Does order of names in an email really matter?

Anonymous

March 6,2023 at 2:10PM UTC

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Does order of names in an email really matter? Please Note: My question may sound petty, however I ask that if you can't offer a non-judgmental response, I would prefer that you don't respond at all. I started a new job in a management position about six months ago and my position is remote. If I want to go into my office, I have to hop on a flight. After my manager, I am the senior most person on the team. There is another manager on my team who is a project manager and has been with the organization for several years, however she recently went part-time. I noticed that whenever my manager sends us an email my name is always last on the list. On some level, I feel silly posting my question, but up until my last job, I NEVER paid attention to the order of names in an email and any underlying meaning that it might have. At my last organization, whenever I addressed a group email, I would enter the recipient names in alphabetical order by last name, regardless of job position. The head of the department's last name was at the end of the alphabet, so her name would end up last in my emails. One of my former colleagues alluded to when addressing emails, the names should be entered based on the recipient's job title. As the case with most organizations, my last one was an extremely political place - actually it was the most political place I ever worked and some of the egos were out of control. I have to say that my former coworker advanced in the organization and I didn't, even though I was at the organization longer than him - while I worked my butt off, he played politics. In my new role, I have responsibilities that are new to me, so there has been a learning curve. While I presented my qualifications honestly in my resume and interview, I think my manager assumed that I would be able to pick up things alot faster than I have. Based upon remarks that she has made to me and how she interacts wih the PT manager on my team, I get the feeling that my manager sees the PT manager as more of a leader than me, however my performance review was good and I received a nice bonus. My manager's current OOO email has the PT manager's name listed first as one of the points of contact to reach in her absence. Yes, I know my colleague has more years in the organization than me, however I have worked other places, where when a new manager started with the organization, it was communicated to the department and organization that the new manager should be the primary contact for requests and issues from day one. I don't know if my manager's feelings towards me is being manifested in how she addresses emails to the team and her OOO, however I am concerned. I would appreciate advice/suggestions on how to turn this situation around. Thank you in advance.

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Shelly EdwardsMarch 6,2023 at 2:21PM UTC
I’ve thought about this before as well and for some it does matter. I think it depends on the culture of your organization. If it’s a hierarchy culture then I’d do it my title. If not, I’d do it by name order. I also usually enter names by who may respond quicker or whose response is most needed. Don’t forget to only cc those who are just being informed and a response is not really necessary. Sometimes email politics is so tough.
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 4:30PM UTC
Thank you!
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 2:42PM UTC
If you have just started, I would brush this off for now. I know you are were burned from a previous role, but not every company has the email politics. I don't think I'm ever consistent with how I address the emails... whoever is first on the mind at the time. However, I did work for a previous company that was into hierarchy. Which is why it's a previous employer ?. The project manager may have taken a more interim leadership role while they were finding you. And this may be just a transition type of thing until you are up to speed. Look at it with the best of intentions to provide you with support. If it keeps going on, then perhaps you should make a comment.
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 4:29PM UTC
Thank you!
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 3:06PM UTC
Your manager is probably using a contact list to send out emails to your team to save time.
Is the PT manager remote also?
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 4:29PM UTC
Thank you! The PT manager lives within driving distance to the office. Thanks again!
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 3:13PM UTC
I have never worked in a place where there was such a thing as email politics. I can say as I move upward in my organization that I tend to create groups in my contacts lists. Upper management in my organization even delegate the creation of those groups to IT or to administrative assistants. It’s a common efficiency to consider if you’re hung up on the idea that your manager is trying to make a point on every email she sends to your work group.
As for the ooo messages, it makes sense to me that the person who has been there longer is the first contact. Maybe your manager is making sure you are not overwhelmed by requests when she’s not there to support you.
You seem suspicious and considering your last experience, that seems natural. Now you just have to remember that your assumptions don’t automatically equal truth. Maybe you are right. Maybe you are wrong. But if you’re unwilling to discover which one it is, you’ll sabotage your own happiness, not theirs.
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 4:26PM UTC
Thank you!
