It’s time we started getting rid of the chechi’s, chettan’s, Sir, Ma’am.
To me when I was first told to address everyone on a first name basis, it was hard. I did not entirely understand why, but it has started to sink in now.
When you call someone X chechi, X Sir, you think you are paying respect to them. But what you are also doing is putting yourself below someone. You are making it clear that you are inferior to them or junior to them.
Congrats! You have given your very professional conversation by handing over power and leverage to the other person. (Please understand the sarcasm here)
Addressing people on first name basis helps establish a peer to peer connection and levels the playing field despite your age or experience.
You may read this article to understand better: https://hbr.org/2011/11/the-power-of-a-first-name.html
To all my peers and juniors, address everyone on a first name basis.
Even more specifically,
Call me Arya.
Not Arya Chechi.
Not Arya Ma’am.
PS: It’s not easy for me also but let’s try and get there ☺