used to being addressed as 'Chanda Madam' or just 'Madam' or 'Ma'am.' This is what I'm called by my drivers, the maid, waiters and even people I consider co-workers and colleagues. But India is a very hierarchical society and anyone in a position of authority is shown respect in various ways. Coming from a land where were we call people waiting us on 'Sir' or 'Madam,' this has been a bit of an adjustment for me.

The formality extends into the workplace, where anyone at a level above you is shown respect. In Hindi, this is done easily by adding 'ji' to the person's name. For instance, I would be Chanda-Ji or even Chanda Madam. And of course, the polite/formal form of speech is used for addressing elders and superiors, while the informal form is reserved for friends, children, and inferiors.

Once we working in one of my clients' offices, I was trying to find desk space for the day. The desk I usually used was occupied by someone else. The staff soon found an available desk that was much nicer than the first one. I was instructed to sit there (even though the first desk was mine) because the other person was "too junior" for that desk and location. What a contrast to the land of cubicles we have in the U.S. Even on my last project, my row of cubes included a consultant, a manager, a senior manager, and a senior executive. We also sat in desks of the same size and no one complained.

But I have to admit that I'm getting used to my new titles. And I'm used to having someone open all doors for me. (The exception being in the elevator in the building where the Accenture office is located. There, all the men rush through the door first, even if it means knocking me over on the way. I guess this is because we are peers, or maybe because they see me as an inferior. I am a woman afterall, so apparently the rules of respect don't apply here).

In any case, returning to the States will be interesting for me as I will soon have to drive myself around, open my own doors and get used to being addressed simply as Chanda. Oh, the horrors of life in America.