Cc: and BCc: Reply Expectations

I get asked about this all the time — 4 times this week so far. What is expected of you when your name is either in the Cc: field or you are BCc:’d on an e-mail?

Here are some considerations:

• Cc: notes you are being FYI’d. And only Cc: those who need to be in the know. You only need to respond if you have something to add or that is relevant to the original message. And, only reply back to those who need to be aware of your comment(s). If the others in the Cc: field would not benefit or do not need to know the content of your reply, remove their e-mail addresses before doing so. Make a point of using your discretion here.
• If Cc:’d , hitting Reply To All is rarely prudent and in most cases does not lend to efficient e-mail communications. There are times when it is not necessary for “all” to be aware of your response. On an aside… Refrain from using Reply to All to CYA. Using Reply to All in this manner can lead to you appearing trivial and may backfire causing your e-mails to not be taken as seriously.
• BCc: notes you are being FYI’d without others knowledge and no rely is necessary or expected. Here again, BCc: with proper intentions. Never BCc: to expose others to unrelated or sensitive e-mails without the recipient’s knowledge or to be a e-mail tattle-tail (eTattler). This too can reflect negatively on your lack of professionalism in the workplace.

As is usually the case, we are talking about thinking before doing; and only doing for all the right reasons. Minimizing e-mail volume by only replying and sending to those who are necessary to the conversation at hand will always have your e-mails taken more seriously. With the added benefit of being viewed as a courteous and professional communicator.

Who Should You To: or Cc: ?

When do you use the To: field or the Cc: field?  There really are no hard and fast rules. One of the words I use most here on this site is discretion — and when to use the To: field vs. the Cc: field is all about discretion and the circumstances at hand.

As a general guideline, use the To: field if you want to address several contacts for the same reason as a group, while encouraging their input. If you are listed in the To: field know that your input is being sought.

The Cc: field is generally used to keep people in the loop (FYI) with no expectation of a reply being required. That is unless you are the one who is Cc:’d and have something important to add to the conversation that needs to be pointed out. In that case reply only to the Sender and do NOT hit Reply to All.

One concern stressed by those who e-mail me is the unfortunate situation of having an e-mail conversation with one party who then takes the liberty to Cc: others on their reply or mid-way through the conversation. For example two managers dicussing their respective team’s responsiblities. One can see how when one manager chooses to Cc: the other manager’s staff about their opinion on the situation can be perceived as a breach of confidentiality or encroaching on the other manager’s authority.

This is one of those situations where discretion is even more important. Be sure the other party doesn’t have an expectation that what you are discussing is between the two of you. It is the sign of a true professional to know intuitively when that is the case.

To arbitrarily bring others into a private conversation when the person on the other side may not agree with that choice can cause misunderstandings and cause them to not trust that they can in fact have candid communications with you.

One thing is clear — you should never play politics with these fields. Doing so will never be a successful strategy and can lend to you being perceived as trivial and/or unprofessional.

The bottom line?

Use the To: field for those who you desire to have a conversation with and want to encourage their input.

The Cc: field is best used in new conversations and is used to FYI without an expectation of a reply or additional input. Now here’s the important part — if you need to inform others about the topic at hand — discuss this first with those already involved and start a new e-mail that includes all involved.

By keeping these tips in mind you’ll be known as a courteous and efficient communicator and more importantly someone others can bank on to use their discretion when needed.

Business E-mail Replies: Take Time to Cool Off

Misunderstandings abound in e-mail. Many times simply due to one side not taking the time to ensure that their message and intent is clear, while the other side reads into the e-mail things that may not be there.

In my experience, when it comes to business, there will be those who assume they can whip off an e-mail in the midst of their frustration or aggravation thereby coming off as way more terse or demanding than the situation calls for. This does in fact have a negative impact relationship building potential.

That is why it is always so important (for both sides) if you get an e-mail that has a tone that gets your feathers ruffled to follow these two simple steps:

1. First, take the words at face value and don’t assume anything. If you are not sure of intent or the tone relayed, pick up the phone and or e-mail for clarification before you spend the energy being upset and snapping back with an emotional response.
2. Second, take a deep breath. If you are unsure as to whether the other side is purposefully trying to be upsetting or rude, wait until the next day to reply. And when you do, read your response out loud to double-check that the tone of your response apropos.

In business, we do not have the luxury of ignoring rude e-mailers as we do in our personal lives. However, that doesn’t mean that you have cater to rude e-mailers either. Just leave those who can only communicate by being nasty wallowing while they wait for a response from you that may be in a cool but professional tone. Always, always take the high ground.

A great majority of misunderstandings are because one side (contacts, associates, coworkers) didn’t realize how the words they chose and how they chose to use them (formatting, bolding, red text, caps, etc.) may be taken. Even customers assuming they can type as they please simply because they are the customer.

Regardless of which side of the screen you are on, professionalism and courtesy combined with clarity will rule the day!

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