Should colleagues be put in cc or not? In the current issue of ‘life’, Andrea Germann and Marius von Holleben-Peiser discuss the pros and cons of the cc function in e-mails. What is your opinion? Join the discussion.
For
Andrea Germann, Event Management
It’s happened again. After a long weekend, my email inbox is overflowing with dozens of new messages, and I suspect it will take at least half the morning to get through them. When, on closer inspection, I discover that many of the emails are just cc-ing me and that a significant number of them are endless reply-to-all loops, I can barely suppress a sigh.
So it must surely be time to get rid of the cc function (which comes from the “carbon copies” of pre-digital times), right?
Wrong! It’s not the cc function itself that is clogging up our inboxes. It’s people not knowing how to use it properly. But we need to take a step back first. If there is something I need to share, the first thing I do is decide on the right form of communication. Is an email actually the best way to communicate the information? Would a call, chat message or face-to-face meeting not be more effective? Once I have confirmed that email is the right form of communication, we come to the next step: deciding who to send it to.
“It’s not the cc function itself that is clogging up our inboxes. It’s people not knowing how to use it properly.”Andrea Germann
This may sound straightforward, but it requires careful consideration. First, I consider who is actually impacted by the information I need to share. Next, I determine who will answer my question or carry out the task at hand – these individuals are placed in the To field. I then deliberately use the cc function for anyone who I think might find the content of the email relevant or at least good to know about. However, I don’t expect any response or action from those cc’d. Instead, I use this function to share information efficiently and to show appreciation. I’m essentially saying, “Hi, I want you to be aware of this matter; it’s important to me!”.
In these times of flexible working when I can’t just speak to my colleagues face-to-face, the deliberate use of the cc function in emails has become increasingly important. However, I would prefer to eliminate the practice of indiscriminately copying in people from all levels of the hierarchy – above me, below me, at the same level as me – as it only adds to the confusion.
We need to take a moment to pause and consider our goals: what we want to achieve and who we want to reach. By carefully selecting our content and intended audience before hitting “Send”, we can ensure better results. This approach works wonders – and our inboxes will thank us for it.
Against
Marius von Holleben-Peiser, Campus Services
The cc function in emails is widely used but often misused. Like any technology, it is not inherently to blame; rather, it just depends on how we choose to use it. Utilising the cc field is straightforward and convenient. It allows us to keep others informed about the emails we send, while also giving us a sense of control when we ask people to cc us.
The cc function is a wonderful thing in theory – like communism and vegan cheese. But in practice it often reveals a lack of self-confidence or an unthinking need to exert control. None of us want to admit to these tendencies, but they are clearly evident in people’s emailing habits.
There are of course situations where it is appropriate or even sensible to cc one or more people. Just as it is possible for a meeting involving more than four people and lasting more than 15 minutes to produce tangible results. However, these are exceptions that prove the rule. Generally speaking, neither of these scenarios is true.
“Every cc email that we read or send adds to our mental load.”Marius von Holleben-Peiser
We are all sometimes guilty of wellintentioned inefficiency, often becoming victims of our own actions without considering the consequences. And too often we fail to think about the consequences of our actions. Emails waste a lot of our time and are the number one productivity killer in our daily work. According to a study by Adobe, people spend an average of five hours per day reading emails (2019 Adobe E-Mail Usage Study). One fact contributing to this issue is the use of cc in emails.
It’s not merely a quantitative issue – there is an even more serious qualitative risk in terms of mental overload. Every cc email that we read or send adds to our mental load – the psychological strain of organizing our daily tasks and work activities.
So the next time we consider ccing someone or asking them to cc us, it’s worth taking a moment to ask ourselves whether it makes sense and is truly necessary. If we’re unsure, it’s better to avoid using cc altogether and to have more confidence in ourselves and our colleagues.
This article appeared in issue 4/2024 of the employee magazine ‘life’.
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