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E-mail and the CC of
death!
An Article by Stephen R. Clark
E-mail is
great! It can speed decision making, support collaboration, and allow access to
a broader range of contacts. E-mail is a powerful business tool, but one that
also has a dark side. If abused, it can be deadly -- to your career!
Have you ever
been involved in what you thought was a discreet and private exchange of e-mail
messages on a delicate topic when the other party, without warning, cc-ed your
boss or others in a response?
Or, have you
discovered that one of your private e-mails has been forwarded to a broader
group without your permission?
Ouch!
Instantly, a simple issue is made "public" and extremely complex. Or, worse, you
are put at odds with your boss or coworkers.
Says Amy
Johns, assistant managing editor at Ecompany magazine, "In general, it's
pretty obnoxious to bring someone new into an e-mail discussion without first
asking the other parties if they mind. It can be a bit like showing up at a
dinner party … with an uninvited guest in tow. If the e-mail exchange has been
going on for a while, there may be information in previous messages that someone
may not want the newly cc-ed person to read."
States
Letitia Baldrige, etiquette expert, "Knowing when to copy someone with your
e-mail is an art, not just a procedure."
Before you
forward or copy someone, ask yourself these questions:
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"Would I want this e-mail to
be cc-ed to so-and-so if I were receiving it rather than sending it?"
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"Will this person or group
understand why they are suddenly being included?"
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"What are my motives for
sharing this with others?"
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"Will it help or hurt by
copying this e-mail to others?"
If your
motives are shaky or someone could be hurt if the message were shared broadly,
then don't share it. Johns states, "If the e-mail is private or intended just
for you--as it is most of the time--don't forward it."
When
forwarding is a good thing to do, always add a note at the top of the message
explaining why it's being forwarded and what action you want the recipients to
take or if this is just FYI. If cc-ing, add the same kind of note to the end of
the message if it's not obvious why others are receiving the e-mail. Don’t do
either without getting the permission of the other party or parties involved in
the e-mail exchange.
If someone's
trying to put you in a sticky situation by cc-ing your boss, go talk to your
boss face-to-face and explain the issue fully. Then have a face-to-face with the
sender and settle the issue. When it's closed, follow up with an e-mail to the
sender confirming your discussions and cc your boss. And from then on avoid
e-mail exchanges with the offending party by responding to their messages in
person or over the phone.
If you
receive a shared message, act on it carefully. Be professional and sensitive.
The best course may be to just delete and ignore the message. If you feel you
must become involved, talk with the sender in person or over the phone and avoid
getting caught up in the e-mail exchange.
Whether
writing or responding to an e-mail, consider what you're writing carefully! Try
to think of the effect on others in the event it were to be shared. Don't write
or send an e-mail to anyone you wouldn't want others to see!
The harsh
reality is that once you send a message electronically there’s a very good
chance it will end up somewhere you didn’t want it to. So, always, be e-nice!
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