CC, BCC, Reply to All – the deadly trio, Part 2.

How to spare each other from the overuse of these three simple e-mail functions

In last week’s article I discussed typical ways in which the “CC”, “BCC” and the “Reply to all” functions get misused at workplaces. This week I will focus on possible solutions to those problems.

How can we change our e-mailing habits?

Have we got a problem with our e-mailing habits? Let’s change them. Let’s agree on some simple rules and then stick to them.

This approach often works. It helps people understand each other’s preferences. It helps to harmonise people’s communication habits. In this article I will give you some examples of such rules that can simplify e-mailing and reduce e-mail burden.

But there is a deeper layer to the CC-BCC issue that we shouldn’t ignore. Without fully understanding the root cause that makes people overuse or misuse the CC function, we will only be able to scratch the surface using our new guiding rules for e-mail use. The real problem won’t be solved.

It will just be another incident of bear-shaving: a superficial treatment of a much deeper problem.

Useful guiding rules to make e-mailing more efficient: Read More

CC, BCC, Reply to All – the deadly trio, Part 1.

How to drive each other crazy using three simple e-mail functions

Show me your e-mail habits, I will see your corporate culture

The way employees in an organisation use their e-mail can tell us a lot about the organisation’s culture. Is e-mail the main form of communication, or do people prefer calling each other or talking in person? How quickly do people reply to an e-mail they receive? Does the answer arrive promptly or does it take a week to get a reply? Are e-mails typically short and informal, or long, elaborate and very polite?

There are many aspects of e-mailing that would be worth looking at; however, in this article we focus on only one aspect: colleagues’ use of three related functions: CC, BCC and Reply all. Read More