This is not a "how-to" document, but rather a document that offers advice to make you more computer-worthy (probably more worthy than you desire) and to prevent you from embarrassing yourself at some point in the near future. Only the person's own address will appear. Ish. This can be useful if you want to convey the same exact message to more than one person. If you’re guilty of misusing or neglecting its power (and there’s a good chance you are), it’s time to repent and, in the process, cut down on spam and protect the privacy of your friends and family. When you use the Cc field, both the original recipient and all carbon copy recipients see the email addresses the message was sent to, and some people might object to their email address going public. The email addresses you add to the “bcc” […] Construct a single daily or weekly status update email to your manager in lieu of copying them on emails. In other words, email breeds. CC Sabathia has missed the point of retirement by getting totally jacked. The Cc: noted at the bottom of the letter let the person the letter was going to know who would get that “carbon copy”. We all develop habits, rituals, and mental maps that allow us to go on autopilot in familiar situations. You might want to keep your colleague in the loop because of a communication breakdown that happened two years ago. This feature is supposed to delete unread copies of the recalled message from the recipients’ inboxes so they never see it. But if you do use it, that way you don't get hit with dozens of reply-alls and leak everyone's email address to every virus-infected machine on the list. Adding a CC to themselves immediately puts the item as unread in their inbox until they process it appropriately. She became increasingly annoyed with this person on her team. Ask yourself (and others, if needed) the question “why” over and over again until you get to the root cause of the over-copying. In Gmail, you can CC up to 100 recipients in any one email. It must contain something!”. Compose your email subject and message. She has tried similar principles with her husband and two children with varying degrees of success. The To recipients are thought of as the primary recipients of the email, the CC recipients are those who are receiving carbon copies of the email, and the BCC recipients are those who are … This script will not be responsible for sending email to actual destination. The abbreviation CC comes from “carbon copy.” By placing a sheet of carbon paper between two pieces of paper, the pressure from writing on the first piece of paper will push the ink from the carbon paper down onto the second piece of paper, producing an additional copy of the document. If the main motivation of copying others is to allay your own fears, pause and reconsider before hitting send. in their inbox is a way to make it more visible than in their sent items folder. The Shortcomings of Cc . If you're good about your email, you've already been doing this for years. Speaking from experience it was a real pain when you made a typo! Some people refer to CC as “courtesy copy,” which better describes what a CC actually is. It’s simply what we do. If someone needs to be copied without the others on the list receiving his or her email, use “bcc” or blind carbon copy. The Subject field indicates the purpose of e-mail. Some email programs place the phrase "undisclosed recipients" in the address field instead. It’s the way we’ve always done it. More often, people respond to this fear using the CC field. Many of our default behaviors are productive. When you write an email, there is a greater sense of accountability than with a spoken word. Now what?” Let them know they’re part of a community: Don’t be afraid to showcase your success as an email marketer. When referring to email, “cc” means carbon copy and “bbc” means “blind carbon copy”. Productivity weblog GTD Times points out a simple one: knowing the difference between "To" and "CC.". You'd think email is old enough to be considered common sense by now, but it has a lot of basic etiquette rules that people just don't follow. People vary in the quantity and quality of the feedback they want to receive from those around them. On the flip side though, I've actually been seeing quite a lot less of those. The "Cc:" option is often used in business communications when a message is intended for one person, but is relevant to other people as well. This sends a copy of the email to the recipients as well as the people being cc’d. When you build a house, you start with the basement. To break out of a loop of unproductive defaults, pause and reconsider. So why are we always running into communications snafus because someone…, Email Best Practices for Teams | GTD Times. CC stands for “carbon copy.” If you’ve never seen carbon paper, it’s a type of waxy tissue paper that is used for duplicating typing or writing from one sheet to another. The email addresses you add to the “bcc” […] There are some downsides to sending email carbon copies. CC-ing isn’t always a bad idea. When you use cc, everyone who receives the email can see who else received it. On a daily basis since 2007, Dr. Melissa has helped business people worldwide be more focused, balanced, and productive. – Luhar Oct 5 '12 at 23:21 It shows in black and white what you wrote on a particular date and to whom. All your recipients (primary + CC’d) will receive the email. Save it as a draft until you are ready to send it. To facilitate easier communications, crowd controls are usually described under one of the following systems: The “cc” line can be placed in the heading, next to the heading, or