We’ve gone through quite a bit as a nation over the last several years. And while most of our emphasis has been on national and international issues, we still have to deal with keeping all of our own businesses going and hopefully growing right here at home.

While our country goes through its wartime rigors we, of course, have our domestic policies to deal with. And a large part of those policies have to do with business. As in every year in the United States, we are going through the process of our November elections. This event sets in motion a course that affects us quite a bit more than most of us consider.

Our business lives are effected by the executive, legislative and judicial branches nationally as well as on the state and local levels. We have laws and regulations that help, hinder and complicate our commercial lives. And through it all we have a certain, how shall we say, psychological need to deal with our elected representatives with a particular respect and reverence that sometimes befuddles me.

Now I’m not saying to disrespect anyone. What I am questioning however is how we go about dealing with elected officials. Will someone explain to me why we have to address the people we ourselves have elected with such titles as Mr. Senator, Ms. Congresswoman, Mr. Mayor, Ms. Councilwoman, yes, even Mr. President? It makes everything so formal and forms an automatic barrier between the plain folk (those who actually gave the elected ones their jobs) and the office holder. The titles denote power, which, as we know, can easily go to the office holder’s head. What’s the deal? Someone begs you for a job, you give it to him or her and then they set themselves up in this protective shield. Then, many of the folks who let them have it get intimidated by the office and the office holder.

“Oh, I couldn’t call the Senator, I’m sure he’s much too busy”. Huh! The Senator is directly affecting your business – call him! And, ask for Steve or John or whoever your senator is. We need a reality title check. Here we sit, trying to get our business done not knowing how this or that regulation will affect us and we have this mystique about those we hire to get stuff implemented – and for us no less!

Do you think a senator’s spouse calls him or her “Senator,” well do you? Or do you really believe that Laura Bush calls her husband “Mr. President?”

Don’t you think it’s time to stop pandering to the people we hire.

It’s as absurd as someone at your company calling you Mr. or Ms. President, Vice President or Treasurer. The more barriers we create the more difficult it is to address our needs. Cut out the false pretenses and just get things done.

We business people are always talking about holding ourselves, and those who work with and for us, accountable. Why then do allow barriers to be put up that hinder that process in so many areas of our lives? It seems to be much harder to hold someone accountable when you’re scared to death of them or at the very least somewhat awed by them.

Years ago a vendor of mine took me to meet one of his larger clients. He felt that I could help them resolve a problematic situation. As we were driving to his clients he told me that he always addressed the man he was going to introduce me to as Mr. Jones (not his real name) and that he was very formal and quite intimidating. Yet this person, or shall we say his company, owed my vendor (we’ll call him Bob) quite a bit of money. It’s interesting to note that it always seems harder to deal with people, even collect money from them, when you’re afraid of them. How convenient for Mr. Jones to be intimidating AND owe Bob money!

Into Mr. Jones’ office we marched, Bob said “ Mr. Jones I’d like you to meet Dan Goldberg” (not Mr. Goldberg mind you!) and the positioning was in play. From a tactical perspective was I to say “Mr. Jones it’s a pleasure to meet you”. Or should I have said “Mr. Jones you can call me Mr. Goldberg”? It’s really all about power. I quickly looked around the room and noticed that the nameplate on his desk said Daniel Jones. That was my opening. My response was “Hi, I see you and I have the same name Dan…you don’t mind if I call you Dan…and please call me Dan”. Through the corner of my eye I could see my vendor stiffen. But Dan Jones said, “No of course I don’t mind”. Barriers broken, one-on-one conversation started, and no pandering.

Our businesses are too important to have artificial barricades put in our way. Don’t be afraid to take some of that “power” away from those who use it to stay one step removed from genuinely interacting with or being held accountable by you. Otherwise, before you know it, you’ll be cowering in front of someone who owes you money or unnecessarily awed by someone getting ready to introduce or pass a bill that may adversely affect you business.