Friday, November 9, 2007

Cover Your Ass

10-24-05 Do you request a read receipt for every e-mail you send. Then do CC: 25 people so you can make sure the whole world knows that you sent something to someone.

It is disgusting. We have gotten so worried about making sure we have some way to pass the buck onto someone else, to skirt any responsibility or ownership, that I don't see how there is any time or effort being placed on doing what we are actually paid to do.

Do you think that if we all just took the time to do the best job we can do then we won't need to worry so much about whether or not our ass is covered.

4 comments:

SS said...

Sadly I do save all my e-mails for quite some time lest someone try to throw me under the bus (remember when you taught us that phrase?) It's sad that we have to go to such lengths but sometimes it's necessary.

Natalia said...

I save all my emails in the deleted emails area. We have people call to contest all sort of things. But I don't ask for a receipt. I assume that if I sent it, I covered my responsibility.

Paul said...

Sure, you must have some level of...lets say administrative backup. But if you CC my boss every time you send me something, you aren't making friends with me, thats for sure. It says you have no confidence in me, you don't trust me, or both.

I think I use CC even less than I use Reply to All (which is practically never), because I trust that people are going to do their job. So let them throw me under the bus (I remember how everyone laughed at that!)... it won't be the first time!

Natalia said...

Yeah, to me if you CC my boss on a complaint-type email, that's you saying I am going to let people know I think you messed up. That might get an email back to you CCd to my boss and to you where I show everyone that I was right and you are an idiot. And that's when you wish you hadn't thought of CCing anyone.

-N