𝑩𝒄𝒄 𝒐𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒍 - 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻?🔔

Is Bcc still relevant in the workplace today?

𝗕𝗰𝗰, 𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆, is a feature that allows you to send a copy of an email to someone without the other recipients knowing. The recipient who is Bcc'd is hidden from the other recipients in the "To" and "Cc" fields.

Email remains a prevalent mode of communication at the workplace. And tucked discreetly in the corner of your inbox, whichever account you are using, is the Bcc feature. Indeed unless you decide to make that feature visible in certain email accounts, by default this feature does not even appear on your inbox.

We send hundreds of emails daily. Yet I can go through a day without ever considering the use of Bcc.

Is it still relevant in the #workplace today? 

Spare the Axe on Bcc (for now)

Bcc can be useful for a variety of reasons, such as keeping people informed without causing unnecessary email clutter. Here are some potential uses:

✅ De-Clutter: If you're sending an email to a long list of recipients, you might consider listing their emails in the Bcc field. This prevents a long list of names from cluttering the reader to the message. It also provides a degree of privacy to others on distribution. 

✅ Consideration: Bcc can be useful when you want to keep someone in the loop about a conversation without directly involving them.

Take the case of an introduction you have facilitated between two colleagues in different parts of the organisation. As they take on the conversation further, one of them decides to put you on Bcc.

Is this a thoughtful professional gesture or an affront to be cut off from the conversation unilaterally? There is a whole article written on this.

Personally, I see it as a great example of forward thinking and #empathy on the part of the individual. We are bombarded with hundreds of emails daily (on average, each person could write a novel’s worth of emails each year).

Its a professional courtesy to be removed from a conversation that is not likely to be relevant for you. 

Do not take it as an affront

Despite the rise of other workplace communication methods like instant messaging and video conferencing, email remains a fundamental communication mode in the workplace. If you are Bcc'ed, do not feel ghosted.

Instead, bask in the #JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) and appreciate the decluttering your colleague has just afforded you

Not all Bcc modalities are meant to exclude. While some may argue that the Bcc function is obsolete, less relevant in today's workplace and runs contrary to a culture of #opencommunication in teams, it still has its place as a useful tactical mechanism to free up people’s space, time and (inboxes) from irrelevant content.

The key? Be transparent. State on the email that, “I’m moving you to Bcc” Do not assume ill intent in people.

At the end of the day, by fostering a culture of openness we can ensure any modality of workplace communications contributes to clarity and alignment rather than serve as a barrier to confusion and misinterpretation.

Just remember to check your mailing list before hitting the ‘Send’ button 😏

What are your preferred emailing conventions? Does Bcc still have a part to play at work? I'll love to hear your thoughts below.

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