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 3:33PM UTC
I have not read between the lines and made any assumptions based on the order of name placement in emails. I guess your political savvy far surpasses my own.
I would suggest that you follow your political gut on this. If you feel your name placement reveals your standing on the food chain, I would work hard to increase that standing. Make sure your manager is aware of your progress and work to be a stronger leader so you feel your position is more secure. You may be sensing some doubt on your managers part on your leadership (especially since she has made comments on learning curve).
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 4:25PM UTC
Thank you!
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 3:36PM UTC
I am an EA /Sr AA who has worked with executives and board members and no one has ever mentioned this. It could be a distribution list that is not updated to include you on it, They may just add you outside of the distribution list. Some companies have a lot of hoops to get a global distribution list updated (trust me on this). I send emails to many people, executives, board members and staff and I never pay attention to who is first or last and no one has ever mentioned where their name comes up in the email. I will say when I list them inside the email, i.e. attendees , I do pay attention to rank and position for that listing. For the OOO messages was it discussed that you would be their go-to during absences? It could also be that they have not changed their OOO message in some time and it may need to be updated. They may not realize that it is outdated.
Good Luck.
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 4:25PM UTC
Thank you - I appreciate it!
Becca A.March 6,2023 at 3:52PM UTC
I read the post twice for assurance and Ill answer the starting question first. In my experience, it did matter but the way it does felt...blurry so Ill give an example and rule of thumb that I go by.
Whenever I am reaching out via email to more than one person. If I am adding more than one person but am simply following up via email on an initial in-person interaction held by one of them but both parties are going to be active participants in the follow-ups to share their replies. As opposed to one of them just needing to be on there for visual awareness. Then I won't worry about the order I enter their email address in the "to" section but when it comes to how I address the body of the email. I will put the name of whoever was placed second in the "to" section to give their subconscious that feeling of " oh she's aware and inclusive of all parties who are present." Works like a charm for me.
However, if its an email where I am addressing more than two people then I will go by alphabetical order or determine if all participants are going to be active and who simply need to be there for awareness and place them in the cc line in alphabetical order by last name or however the email list configures it and go by that. While in the To section, I will go by ranking or who I know will be the ones that will be actively participating. I know to some this may seem "unnecessary" but the higher up in work experience and expansive your cross-team collaboration reach goes. It does tend to matter more and the attention to detail IS noted by the other parties involved. If not on a conscious then on a subconscious level. As I have been on the receiving end in my previous roles. In situations with colleagues reaching out to me and my team would ensure that they either switch up the order or stick to the email distribution list that corresponds with my team. That automatically has us all in alphabetical order to eliminate ANY potential feelings of " oh they're intentionally placing so and so last to show indirectly how little they value them." And as someone in management due to it being such a visibly present position where " all eyes are on you" at times. Doing what one can to ensure no one has an opportunity to say they have a favorite goes a long way because people do pick up on who a person always addresses first which can create feelings of favoritism which is unproductive and regressive when attempting to cultivate a healthy and inclusive work environment within a team.
If I were in your position, I would follow the email behavior of others, specifically those who are successful, and see how they address emails and follow along with it if their habits are healthy. I hope this helped and also please dont be so hard on your performance. You just started your role so give yourself grace and time to build the same base of trust with the reporting manager as the PT manager has. You have similar but different skills to bring to the table to cultivate more success within your role and company. Keep that in mind in your times of doubt!
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 4:25PM UTC
Thank you very much!
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 4:40PM UTC
So, I don't think anyone here will be able to tell you with 100% certainty the intentions of the email sender but I was in a similar situation two jobs back.
I was the last person hired on the team for a long while and so my name was always last on the distribution lists, even though both my first and last name should put me higher if you go in alphabetical order. I was also the only woman on my team.
Then, when they hired another person in a parallel role, his email showed up on top, while my name was still last. This bugged me.
Finally, I said during my 1:1 that I was concerned that my name was always listed last when the new hire went first immediately. At the time, I was worried because people seemed to think the new hire was my boss, even though it was a parallel role and he liked to play that part.
