Politically Correct OVERLOAD
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 23, 2005 12:00 AM
She used to be known as the receptionist.
Now she's the Director of First Impressions.
Barbara Levine is one of several employees in the Scottsdale Unified School District whose job titles have changed in a sharp departure from the traditional titles that parents grew up using.
National workplace experts say they are unaware of another school district in the United States that has changed its titles so dramatically, and they disagree over whether the new titles, which are designed to reflect the district's commitment to learning, are good. Parents, they say, could become confused over whom to contact if they have a complaint.
Was the school bus late? Blame the "transporter of learners," formerly the bus driver.
Got a problem with your school principal? Take it up with the 10-word "executive director for elementary schools and excelling teaching and learning," formerly known as the assistant superintendent of elementary schools.
Sound confusing or like hyperbole?
Scottsdale Superintendent John Baracy, who created the new titles for about a half-dozen employees, doesn't think so.
"This is to make a statement about what we value in the district. We value learning," said Baracy, who pledges to back up the new titles with better customer service.
The new job titles got the Scottsdale School Board's approval recently, and so far parents don't seem bothered.
"I think it's more a positive affirmation than hyperbole," said new board member Jennifer Petersen, who has three children in school.
Workplace experts disagree whether the new job titles are a positive step.
Liz Ryan, who spent 20 years in human resources and founded WorldWIT, a Web site devoted to women's workplaces issues, calls the new titles "trivial, sad and misguided."
"When you are talking about education, you better be kind of serious, and I don't mean stodgy, but grown-up. 'Director of First Impressions' makes me want to gag," she said.
Ryan said the word "director" implies there is something wrong with being a receptionist. Director also implies that the receptionist supervises many other employees, which isn't usually the case. This may make it hard for the Director of First Impressions to find another receptionist job, she said, because people will get confused by the title on her resume.
Common job titles exist for a reason, Ryan said, so people can figure out whom to call when they need help.
Joyce Gioia, a Greensboro, N.C., business expert who focuses on workplace trends, likes the new titles.
"Which would you rather be, a receptionist or a Director of First Impressions?" she said.
The new title helps the person focus on what the job is really about, she said, which is creating a good first impression.
Strange job titles became popular in corporate America in the 1990s with dot-com companies looking to set themselves apart. Top company officials took on titles such as Big Cheese, Top Dog and Chief Yahoo.
At the same time, companies peddling kid-friendly products saw the chance to have fun with titles. The popular Build-A-Bear Workshop has a chairman of the board, Maxine Clark, who is also chief executive bear.
While trendy in corporate settings, strange job titles are rare in public agencies, which tend to be more conservative in naming positions and often err on the side of having lengthy titles rather than strange ones.
In recent years, some school districts have adopted business-sounding titles such as chief financial officer for the person who handles the money. In Scottsdale, the new job titles are mostly confined to upper management. A teacher is still a teacher and a principal is still a principal.
As for Levine, Scottsdale's Director of First Impressions, she loves her new title.
"I think it's classy," she recently said while answering the telephone and directing a visitor to the right office. "It sounds so important. Everyone wants to be important."
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