A letter to every new team member of our company

“Guys can you please just call me Jake.”

“Ok Sir!”

“And walang ‘Sir’ ha!” (“And don’t add ‘Sir’ ok!)

“Sure po.” (“Yes ‘Sir’.”)

You know I get it. I’m the age now of my bosses when I was the age of the producers on the team today. I remember how Cheche Lazaro told us to call her “Cheche” and I couldn’t imagine it, let alone do it.  I get that I have more white hair now and that may be triggering something in the tribal-clan-respect-my-elders gene.  (I can tell you though that the grey in my head started at 29 when I was trying to save a sinking ship called JUICE. So I see my grey strands as battle scars more than age).

I get that saying “Sir” gives a comfortable distance between a boss and his staff. I get that somehow it’s easier to ask questions or give answers when there’s a “Sir” attached. It’s like a vocal bowing of the head (I am a simple junior producer here, please do not decapitate me with your samurai sword oh Great Founder if I have offended Your Marvelousness in any way, shape or form. But how do you undo that thingy when it happens in Final Cut, po? ”

“Po” brings it to a different level though. To me, there’s an added element of family & ancestor worship.  I suddenly feel that a mano or the title “Tito” will come soon.  I don’t like the idea that somewhere underneath is the sense of obligation just because you’re in the same bloodline.  (I must become the best producer I can be and I must believe your crazy ideas because I respect my ancestors.  Po). Grrrr.

And maybe that’s why I react to it from the pit of my stomach: it goes against who I think I am, who I think my team is, and the culture we are building in our company.

I don’t like “sir” because it creates distance and the impression that one is more important or better than the other. I don’t believe that’s true and I don’t think that hierarchy in our company is important. In fact, when an organization or anybody has to rely on hierarchy, I think something has gone wrong. Simply put, I want my team to be there and do what they do in the excellent way we try to do it because they want to. Not because they have to.

When the bullets are flying in the foxhole, it doesn’t matter who outranks who. It matters who you’re shoulder to shoulder with.  And I think we stand shoulder to shoulder when we do what we do because we believe what we believe and work towards it together. No one is watching over anyone’s shoulder. No one is checking attendance and participation (Well ok maybe there’s a subconscious personnel file in my head but forget that. These aren’t the droids you are looking for. ).

For the stuff we do, it takes a specific & special kind of person who get’s it and wants to do it too. Which means there is no Sir Boss Chief that has a monopoly of great ideas, vision or motivation.

Besides, I see our small company as a group of friends working together for the same thing. I want our workplace to be someplace we’d like to go to (and go to often). I want us to enjoy each other’s company — and it sort of takes a company of equals (or very small egos) to be able to do that.  When things are tough and deadlines are tight, and sleep becomes a luxury we can reschedule, I hope that we can always fall back on friendship (not authority).   You’ve got my back and I’ve got yours. Always.

 So… can you guys just call me Jake. Please.

Ok po!

Palm to the forehead.