Turns out, the guy who was hired (which turned out to be a real jerk and played politics) had actually said something to my boss who had manually changed the distribution list to put him first (Shady, right?).
So, yes, politics can be going on but I would not assume at all that it has anything to do with your performance or you.
When I found out what was going on, I ended up getting mad but really, I had zero resolution. I am also not sure it made me feel better other than make me realize that some people are shady and I ended up feeling petty for asking.
So, I am fully acknowledging that your spidey-sense may be feeling something shady going on and it could be a political thing.
But before you worry too much about it, ask yourself what you will do with the answer. If you don't need the answer, try to put it out of your mind.
I wish I had!
AnonymousMarch 6,2023 at 6:15PM UTC
I usually order by level, the "highest" person first. However there have been times when I placed the lowest person first because it makes sense. For example if that is the person who is actually going to do the whatever that needs to get done, or for acknowledgement.
I could be over thinking but ...
AprilMarch 6,2023 at 6:54PM UTC
Hello
there are a lot of items to unpack in your question I’ll address the initial question regarding order of emails. you can check alphabetical order to see if it matters and to see if that’s why your name seems to fall last I don’t think the the order in the sent section matters as much as whether you are sent the email or copied on the email. This appears to be a very important issue for you that could be resolved with a conversation with your manager-a quick and direct inquiry: -“ I noticed that my name is last on most emails. I want to make sure that I am top of mind in communications. I want to assure you that I am an engaged member of your team . It’s important that we are on the same page. Am I overthinking my observation?
AnonymousMarch 7,2023 at 1:18PM UTC
I can assure you that if she mentions to her manager that she's "noticed" her name is always listed last in emails she will come across as extremely petty and immature.
Anne R.March 6,2023 at 11:35PM UTC
As a leader, I always created distribution lists with everyone's name on my team.
This puts everyone's name in ABC order so no one has these thoughts. When I send emails to my boss and their bosses... my direct boss is listed first and then every other leader is in ABC order. This works for me and keeps things simple. As leaders we go so fast and if distribution lists are not created and you have to type out several names it is easy to miss a name unintentionally. It happens to the best of us.
CourtneyMarch 7,2023 at 2:34AM UTC
This is actually great question.
What I do and personally have witnesses is order of level job title, but if it’s something for one one of my coworkers that others should also take part in, I’ll CC the others including our boss.
Christina M. WardMarch 7,2023 at 1:43PM UTC
Just reading this makes me cringe. I'm so happy I work from home lol. There are several things to address in this post 1st, the emails. I don't know that there's a set standard for what order you should put the email recipients in but it is a good opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the natural order of things. I would certainly put the most important people at the top of the list and the rest are less important as far as the ordering goes. You certainly do not want to run the risk of insulting a higher up. Regarding the rest of the question it seems like you need to do a bit of restructuring on how you are regarding yourself and your own talents and abilities. It sounds like a pretty dog-eat-dog office environment and that may be affecting your work performance. You're also overly concerned with what others think of you and it is beginning to make you doubt your own self. Place your focus on your job Performance, on learning more about how to do your own job better and be more Efficient, and on your own skills at what you bring to the table. Look for opportunities to show your value. And try very very hard not to get wrapped up in what others think of you. Hang in there and I hope things get better for you.
Mary PoolMarch 7,2023 at 1:53PM UTC
Our company does alphabetical order; it stops any potential problems. As president and CEO, my name is usually near the bottom of the list.
AnonymousMarch 7,2023 at 2:23PM UTC
Whenever I had a distribution list, such as "Department xxx staff," the list was alphabetical. It could be if you are the most recently hired or joined the team that your name got added at the end of the list. When distribution lists are used, the system arranges the order, not the author.
For other emails to multiple individuals, I generally put it in the order that indicates the person with the most impact (not importance) that the email has. For example, if I have a question about a report authored about a project, I would address it to the author first and then any others that might have input. I would generally then cc: the team leader.
If it is a mixture of titles (managers, supervisors, and ICs), I would generally follow the previous protocol and cc: the managers and supervisors unless they were who the email was directly addressing.
