I guess the form of addressing others was not a problem in the past. There were already the usual titles used within the family. In the business world, within the framework of the general courtesy rules adopted at that time, the individuals mostly addressed each other formally regardless of the hierarchical structure. Over time, the rules were bent and informality stepped in.
This caused a dilemma. Executives who are senior in terms of age or hierarchy often address their subordinates informally. However, it is not so common for subordinates to address their superiors in the same way. Of course, especially in global companies, the forms of addressing have increasingly become less rigid, but informal addressing of subordinates to their superiors does not seem to become widespread.

When I ask the professionals around me about this addressing issue that is exercised particularly from superiors to subordinates, I received replies such as “to create a friendly atmosphere”. Is this the real reason or do we actually mean “know your place”? In other words, as executives, do we not consider younger people or our colleagues at different levels in the hierarchy to be at our level?

We all say that we believe in young people and diversity, and we always motivate and support our human resources. But during this process, do we give them another message through our forms of addressing?

What do you think about this issue?

There is a saying in Turkey: “One cup of coffee is worth 40 years of friendship.” In other words, long-term relationships are essential for social life and business. For this, Siemens began operations in Turkey more than 150 years ago. Here, we are considered a Turkish company with German roots.

Since the early beginnings of our activities, Siemens has touched many lives and been a pillar in the development of the Turkish industry. We are among the first companies to bring power to Turkish cities, lights to Ottoman Palaces, and television infrastructure to households. In 1913, Siemens introduced Turkey’s first railway tram. So it is especially meaningful to us that exactly 100 years later, [Remark 1] in 2013, Siemens has delivered the first very-high-speed train to the Turkish government.

Because it bridges West and East, Turkey is an attractive hub for production and services. As the world’s 16^th largest economy and a member of the EU Customs Union, Turkey offers many opportunities for German companies. One of Turkey’s greatest assets is its educated and dynamic workforce of 4.5 million young people who embrace the new. A new generation of self-confident businesswomen and businessmen is growing, and they move fluently between the cultures of the East and West. Diversity has many facets other than a young population. One factor that differentiates Turkey is its large population of female engineers, lawyers, and project managers. Cultivating such diverse intellectual capital is essential for success in Turkey.

Awareness of cultural dimensions is crucial when doing business in any country. Although in many other countries we speak the same business language, we learned that speaking the same language does not mean sharing a culture. Turkey has been undergoing a transition of re-inventing itself, trying to find its own path into the future. Although the West provides a crucial benchmark, Turkey’s new generation, in particular, is finding its path to the future by combining the values and cultures of the East and West.

Turks are spontaneous, enthusiastic, and ready to take risks; contemplating strategy comes somewhat later. This might be different from what Germans are used to; however, this gives the Turks an advantage of time and speed in doing business. German companies first think about the strategy risks and then move forward. Not surprisingly, they are sometimes thought to be slower-moving, cautious, and hesitant. To succeed in a country like Turkey, it is crucial to combine strengths, cultures, and values without prejudice.

With three production facilities and 3,000 employees in Turkey, Siemens has contributed to value-added production and R&D and established a service network all over the country. We believe our long-term success depends on understanding Turkey’s business culture and gaining the trust of customers and society there while working hard for sustainability. In addition, this success also depends on believing in ourselves, in what we do, and in being able to think outside the box to reach targets.

Ensuring one’s sustainability in a country also depends on what you give back to its society.  At Siemens, we support the higher education of promising students in Turkish universities. In providing scholarships for students in engineering disciplines, we give priority to female and disabled students. We have established an Arts Exhibition Center in Istanbul to support young artists, and we provide scholarships for young opera artists in Turkey to continue their education in Europe. Just as Siemens has advanced the development of Turkish industry, we are proud to be part of the country’s cultural developments.

As a German company that has enjoyed success in Turkey for 150 years, our recommendation to other German companies is to achieve sustainable business in Turkey. Recently, the Turkish economy has transformed into a more open and liberal economy, and business is becoming less bureaucratic. In a developing economy like Turkey’s, companies must adapt to changes in the business climate on time and with the right actions, which can be achieved by sustainability.

Misunderstandings can easily occur even among the people who belong to the same culture or speaking the same language. And now imagine, how a conversation between people from different cultures, speaking different languages could result in. Here, I’d like to share a story of a friend, the late Mr. John D. Tumpane, a light hearted story on this topic.

AFIYET OLSUN

“An American booked passage on a White Boat traveling from Istanbul to all the ports-of-call around the coast of Turkey – the Dardanelles, Troy, Izmir, Ephesus, Bodrum, Antalya, Tarsus and Iskenderun. He was assigned a table in the dining room with a very distinguished white-haired old Turkish gentleman. When they met at dinner the first night, the old man bowed and said, “Afiyet Olsun.”

The American assumed the Turk was introducing himself, so he said,”Bill Anderson.”

They ate in silence.

The next morning at the breakfast table it was the same thing again – “Afiyet Olsun.” “Bill Anderson” – and for every meal thereafter.

