Sirs and madams. Titles are very useful in organisations where hierarchy is all-important. The armed forces, for instance, holds this principle dear since they operate on the 'chain of command' model. If individuals start thinking for themselves, the whole unit may be in jeopardy. Despite it being hard for most civilians to figure out where the naib risaldar or major general stands in relation to the subedar, or lieutenant general, what would be considered a culture of 'yes men' in civilian organisations works for those in the defence and law and order businesses.