at the bottom of the document. Even if you don’t trust your coworker to follow through for you, copying the boss in an email is not the best strategy, says career expert Todd Dewett, PhD. Every recipient email address you enter into the “to” and “cc” fields will be able to see each other. All other recipients of that message can see that the person you designated as a Cc: recipient has received a copy of the message. BCC. The Cc: noted at the bottom of the letter let the person the letter was going to know who would get that “carbon copy”. You might copy your boss because you fear that she won’t think you’ve followed through without seeing proof. Enter the email address of recipients who’ll receive a copy of the email in the CC field. A Welcome Email subject line should catch the reader’s attention, thank them for signing up, and give them a reason to open your email. If you're going to send an email out to a couple hundred people, chances are you should be using it (well, in many cases you should rethink sending it in the first place). If your email program insists on at least one TO: address, enter your own. This meant that my client’s inbox was full of emails that did not require any actions on her part. The message becomes part of a saved record. Liz Roscher. Cc: and Bcc: (‘carbon copy’ and ‘blind carbon copy’) Copying individuals on an email is a good way to send your message to the main recipient while also sending someone else a copy at the same time. Look, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the positive feelings that result from a job well done. Reply All only when absolutely necessary. Use Cc: (Carbon Copy) - for recipients you are sending a copy to. I’ve worked with clients who write and rewrite emails to the point of obsession. Step 3. Both “cc” and “bcc” are additional fields you can enter when sending an email. Cc stands for carbon copy which means that whose address appears after the Cc: header would receive a copy of the message. When referring to email, “cc” means carbon copy and “bbc” means “blind carbon copy”. Like a physical carbon copy, a CC is a way of sending additional copies of an email to other people. Let’s see how it … Consider these options before CC-ing people on your next email: As you start to become more mindful of how you CC others, you may begin to notice your own habits and patterns. Dr. Melissa’s philosophy is that personality may dictate our preferences for action, but our capacity is usually much higher. And, today, CC is a substantial cause of the email problem. Reply only to people who are directly impacted by your response. Here’s my advice to you: Don’t let fear dictate your choices at the keyboard. I’ve also had clients who were on the receiving end of these kinds of emails. And there is a time and a place for tooting your own horn. Using CC in current email language means you’re sending an email not only to the primary recipient in the “To” field, but also to one or more secondary recipients. If you’re sending from a personal address—for a job application or informational interview, for example—make sure your address is still professional sounding. And, today, CC … The CC (carbon copy) field allows you to send an email to multiple recipients. It’s already in your calendar anyway. When you use the Cc field, both the original recipient and all carbon copy recipients see the email addresses the message was sent to, and some people might object to their email address going public. CC. Dr. Melissa is a blogger and social media nerd, so follow her! But, as with all forms of communication, there are rules involved in ensuring that communication between you and your recipient is orderly and civilized. With greater awareness, you may uncover insights that you can use to CC less — and streamline and improve your work communication across the board. It should be precise and to the point. The human brain takes in a ton of information from the five senses and uses shortcuts to keep from being overloaded. CC is often used as a verb, as in “I C… Email. It was a very popular office supply decades ago, and can still be found in some places. BCC is an abbreviation used in email, which means simply Blind Carbon Copy. There are some downsides to sending email carbon copies. We designate the To: field for who has the action (could be multiple people). How Is “CC” Different from “To” in Gmail? If your company still relies on email to collaborate, then this antiquated acronym is stealing your time. Cc: stands for "carbon copy." It was a very popular office supply decades ago, and can still be found in some places. But email-related actions still have consequences (and causes). The “To” field is used for your primary recipients — people who are required to act in response to your email. (and you want everyone to explicitly see this) Bcc: (Blind Carbon Copy) - Put the email address here if you are sending your recipient(s) a Copy and you do not want the other recipients to see that you sent it to this contact. However, do humans always work rationally? And if you’re the leader being bombarded by CCs in your inbox, try to ascertain why. Every recipient email address you enter into the “to” and “cc” fields will be able to see each other. Others are so afraid of being held to their writing that they don’t respond at all. Even if you don’t trust your coworker to follow through for you, copying the boss in an email is not the best strategy, says career expert Todd Dewett, PhD. In common usage, an email message has three fields for addressees: the To field is for principal recipients of the message, the CC field indicates secondary recipients whose