I highly suspect that what you are witnessing is that the people are using a distribution list. Your name is at the bottom of the list for one of the many reasons others have stated, and it is no reflection on you or your role in the company.
Kimberley Ferretti HammettMarch 7,2023 at 3:02PM UTC
I would be careful to run down the road of frustration over an underlying meaning that you cannot confirm so it is good that you are pausing and asking questions.
Yes, there are cases where the order is thought out and you are purposefully being left last for whatever reason. Less deviously, but also hurtful, you are simply the last person they remember to add. Maybe it's because you're new or in their eyes they feel less connected to you or have less memorable interactions.
Another completely innocent option is that simply they created a distribution list before you got there and you were the most recent added to it so the system put you last.
If you don't know them well enough to know what their personality or career upbringing influences how they would approach this, try to step away from reading into this altogether and instead, focus on the other behaviors you are seeing. As far as the work goes, the auto-away message you mentioned can objectively be discussed as it directly relates to work output and not simply politics or feelings.
I would suggest have an informal conversation simply telling the leader you noticed that on their auto-away and, although you've only been there 6 months, you feel capable of responding as the 2nd in command as your title would suggest and you'd like to know if there's anywhere you can improve to ensure they have that same confidence in you. See what they say from there and then you can make more informed inferences. It's normal to wonder about these things as most of us know from experience there are plenty of people who will intentionally make these subtle slights against us, however, we also have to remember that those usually come with other obvious clues of a relationship issue and that is not how everyone operates so we risk adding unnecessary tension to a relationship if we place that assumption on them.
I hope it all turns out well for you! Ultimately, this is why I use BCC when messaging a large group of leaders. My brain has no intention behind the order I use.. only associative order (my boss>the guy he had a fight with last week>that persons direct report>the supervisor they are friends with...) Lol! So people would always be confused.
KMarch 8,2023 at 11:20AM UTC
This doesn't sounds o much like it's about email name order (which doesn't matter - don't bother listening to your coworker on this) as it is about you not feeling like you're being treated as much of a leader as the PT manager.
At this point it's worth having a discussion with your manager to mention you've noticed the deference to the PT manager and that you are concerned that you're not grasping the role as well as you should. Ask for feedback and focus areas and begin to work on those. It may take some significant effort but I'm sure you can do it.
AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 1:36PM UTC
sometimes, they have a distribution list created, then you come along and are added to it at the bottom. So when the email goes out you are listed last when your boss grabs the email. I personally would not read anything wrong into. I would be worried if that was an expectation to list on the email the highest ranking first followed by the next highest ranking person. Then I would know it was a very ego centric place of employment and know I would need to start looking for another job.
AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 3:01PM UTC
Always put your manager first followed by the next most important person in the team. Alphabetical order shouldn’t be used here.
if your name shows up last, your manager probably just added it last to an existing email address list. Disregard that for your sanity.
Coach Nancie Kay ShumanMarch 8,2023 at 3:24PM UTC
Find out what the standard in the company is. At the University I recently worked at, the standard was to group the members of the different departments together, structured as head of the department, their direct report, the coordinator and the assistant if there was one. The Dean and their Direct reports (Assist and Assoc deans, and EA,) were always first.
In another organization, alpha might be fine.
AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 3:29PM UTC
I am in the habit of listing the most important people last, sort of as a final check that they are included. It also makes it easier to double-check if I included all the correct people who needed to be copied on the email.
I would not worry about the order of people on an email unless someone says something. Go forward with no malice in your heart and a smile on your face. If someone gets their feelings hurt, just apologize and move forward. You sound like a great person. Good luck in all you do.
Rebecca A BrittMarch 8,2023 at 4:04PM UTC
I have never once considered the politics around the name order of an email. I put the person(s) who is closest to the action items first. If others who are leaders/managers/etc need to be included, they go on the cc line.
This feels more like a conversation as to why the other person is listed first as your manager's go-to, rather than you.
I try to not attribute malice what is better explained by ignorance--and in this case, maybe just a case of, maybe she had that person's name there before you joined and when you joined, they added your name.
I have a pre-made OOO note that I use where only the dates that I'm out change.
