When I studied Astrophysics between 1989 and 1995, I occasionally had lunch with my professor, sitting at the same table in the university canteen. When I told my father, he was both surprised and amazed. He could hardly believe that his son was sharing a table with a professor. To him, a professor was almost an institution in their own right – someone who commanded respect simply because of their title.
A similar attitude applied to older people. As a child, I was taught that whenever I met an older neighbour, I should greet them first as a sign of respect for their age and experience.
The formal mode of address (𝑆𝑖𝑒) was often used to express respect and acknowledge authority, particularly within organisations. The informal 𝐷𝑢 was reserved for friends and acquaintances and was not used when addressing a superior.
That is how I grew up. Yet from an early age, I found myself reflecting on where respect comes from. Is it primarily linked to a title, a person’s age, their position in a hierarchy, or the clothes they wear? These questions stayed with me for many years.
Then a transition began, becoming particularly visible through Generation Z.
Like me, many people today, across generations, view respect differently. Rather than associating it automatically with status, position, or age, they often connect respect with how people treat one another and the way they behave every day.
• Is the person considerate and kind? • Does the person support and encourage others? • Does the person create space for different perspectives? • Does the person listen with genuine interest?
This shift has profound implications for organisations. Many traditional organisations associate respect with a person’s position in the hierarchy, their title, or their status. Human-centred organisations take a different approach: they create environments where every person is valued, heard, and respected because they are human beings – not because of their role, status, or position in the hierarchy.
Respect is earned through actions and behaviour, not through titles, positions, age, or outward appearances.
Jürgen Mohr – Co-Founder – – Programme Development and Student Communication –