names are visible to one another and to the principal, and the BCC (blind carbon copy) field contains the names of tertiary recipients whose names are invisible to each other and to the primary and secondary recipients. The cc (“carbon copy”) connotes the same thing as the “Bcc” — the cc’d person is on the email but is not expected to respond — but it does so openly. For example, you may have a work colleague that acts as a back-up when you're on vacation or not at work. For example, a retail employee may e-mail another employee saying he can work for her on a certain day. It’s simple, straightforward, secure, and takes place in real time. They’re a result of trial and error in finding the best path from Point A to Point B. A recipient of Cc field has a record of the email sent to the primary recipient under To: field that means a recipient of Cc field also get the exact copy (or carbon copy) of the email that is received by a recipient in To: field. Another unproductive default is a desire to follow the crowd. If you’re the person who copies others on your emails in anticipation of appreciative replies, then pause and reconsider. When to use CC vs. BCC: CC means Carbon copy. If you need to copy your boss on an email, copy your boss, but don’t pretend they aren’t copied. One unproductive default comes from a desire to fill an empty space. It's not that hard! At this point a carbon copy would be created and this eliminated the need to send the same document to several people. 1. Cc: is simply for their information—with no expectation that they will take action on the email, other than receive it. Discuss the issue in the next regularly scheduled meeting. The CC field. So you have to make sure email server is properly configured and running on your machine to send email to the given email ID. The Shortcomings of Cc . CC stands for “carbon copy.” If you’ve never seen carbon paper, it’s a type of waxy tissue paper that is used for duplicating typing or writing from one sheet to another. Similarly, we may think to ourselves, “The CC field is there! And, I appreciate when that distinction is made for me in return. However, there are alternatives to consider, especially if you suspect that fear, a need for positive reinforcement, or unproductive defaults might be motivating you. A blind carbon copy is a copy sent to an addressee that is not visible to the main and carbon copy addressees. It’s not a weakness to desire reinforcement – it’s a variant in human behavior. In my work with a number of corporations, I’ve consistently found that the average number of emails people receive is typically two to three times what they send. Many e-mail systems, including the widely used Microsoft/Outlook Exchange Server and IBM Lotus Notes/Domino Server, offer a Message Recall feature. Cc: is simply for their information—with no expectation that they will take action on the email, other than receive it. Probably not. Even more importantly, BCC. Anyone listed in the Cc: field of a message receives a copy of that message when you send it. The term CC stands for “carbon copy”. Using cc means that you send the email to another person — or other people — in addition to the primary recipient or recipients. So, before we dive into the specific sections of your email, let’s take a look at the fundamentals.Even if you ignore or forget every single other part of this article, at the very least make sure you’ve checked these boxes. Both “cc” and “bcc” are additional fields you can enter when sending an email. If not, a simple heads up on the etiquette surrounding this feature could really help you out. Note: To send a message, you must always specify at least one recipient in the "To:" field. Read more by Melissa Gratias, PhD », Your message is genuinely relevant for all recipients, All email recipients need to take actions. In fact, this is one of our top email values that we've shared before. Why? Nope. Most people know what happens when they address mail TO: people when creating a new message.However, they are less sure about the two other options: CC: ( A normal email address can have three classes of email recipients: the To recipients, the CC recipients, and the BCC recipients. Now, with email Cc: is referred to as “Courtesy Copy” being there is no tangible hard copy to send. As a psychologist who focuses on productivity and workplace behavior, there’s one topic that’s almost always guaranteed to lead to heightened emotions: email overload. CC stands for Carbon copy. The term “cc” is short for “carbon copy,” a holdover from the days when memos were written on a typewriter. It is common practice to abbreviate the verb form, and many forms are used, including cc and cc:. But lengthy autobiographical emails can cause more harm than good, particularly when they get out of hand. CC: List names of other people who will receive copies of your memo. Carbon copy can be used as a transitive verb with the meaning described under e-mail below related to the CC field of an e-mail message. The motivating factor in both of these cases was a need for positive reinforcement on the part of the sender. When you need to copy someone, you would normally add that person to the “cc” or carbon copy field. Click CC, as shown below. Few amenities in the modern digital workflow are so widely available but so widely ignored (or outright abused) as the the email BCC function. In some circumstances, the typist creating a paper correspondence must ensure that multiple recipients of such a document do not see the names of other recipients. Now, with email Cc: is referred to as “Courtesy Copy” being there is no tangible hard copy to send. Only