Before the Internet, when people CCed (carbon copy) on a letter or notification, it was usually because the person who was being CCed needed to know what was being discussed. Often, it was something official such as a legal or important business notice. Since the Internet became the main form of business communication that has changed. And I have noticed the CC feature has created a whole different set of issues.
If I’m making an email introduction I think it works pretty well but once the intro has been made I don’t need to receive emails between the parties. So that is the key, do I need to know this information or, if I’m the one sending, does the person I’m CCing need to know?
At times, I am CCed when people email my customer service, and I don’t mind this initially, but again, I do not need to micromanage every detail of every order. Of course, this is completely different if it is a design question or if there is an issue that the customer feels is not being resolved. But otherwise, I prefer to allow my employees to do the job I hired them to do.
If I’m the one sending the email I try to make sure the necessary people are kept abreast of the situation but try not to bother them with the information they don’t care to know. For example, if a company owner asks that I work with their management or marketing team on a new look for their staff uniforms it has been my experience that half the time the owner drops off until the final designs are picked, and half the time they want to know of all the design details. This has proven to be is a case-by-case scenario.
Sometimes when the boss is CCed people feel as if they are being “told on” and then they might become difficult. This is definitely not a dynamic that you want to create. Yet, at times, you may not have a choice. Some people will deliberately ignore your emails, and often the only way they will respond is if their manager is copied as well. This situation is a tough one, but I look at it from the perspective of being a business owner myself, and I would want to know if someone who works for me is not responsive.
There have been times when I’ve had a relationship with someone in a company and it is more efficient for us to work out the details and then do a separate email copying everyone involved with an update. Many people are fine with that, as they just want to know the final decision, yet you also have to be careful, as other people may view it as exclusionary.
After years of doing this, I’ve gotten better about knowing when and when not to CC, but it seems you can never be perfect. Each time I deal with a new company, I have to learn the personalities and what each individual prefers. There always seems to be that one email where someone who should have been in the know was left off or the wrong person was put on.
Given the nature of our times and how email has truly become second nature, I think we should all cut each other a little slack. Instead of assuming the worst by being or not being copied, maybe simply ask the sender to either include you or take you off the email chain going forward. Sometimes it is just a matter of knowing what each person at each company would like, and we can’t always guess correctly.
