Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think copying someone into an email thread without a full explanation is fucking annoying?

25 replies

cailindana · 10/04/2015 08:58

Yet again I've been copied into a huge long email conversation by my boss, with no explanation as to what's going on or what I'm supposed to do. There's some allusion in the final email to me doing something but I can't figure out what the "something" is - I'll have to trawl through the entire conversation and piece together what the fuck is going on.

Arrrghh!

AIBU to think that if you do want someone in on a conversation you specifically write to them, introduce the other person (who in this particular case I don't know at all) and explain what the bloody hell is going on??

OP posts:
AmarettoSour · 10/04/2015 09:02

I would ask him for clarification on what he's asking you to do each time he does it and hopefully he'll get the hint.

Original poster
cailindana · 10/04/2015 09:05

He's not the only one who does it. I find in general people are so lazy with emailing - they genuinely think it's ok to just forward something on and expect the other person to read the whole thing to figure out the backstory.

OP posts:
thatstoast · 10/04/2015 09:12

I get this a lot. Unless there's a very clear action given I tend to save it for reference and ignore it. Then produce the email when someone inevitably says "toast is dealing with this". I have my own work to get on with and I'm not going to pick up any piece of crap I get copied into.

MrsFlannel · 10/04/2015 09:23

YANBU I am always amazed when people do this because I am very thorough. I once dumped a project (one off arts thing) because of JUST this issue.

Minshu · 10/04/2015 09:23

I do this Blush with the intention of adding an explanation to that thread, or mailing or (better) speaking to the late addition about the topic and so setting expectations. However I sometimes don't manage that step for various reasons. Apologies ( in case I'm your manager, but pretty sure I'm not).

Also, people do this to me by way is escalating. But I get so many mails I ignore them until someone gives me a decent explanation.

Ceasre · 10/04/2015 09:26

I have always worked on the basis if you are copied in on an email it is for information purposes only. If they want you to do something then it is sent directly to you rather than copied with an explanation of what is wanted.

TiredButFine · 10/04/2015 10:13

This should literally be a crime or sackable offence. I do try to "train" people by replying and asking them to summarise what action they want me to take as it's not clear from their email string.

Also because I'm so perfect all the time myself I summarise at the top of a string "please can you do x for x person by x date, the history is below for reference"

I heard a rumour that google is developing an email system that reads all these email strings and summarises them for you but I doubt that's even possible

DragonWithAGirlTattoo · 10/04/2015 10:22

yup - definately reply and ask outright, "what do they want you to do, if anything?"

monkeysaymoo · 10/04/2015 10:25

God yes this annoys me especially when you're new. When I was training for new role my training manager would forward these long emails and just put FYI. It just used to set off panic of never being sure what part of the info was relevant to me!

manchestermummy · 10/04/2015 10:29

I get this. Usually a conversation will have taken place in my absence (I am pt) then I will start getting the emails. Or I don't, alternatively, then get very confused in meetings when people start talking about something I have been missed out of. I actually had to tell the head of service that I had no idea what she was talking about the other day.

The other thing that gets on my nerves is being invited to meetings without explanation. I had one just yesterday. I have no idea what I am supposed to be contributing. I didn't manage to catch my boss and ask but I will be badgering him first thing on Monday.

muminhants · 10/04/2015 10:40

If I see people cc'd in on an email and don't understand why (or I can see very well - for ar*e-protecting), I will say something like "I see James and Jane are cc'd on this email, please let us know if you would like to continue to be copied in, or I'll delete on future replies".

Years ago I worked for an organisation where the MD said that he just deleted emails if his name wasn't in the "to" section - ie anything he was cc'd on would be deleted. I'm not sure anyone but the MD would have the nerve to do that though!

Original poster
cailindana · 10/04/2015 11:12

Glad it's not just me getting worked up about nothing!

I think some solid email etiquette is definitely lacking - how people deal with emails is all over the place and while I find email extremely useful it does piss me off when people are lazy an don't explain things or don't respond at all.