copy people who need to know the information you are sending. Address all recipients of your emails by name in the body of the email. That’s likely why 281 billion emails were sent daily in 2018. There are rational reasons to copy others on an email: As long as we stay disciplined and rational with our CC habits, we’re in good shape. Copying others and even replying to all become a part of a culture of email communication. GTD explains how these two fields can help you achieve this goal: We all get tons of work email a day, and our inboxes can get cluttered in the blink of an eye. Do you have empty drawers or bookshelves in your home or office? A really great way. Personally, I find I am much more conscious about what I am asking for, and from whom, when I clearly delineate between who has action and who just needs to receive the information. BCC stands for Black Carbon Copy. Which meant a lot of emails about his thoughts and accomplishments…and a lot of people filling up the CC field. In e-mail, a carbon copy (abbreviated "cc," and sometimes "fcc" for "first carbon copy") is a copy of a note sent to an addressee other than the main addressee. Bcc (“blind carbon copy”) also sends a copy of the email to one or more people beyond the primary recipient (s). Make. Blind Carbon Copy (BCC:) will hide the address list from all the recipients. Step 4. That is, to send the message to additional recipients beyond the primary recipient. The ends that they used to help us achieve is no longer desirable (or maybe never was). How do we respond to that fear? But do your coworkers? It includes those recipient addresses whom we want to keep informed but not exactly the intended recipient. Ever receive an email where it's unclear who has the action because everyone is in the "To:" field? Maybe it's just my own little bubble, but it seems like even the older generations are actually finally starting to get the hang of computers. So if you send 50 emails a day, you probably receive 100 to 150 in your inbox. In computer systems, these would be “defaults.”. As measured by almost every personality test known to psychology, Dr. Melissa Gratias has the profile of a disorganized, scattered person who detests planning and thinks calendars are for wimps. It is a way in which I use CC-ing myself in the email. Can you get the feedback you need during regularly scheduled meetings? managing emailpersonal productivitybusiness communication. Email is a service which allows us to send the message in electronic mode over the internet. This can be useful if you want to convey the same exact message to more than one person. This document [ Adobe Acrobat (pdf) version] is intended to offer guidance to users of electronic mail (e-mail) systems. I think it is relevant to the question since the OP asks why people CC themselves in an email. E-Mail Etiquette Introduction. One of the most important strategies for dealing with inbox overload is making your messages easy to act on. It has its origin in how office assistants would send mail to a second recipient. Definition of Cc. Try something like “Thanks for signing up. It offers an efficient, inexpensive and real time mean of distributing information among people. Click Compose to open a new message. Cc: and Bcc: (‘carbon copy’ and ‘blind carbon copy’) Copying individuals on an email is a good way to send your message to the main recipient while also sending someone else a copy at the same time. While you're at it, you should let them know whether you expect them to reply all, too. Some … One was in a leadership role and found herself being CC-ed on the majority of emails written by a member of her staff. Email is the preferred mode of communication in business, both internally and externally. Use this as an opportunity to discover more about yourself. Copying others and even hitting reply-all aren’t always the wrong choice. If you’ve got nothing to say to them, then why are they copied? And where does this happen? Here’s what’s actually motivating all of that maddening unnecessary CC-ing: A significant motivator of human behavior is fear. Hit Send when your message is complete. Read Outlaw Email: An Excerpt From Under New Management ». Cc (Carbon Copy ) is a field in an email that contains the list of recipients. Blind carbon copy (abbreviated Bcc) allows the sender of a message to conceal the person entered in the Bcc field from the other recipients.This concept originally applied to paper correspondence and now also applies to email.. Replying to the thread ensures that the person to whom the carbon copy was sent received it as well as the original recipients. In this case, putting emails that indicate that something requires action (a task, something to follow up on, etc.) Speaking from experience it was a real pain when you made a typo! Are you giving enough feedback and positive reinforcement to your team? Actually, the above script is a client email script, which will draft email and submit to the server running locally on your Linux/Unix machine. I recall a particular client who saw email as a great way to communicate his thoughts and accomplishments to his boss and his colleagues. The CC feature ensures that all your recipients can see who has been added to your mail. So it makes perfect sense that she became a productivity psychologist...right? I find it useful to keep emails and reports segregated by Project in my inbox. Be discerning about your use of To: vs. Cc:. However, sometimes our defaults are unproductive. A single daily or weekly status update email to other people who are directly impacted your... 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