Why you are getting CC’d on so many emails

One of the top complaints I hear from Danish bosses working with Americans is the large number of “CC” emails they receive.

“Why do they CC me on everything?” the Danes ask. “I don’t really need to know all this stuff.”

Some of those CC’s are no doubt cover-your-butt maneuvers (I CC’d my boss about this, so if it all goes wrong it’s not my fault) but the vast majority are because their American bosses really did want to know all this stuff.

Staying in the loop

American bosses are obsessed with staying “in the loop”, and feel the need to be on top of what’s going on in their teams at all times.

This isn’t always because they love micro-managing. The fearsome US legal machine requires them to know everything about possible defects in their product as well as any bias or harassment on their team.

The busily CC’ing American employees are creating a “paper trail” in case of a future lawsuit.

Content-free emails

You may find that the emails you receive from your US-based managers contain little direct information, and certainly no direct responses to difficult questions asked.

This is because many American managers can picture their emails being read out in a court of law.

If you want to get the real scoop on a difficult matter, telephone your manager at a time when she will have the office to herself.

Getting the real truth at lunch

Even better, arrange a business lunch in a nice restaurant. Relax during the meal and enjoy light topics. Then, before dessert comes, drop the bomb: Why isn’t our sales team performing? Is it their team leader’s fault, or have we hired the wrong customer-facing people?

Away from prying eyes and recording devices, your manager can say what she really thinks.

She knows perfectly well that if she’s ever asked to repeat in court what she’s telling you now, she can say that she “doesn’t recall” sharing it with you.