If you have regular 1:1's with your manager you could bring it up the next time they are going to be OOO, "Oh, I see you're listing X as your go-to while you're out. I just want to let you know that I am comfortable addressing things in your absence. Is there a reason you selected them as your primary contact?"
AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 5:42PM UTC
I would not stress email name order. That’s probably over thinking it a little unnecessarily. I’d also consider this separately from the other issues like OOO (that might be more of an imposter syndrome thing and I don’t say this out of judgement, I say that after many therapy sessions of me explaining similar things to my therapist). For the email it could be as simple as there being a pre-populated list. I have this for my team and I didn’t add anyone in any particular order. That means I type a few letters and my whole team pops up in the order I originally made the list, and as the team has grown I’ve added more people and the newest people are the end of it. It sounds like there may be other issues and I highly recommend addressing them with your boss asap to #1 validate if they’re even true or if this is a story you’re telling yourself because you don’t feel like you’re where you want to be (and then you can move on) or if it has nothing at all to do with you (so many things we obsess about have nothing at all personal to do with us). If there isn’t an issue you can work on trying to get out of your head and be kinder to yourself and if you’re right and there’s a problem, you can work on fixing it so you’re performing better and feeling like you’re in a healthier environment. Good luck!
AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 6:30PM UTC
Without reading others responses. IMO the only reason order matters is that who needs to answer it, even if it's more than 1 should be in the To: section, others who need 'to know' in the cc: section. In the To: section is ideally the one you want the answer from but recognize others may be able to help out. Now, for me, I do it an order to make sure I don't miss a partner in the business. Do I care if I'm on a CC: part and someone hired before me is listed before me, hard no. I think it would be too draining to care. Now, if I have the same job as someone else, I think it's logical to have the seasoned coworker at the company to come first, if you care. This isn't personal. It would be personal if you were left off altogether. I think in time you may see a shift in order, if you really watch as your availability is more than them since they're more.
AnonymousMarch 8,2023 at 9:26PM UTC
If your manager uses a distribution list (most people do) - the names show in order of being added on the list. You were hired last, your name was added to the distribution list - hence, it appears last.
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 1:41PM UTC
You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the meaning of something procedural. I think you should just ask your manager for guidance on how to order names on e-mails. You can mention, in the past, you did it alphabetically, but it seems the current company has a different procedure. Ask for guidance. Have a conversation. It will help get you out of your head and back into the workplace.
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 2:03PM UTC
I can honestly say I probably never enter people in the same order twice. Everyone is added in the order I think of them. It has nothing to do with seniority and everything to do with "ok, this person is likely to have the answer. This person should be involved in this conversation. These people will need to know the answer as well."
Theresa OliveriMarch 9,2023 at 2:13PM UTC
I enter people into distribution lists as they come - there is no other thought put into it - great social inquiry.
As for concern about being second in command, if you feel you are ready, that is a conversation you can have with your direct report.
Best of luck in your new position!
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 2:16PM UTC
This is too much. If how I address my emails matters this much I have no idea how I advanced this far in my career.
Jocelyn LyonsMarch 9,2023 at 2:24PM UTC
I have never heard that the order of emails matters - so perhaps your previous experience was limited to that company or specific person for whom it mattered?
MichelleMarch 9,2023 at 2:31PM UTC
This is just like an Emily Post good manners thing. When you’re doing introductions you always introduce highest title to least senior title. In healthcare it would be c suite followed by providers then directors etc.
I do the same (sometimes) with emails. Alphabetical seems just as organized. Sometimes it’s just a ego thing.
Jennifer FarleyMarch 9,2023 at 2:34PM UTC
YES it does, absolutely. Rank order, then age. You should also always endeavor to be in the meeting point of any place 15 minutes' before the most senior person's state time of arrival. You do not have to be too precise or overthink it too profoundly because it's not like a Windsor family receiving line. But I truly know this. Military officer dad, three generations Ivy league paternal side, self-made future CEO with Five Points experience during WWII (founding OSS) maternal. Diversified comms specialist with background in events planning. I also have lived in England, Italy and Asia several times for over two months. Once you think this way, it will be just as easy to do it correctly as it would be to "just make a list" because actually the order you remember is what they call in intel a "tell."
