“Thanks Mike, I’m moving you to BCC” is among the most modern phrases out there. Just a few years ago, despite email already being pervasive, no one removed others from conversations while announcing they were doing so.
This has emerged as a convention over these last few years for a good purpose: it’s actually really useful. Why? So, you don’t clutter up and disturb people no longer needed on a thread with the emails about that topic.
So, when should you move someone to BCC in an email thread, or not?
The rules of thumb that are good to follow are:
- When that person makes an introduction between you two
- When that person will no longer have an active role in the conversation going forward
But there are some exceptions, which are worth mentioning:
- When that person is your boss and you’re under training
- When in doubt, for the edge cases that could go either way, better to leave them in
- People you don’t know—don’t randomly BCC other people. That would be seen as rude, and you never want to be seen as rude unless it’s strategic rudeness, on purpose.
- Even among people you know, the BCC move could be interpreted as a power play among people you know. Why are you removing this person from the conversations and threads? He wants to be a part of it! I’ve seen this happen more than one time, and it could accentuate team tensions that may already exist (which of course you should separately be dealing with and trying to resolve with anyway.)
Additionally, the “move to BCC” goes against one of the other themes of these chapters: increased transparency and communication. There’s a fine line between transparency and communication and overwhelming others. So, you need to use your judgment. At first, your judgment will probably be bad, but over time and with experience, you’ll learn to balance that fine line.
