Effectual Working

I have always viewed mail that is sent to me as a CC: recipient as informational. I think of this for email as well. If my name is in the TO: field, I assume there is some action being requested of me (even if it is only, “Read this email!”). If my name is in the CC: field, then it is being sent to me so that I can be informed about something, but no action is expected of me.

Last fall, I received a letter in which I was in the CC: list. Skimming the letter and then filing it, I assumed that I didn’t have any action to take. I was CC’d! I came to find out almost six months later that the sender did need me to do something!

It is important that if you require action of some kind that you include the person in the TO: field. It is equally important that you specify what you want them to do and when.

It is also ineffective to ask for something to be done and then send this to several people. Who is supposed to do it?

For more information read To, Cc and Bcc.