AssistantMarch 9,2023 at 2:38PM UTC
My opinion is different than the others—I DO put the most important people first and then go down the line. I always thought it was just my perfectionist tendencies, but yes, I list them in order of title. I’ve never been directed to do so, but somewhere along the years, I started to do so.
Harley RaptorMarch 9,2023 at 2:46PM UTC
I don't pay any attention to the email list. I don't care who is listed before or after me. I don't think I've ever actually paid attention to this... Honestly, it sounds a little silly of a thing to get up in arms about. I add people to the list as I think of them. I've never seen anyone be offended by this but it might be a culture thing at the specific company you work for. I feel like it would add stress to an already stressful aspect of office life if I had to put people in by rank vs when I think of them. :/
I think what's more important is who goes in the "to" line and who goes into the "cc" line. And that everyone who needs to know the info is included! I get upset when people forget me when I'm the one needing the info (esp when I'm the one requesting it!). But that's a different situation.
Liz MilneMarch 9,2023 at 2:49PM UTC
From what you say, I think she's just added your name to the end of her list of contacts, so the fact your name is last doesn't mean she's thinks the least of you. This wouldn't bother me at all, as long as I was getting all the messages I should.
However, the OOO message is more problematic: if you should be the first point of contact she needs to edit the message to reflect that. Again, it may just be that she's added you at the end, but it is more of a problem if people will be contacting the PT rather than you, which could mean that you are looped into issues much later than you should be - perhaps even too late to sort out some issues.
I would just mention it casually: 'Oh, hey, [Manager], I've noticed the OOO message lists [PT] before me and this might result in people trying them before reaching out to me, causing delays and poor customer service [or whatever issues a delay will cause]. Could I ask you to pop my name ahead of theirs so they can be called in should both you and I be unavailable?' See what happens from there?
Lorna Rose, J.D., M.S.March 9,2023 at 4:02PM UTC
Respectfully, this sounds so passive-aggressive and professionally immature. For example, OP didn't 'notice' anything, it's right there in the OOO message and she can read (never mind the fact that it's completely acceptable to intentionally read an email vs. casually noticing what it says).
In the good lord's year of 2023, we are way past due for professional women to stop dumbing ourselves down when we need to raise concerns or ask questions. Keep it simple, honest, and ask for exactly what you need without all the extra social choreography: "Good morning [Manager], I received your OOO message and saw that [PT] is listed as the first point of contact. Could you please confirm the division of responsibilities between [PT] and myself in your absence? Thank you."
Liz MilneMarch 9,2023 at 10:27PM UTC
I see as being polite rather than passive aggressive or immature.
It's quite possible it's just an oversight on the manager's part and having it called out directly as being something she's done deliberately might embarrass or anger her. Also OP states quite clearly in her post that she is second in seniority to the manager, so already knows she should be the first port of call in the manager's absence: 'After my manager, I am the most senior person on the team.'
I absolutely agree that women (professional or otherwise) should never have to dumb themselves down - but it still costs nothing to be polite...
Courtney CainMarch 9,2023 at 2:56PM UTC
When I worked with high ranking government officials, emails were sent by seniority so when you said your organization was political, it made sense. Some people take that very seriously. Have an honest conversation with your manager, express your concerns and take all the feedback
Kathy LeskiMarch 9,2023 at 3:21PM UTC
It likely means nothing. There's so many ways the list could have been created. I'm replying and adding people I know should have the info in the email and so they go last on the list because others are already there.
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 4:40PM UTC
This sounds like a conversation needed with your leader. I’d never had read into this but since you have - let them know it’s affecting you. They may change and they may not but at least you’ll know you said something and can let it go and move forward from it.
