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Here is an issue that has been annoying me from time to time. I’d love to know your opinions on how to solve this.
Example. Your manager sends an email to you about making a code change. He Cc’s the customers too. Customers eagerly reply - by default using "Reply All", and probably Cc'ing their managers. Now their managers jump in and fire off their valuable $.02s. In an hour or two, your mailbox is full of dreams, wish lists and what nots. 90% of the time, you’ll spend 3 times as much on reading and replying to these mails - you don’t want to offend anyone, right? - than on actually making the code change. Ok, you made the change, got it tested and ready. Then you forward the installation instructions to sysadmin who responds with his/her schedule (and for most NT admins, this is accompanied by a list of "issues" and "mysterious problems" and reboot schedules). If you are unlucky, one person in this chain had prior experience with system administration. Now everyone gets his/her valuable comments on how to try to solve admin issues, which thankfully your sysadmin considers to be a violation of his turf. Story goes on!
What do you do? Post your comments please!
As a former project manager in software development, I empathize. I also think there are ways to handle this, short of petitioning to change company policy on who can send an email.
1) If there's a project/product manager or other sort of go-between, USE THEM. Let them figure out who's who in this mess and how to handle the politics so you can spend your time on the keyboard. Don't have one? Lobby your boss--never worked with a developer who didn't think I was worth my weight in gold, if only to keep them out of meetings.
2) Deal only with peers--find out what the other people who received the emails, at your level in the org chart though probably in other departments, are making of this. Find out whether they think their own boss is making an issue of the whole broohaha. Get the various spins on it from the folks in the trenches.
3) Ratchet it down a notch or two. If they're using email to get in a frenzy, pick up the phone or show up in person. Call a meeting of only the essential folks (see #2). Pop your head in someone's office & get guidance or clarification quickly and succinctly.
4) Talk to your boss to find out what she wants. After all, she's the one who decides if you keep your job next go-round. You always want to make your boss look good--that's basic employeemanship ;) While you're there, mention the onslaught of email, the shifting priorities, and the expenditure of time (don't say waste, make it an expense--bosses understand $) for you to read the whole history. Ask if she can pull you in when necessary and help run interference in the meanwhile, and if not, suggest a go-between (proj. mgr.)
5) Keep the customer loop separate from the inner loop, even if the customer is another dept of your own company. Remember, it's like show business. The customer doesn't want to see what goes on behind the curtain (even if they claim they do--it will only make them lose faith or try to control everything). Suggest to your boss that the "gang" be advised that emails with the customer involved be sent from only one or two individuals, and only when the "gang" directs it.
6) While your speaking to your peers, encourage them to not play the "escalation game" of roping in their bosses UNLESS they either have mentioned to the others involved that their boss has requested it, or that they will do it this once only for practical reasons, or whatever. Otherwise everyone thinks they're tattling & their own bosses will be coming down on them... so they start roping in their OWN bosses, ad nauseum. Bosses have far more to worry about than minor emails, no matter how major they are in your world... they'd also greatly appreciate a summary, maybe even face-to-face. But if someone seems to playing Escalation, go see them (or at least talk by phone, not email or IM) and find out what their intention was before you get defensive.
The important thing overall is PROCESS. Establish "rules" (call them "guidelines" if that goes down easier) for any time a project like this comes up, and don't be shy about pointing to the rules midway to call a foul (nicely), but be sure to suggest a better step so you don't get labeled a contrarian.
I am writing a book on this type of stuff, so I look forward to reading other replies.