After a few days on the boat, the American met a Turkish couple who spoke English, so he asked them about the Turkish custom of introducing oneself every time one sat down to eat.

“Why, we don’t have any such custom,” said the Turkish lady. “What did he say his name was?”

“Afiyet Olsun.”

“Oh,” she laughed, “that only means ‘Good Appetite.’”

Well! the American was so pleased to learn the meaning of the Turkish expression he could hardly wait to use it at dinner that night.

“Afiyet Olsun,” he said, bowing deeply to the Turkish gentleman.

“Bill Anderson,” said the old man politely.

– John D. Tumpane

I am in San Francisco at one of the most successful incubator places called “SOMAcentral”. Business incubators are offices where ideas are nurtured and companies are born. Young people rent office space and work on new ideas and inventions in a creative environment to realize their dreams.

Incubators provide all kinds of services. Besides office spaces, they provide management consulting, legal and accounting services etc., the list can go on and on. But what fascinated me most is the variety of the new ventures. Solutions, products, ideas for all kind of services in our daily life as well as for the enterprise, made in U.S.A. And all are done by using social media and the Internet as a backbone.

When I walk through the aisles at SOMAcentral, I hear English, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, French, German, Russian, etc. This is a global community based in San Francisco, with strong cultural links to the global market. I see diversity, I see out-of-the box ideas and I see bright young people working on their dreams in a great environment.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, to have a dream is a positive attribute.

When I started my career at Siemens, it was a global company with 129 years of history and operating in more than 100 countries. Back then, not everyone had a phone line like they do now. Phones were only given to employees at specific positions. There was no internet or fax yet and the most common communication tool was Siemens’ T1000 Teleprinters. Yet again, this did not change the fact that Siemens was a vast network operating globally. And I was wondering how this network operated in full harmony. That is how my desire to work abroad emerged. I had an endless curiosity for the “new”, which has always fascinated me, and an appetite for knowledge. My personal trait that kept my life “dynamic” has always been the curiosity for the “new”, in other words the “unknown, unfamiliar.” For instance, today, I find it remarkable how social media changes our lives and social system as a new concept and it will probably affect all future generations. This curiosity for the “new” resulted in me moving from Germany to USA and made this decision the most important turning point in my life.

I must confess that as a man raised within the Turkish and German cultures that approach towards almost everything with suspicion, American lifestyle of welcoming every new idea without any prejudice, simply saying “this is amazing” seemed very “superficial” to me at the beginning. However, then I understood that approaching ideas primarily from the “positive side” is just another perspective. Especially what I, myself, experienced at Silicon Valley was that people were enthusiastic about hearing about and, furthermore, investing in new ideas. This was probably my first contact with the “diversity” phenomenon in a different dimension. I realized that when we, humans, can change and shape a lot more while working in different countries and functions. More importantly, we become more open to developing new perspectives. I can say this has been the most important turning point to shape my career. But, not this alone.

When we moved to India with our 3 kids, both my family and I faced substantial changes in our lives. We had never lived in a society where social discriminations were so sharp and visible. I was concerned that my kids would witness a very poor and inflexible society, which is a direct result of their lifestyle. In fact, I must confess that I even thought about covering car windows with dark-colored curtains so that my kids would not be shocked by the real life in India. Of course, we did not do that, and we allowed our kids to face the society they live in and learn what happens around them. They constantly asked questions to us and we explained everything without changing or hiding a single thing. One year later, it was our kids who explained the situation of the Indian people with empathy and tolerance to our guests at home.

And another surprising thing we learned was that the caste system in India created both the privileged group called the “Untouchables” and also the sense of “philanthropy and tolerance” which is the foundation of the Indian society. When I found out that my chauffeur, whose monthly salary was perhaps 100 dollars only, was taking a huge pot of lentil soup to the poorhouse once a week, he was embarrassed, because he thought such deeds had to be done without anyone knowing. What I realized was that the quantity of contribution doesn’t matter. What matters is this: Individuals within the masses, those who keep the system alive continue to contribute even in a modest and small way. My experiences in India has a special place in my life in many different aspects.

Lastly, I would like to say that being “different” in your environment doesn’t mean you should accept the roles given by the society as they are. In my opinion, this is one of the important turning points in many lives, including mine. My experience goes back to my school years. As my grandfather had emigrated as early as 1924, I knew very well what it was like to live in a foreign society. In the school, maybe I was the kid who is not “German”, but for me this was never a problem because there was an impressive example right before me: A school friend who challenged his physical disabilities and established himself as he is. He not only rejected the roles “given” to him by the society because of his physical condition, but also overcame difficulties by establishing himself “different”. Moreover he “shone” with his differences in his social environment. This has been the most striking example to show me that differences can make people unique and bring them to the fore. When you accept your “different” qualities as they are, you also accept the fact that the this is your chance. Having a friend like him has been a turning point, not only in my professional life, but also in my whole life.