I never had a rhyme to which names I placed first in a group email with my employees - some days it was as I remembered them, some as I remembered their seat order in the office when it was set up as a in office environment. I never intentionally put higher ranking people before others - everyone is a person and in my eyes gets treated the same from me. Many times my execs were the last people I added or I just put them in the CC line anyway
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 5:01PM UTC
That is a very good question. It has come up in conversation before and personally I don’t look at where in the email thread I am listed in but have heard from other persons mention those type of things.
I think it’s just a personality thing, some people read too much into it and nit pick at every little detail and try to figure out why this and that.
Personally what I do is list everyone alphabetically by first name. Regardless of title. I don’t have enough time to spend on figuring out who is more important or senior in the company. If it’s something that is super important to you and you don’t want to alphabetize by first or last name then speak with your manager or mentor about best practices.
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 5:08PM UTC
It really shouldn't matter, but my work culture is huge on emailing groups/teams instead of individuals, so I don't have any experience with this problem. But I create my own group contacts for those random assortments of people I need for this or that workload so I don't forget someone, and Outlook converts those group names back into individual names when the email is sent. So whatever order they show up in isn't really my fault - maybe that's a possibility here?
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 5:21PM UTC
Not sure if this has been stated, but it could be that the OOO has the PT manager listed first because in a crisis they will be the fastest at handling the issue. I say in a crisis because typically the main reason a different contact person is put in an OOO is for emergencies that absolutely cannot wait for when the person gets back.
I would talk to your boss about it. To be honest, you've only been at the company for 6 months and you said yourself that you aren't picking things up as fast as you expected. This could be a very innocent thing of your boss not wanting to overwhelm you when she is traveling, or it could be malicious, or she might have a signature already setup that she had to adjust on the fly and it was easiest to add you to the end, you won't know until you ask her.
A few people have given advice about how to address it with her. The thing I would add to that advice is you might need to flat out tell her that you think you are ready for the responsibility of being the main emergency contact when she is OOO. A lot of times managers expect you to take the initiative and ask for help or ask for new responsibilities (even if the responsibilities are meant to be yours).
Good luck! :)
Shellie StrainMarch 9,2023 at 6:40PM UTC
Super petty....Not something to worry about and if this is what you are spending your time on maybe this is the reason your boss speaks to the PT manager. Stop worrying about who's name is 1st on an email & work on picking up the things you are struggling with. Petty things like this are what creates office politics.
Heather CutlerMarch 9,2023 at 8:18PM UTC
Tread lightly if you're going to approach your manger about this, especially if you think they're concerned about how quickly you're picking up the new job responsibilities. I fear this discussion will end in: stop focusing on email order and concentrate on mastering your role.
Jennifer NataleMarch 9,2023 at 9:45PM UTC
Sometimes when we work remotely we don’t get to build relationships with our team members and colleagues. I would focus more of your time on building those relationships, rather than order of emails.
To be honest I never think about the order of emails, I just think about the people I need the email to go to and definitely in no particular order. I hope this helps.
VIDYALAKSHMI GMarch 10,2023 at 5:02AM UTC
This is what I felt, Speak up in meeting and show the team you could help, you will come out of this remote work thing and order of email doesn't count.
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 10:29PM UTC
This is a very valid point and I’ll be honest - it’s likely the manager is being petty putting your name last on the list.
i have experienced this with a coworker who I believe isn’t that fond of me (long story and multiple situations make me believe this) so I just err on the side of caution and list names alphabetically so nothing can be made of it. Another good way to order names is by job title.
because this isn’t being done, I do believe that this says more about the manager than it does you. If you feel comfortable, ask the question. If not, at least you know where you stand.
Bernadette DiRenzoMarch 10,2023 at 12:14AM UTC
She may have a "distribution" email list preset and simply added yor name to it when you started, which would naturally put you at the end.
AnonymousMarch 10,2023 at 1:08AM UTC
If a group email is set then the last person in there is last on the list. She probably has it set that way or the company did when they set up that distribution list. If you have concerns about her OoO and leaving work to someone who in the company is more tenured than you perhaps ask directly about that in your next 1-1. Do so in an inquisitive way vs confrontational as you definitely don't want to cause alarm. If there are reasons for it then you will have details and can make a decision as to whether its a problem or just a bit of cluelessness on her part.