A memo is a common form of communication in the workplace. It provides an easy way to convey information or ideas to your coworkers or employees in a quick and informative way. Some easy tips can make your memo-writing skills effective and easy to implement.
Types of Memos
Information Memo
used to deliver or request information or assistance
first paragraph provides main idea
second paragraph expands on the detail
Internal Memo Proposal
used to convey suggestions to senior management
first paragraph states reason for writing
second paragraph outlines present situation and states writer’s proposal
Memos are a good way of communicating with your staff, especially those that do not have access to email. It is easy to forget that not all jobs have a PC or laptop sitting on a desk: many labour intensive jobs may never use a computer.
Identify whether you need it. Sometimes, writing a memo is inappropriate. Think about the information you need to communicate with others, and decide if a memo is the proper tool.
Identify if you have enough well defined information for the memo. If you don’t have enough information to share in a memo, then perhaps you need to find another way to communicate your information.
Know your audience and talk to it in the singular. Take one guy who typifies your audience, think about him, write your memo as if you were talking to him alone. Don’t be afraid to say “I”. I’m not afraid, why should you be? Effective communication means one-on-one. Make it you talking to him. No more.
Write the way you talk. If you talk in words of more than one syllable, go right ahead and write that way. If you don’t, why write differently than you talk? Who are you trying to impress? Your mother loves you. I love you. Your buddies adore you. Why burden us with polysyllabic verbage?
Purpose of a Memo
Usually you write memos to inform readers of specific information. You might also write a memo to persuade others to take action, give feedback on an issue, or react to a situation. However, most memos communicate basic information, such as meeting times or due dates. While memos are a convenient channel to communicate, it is always necessary to determine if a meeting is more appropriate. For example, pretend your team needs to make a very important financial decision. A memo can ask for that information from team members and request a response by a specific date. By meeting with everyone, however, you not only get to hear final decisions but the rationale behind them. In fact, new ideas may stem from face-to-face discussions. By writing a memo in this scenario, you may never invent alternative ways of solving the problem. Before writing a memo, outline what what your purpose is for doing so, and decide if the memo is the best communication channel.
You can insert specific names into the “TO” section, or address a group (i.e. Field Managers). In the “FROM” section, include your name and title. “RE” should include a topic on what the memo is about (i.e. New Marketing Program, Six Sigma Training Schedule, etc). The “DATE” is pretty straightforward.
Generally, you should stick to a few paragraphs and not go over one page. The point of the memo is to convey information. Because your employees may know about the memo’s news already, there may not be a need to go into detail. For example, if you’re announcing the new training sessions, you may not need to cover the workshop topics; you can probably get away with announcing the date of the event, time and place. Your employees will get the information they need at the sessions.
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