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To Reply To All Or Not To Reply To All, That Is The Question
Posted on August 28, 2007
Replying to emails is an often overlooked topic and I intend to set the record straight in this article.
At some point during your career, you will be in a position where you will have the option to "reply to all" or just "reply". If your thinking that this isn't a very tough decision, you are wrong. I've broken the answer to this question down into a few general rules. When these rules are followed, no one will notice anything. When these rules are not followed, the outcome will eventually be a DISASTER, so listen up!
When drafting a new email...
- Rule 1 – Assume that everyone involved needs to know about your email, even if you think you would be bothering someone by including them on an email.
- Rule 2 – Always cc or bcc your supervisor(s). The last thing you need is for the client to be talking to your supervisor when your email comes up. Your supervisor better be aware. Its their job to read it, but its your job to include them.
- Rule 3 – Find old emails that came from someone else in the team. Make sure your recipient list contains all the recipients that theirs did. Often times, team members from other companies have team mates that aren't in the fore front of the project, but are churning out the real work.
- Rule 4 – If you plan to send an attachment, attach it to the email first. I'm willing to bet that 1 out of every 5 emails with an attachment goes out without the attachment first. Avoid the "Forgot the attachment" emails, they're just embarassing as hell.
When responding to an email...
- Rule 1 – If you are responding with an issue that could potentially make someone else look bad, so what, use the "reply to all" option and send that baby out. They shouldn't have had the issue in the first place.
- Rule 2 – Again, if your supervisor is not included in the originating email, cc or bcc him/her.
- Rule 3 – If you are responding with an issue where you are to blame, speak with your supervisor to be sure you aren't damaging the reputation of the company by admitting guilt.
- Rule 4 – Last but not least, the generic answer to this question that rarely fails......"When in doubt, reply to all"
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