Respondents to a recent work related email perception study entitled “Enough Already! Stop Bad Email” identified their top 5 issues with work-related emails as:
1) Excessive back-and-forth replies
2) Using email when a meeting/phone call is more appropriate
3) Unnecessary use of “reply all”
4) Poorly written emails that lack clarity
5) Copying others unnecessarily

For the majority of our trainees the unnecessary copying of emails is also one of the biggest issues that they report before attending our email training.

The reason that “cc’s” come up time and time again in our surveys is that they eat away at staff and organisational time - without people realising it.

A single "cc" once it has been sent out to multiple recipients can easily chew up half a working day of staff time.

But it can be stopped – through company-wide email training that brings about real long lasting culture change.

Follow these 4 simple tips:
1. Think before you send any emails to Groups – who absolutely must have your email?

2. Know who is in your work Group emails - out of date Groups cause thousands of irrelevant emails

3. Ask IT or remove yourself from any irrelevant Groups you receive mail from

4. When you do need to "cc" be explicit - let your recipient know the reason why

Train all staff  on correct email etiquette – and spend your precious time doing something else.