OP posts:
MummaV · 10/04/2015 11:33

My boss used to do this repeatedly, not explaining anything and then asking me days later if I'd done X,Y and Z and when I said no and asked if he'd specifically asked me to, he'd always respond with 'I copied you into the email' at which point I'd point out that without being asked to do something my work load was high enough and therefore I assumed it was only for reference if no request was made. If a request was made it would usually be really vague but he'd ignore my emails asking for clarification(and was often out of the office so unable to ask face to face) It took quite a few egg on his face moments of work not being done because he didn't have the decency to actually ask or explain what he wanted before he realised that clear communication is key and that if he doesn't ask or explain he doesn't get.

However since I've been on Mat Leave I've heard from the person that's covering that he's started doing it again. He'll never learn!

StrawberryAndScream · 10/04/2015 11:53

I get this all the time from lazy numpties who think you've actually got half an hour to read their random email sagas.
So I reply: is this for info only? Or do you want me to take some action on this and if so, what exactly?
Usually does the trick.

Truckingalong · 10/04/2015 11:59

I don't get the angst. Read it and pick up on the bits that are relevant and/or require action. I don't waste time repeating what's already been said in the trail - I expect people to have the nous to read the emails.

Truckingalong · 10/04/2015 12:00

If someone responded with, is this for info only or do you want me to take action, I'd think less of them. Scan through it and work it out for yourself.

AlternativeTentacles · 10/04/2015 12:05

I used to reply 'did you mean to copy me into this?' and then they will say 'yes, I need you to do x' and then you say 'oh sure no problem.'

Scan through it and work it out for yourself.

No. Time at work should be productive. This goes into the timewasting section - why should you have to read through reams of bollocks to get to the actual issue/task?

SwedishEdith · 10/04/2015 12:11

Years ago I worked for an organisation where the MD said that he just deleted emails if his name wasn't in the "to" section - ie anything he was cc'd on would be deleted. I'm not sure anyone but the MD would have the nerve to do that though! God, I love the idea of doing that.

I get copied into all the "Thanks" crap as well.

LisaD1 · 10/04/2015 12:59

I'm a Senior PA at a large organisation and they ALL know, If I am not in the "to" box with a clear indication of what is required of me it will get filed... in the deleted box... unless you are my Managing Vice President you can explain what you want of me.

Has worked well over the last 25 years :-)

Truckingalong · 10/04/2015 13:13

Love PAs who have to name drop their bosses title!!

LisaD1 · 10/04/2015 13:18

His title is relevant. He has worked his way up to a position where he can cc the world and expect them to work it out for themselves, the same is not true for Mr Junior yet arrogant sales man/woman. We have a lot of those here and I am not spending time working out what they want as they are too lazy/self important to explain.

Original poster
cailindana · 10/04/2015 13:37

Trucking - most of the time it's entirely unclear what's going on - it's not possible to work it out. This latest one involves a lot of discussion about some meeting I wasn't at and the final email makes says "cailin will discuss your requirements on this." For the life of me, having read through the email trail (which is 20 emails long) I can't figure out what "this" is. There's mention of a few things that it could be but I have no idea what the "requirements" might be. It would only take him a minute for him to specifically say what he wants, so why not say it? Why expect me to trawl through emails and possibly get it wrong?

OP posts:
lertgush · 10/04/2015 14:32

I know exactly what you mean OP. This used to happen to me all the time, and as I worked in a very complex industry it could take hours to work out what was going on without someone explaining it.

I generally emailed the person straight back saying 'Please schedule some time with me to review what you need me to do. My calendar is up to date.'

Inevitably they were 'too busy' to find the time to meet with me and until they did I would consider my part of the project on hold.

DianeLockhart · 10/04/2015 14:40

It's infuriatung. I have a few culprits at work as well Angry

Jackiebrambles · 10/04/2015 14:43

If people do this to me I may read the string, but I won't action anything until someone asks me specifically to do something. Its such bad office etiquette!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page