Memo Writing

Audience and Purpose

Memos have a twofold purpose: they bring attention to problems and they solve problems. They accomplish their goals by informing the reader about new information like policy changes, price increases, or by persuading the reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, or change a current production procedure. Regardless of the specific goal, memos are most effective when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader.

Choose the audience of the memo wisely. Ensure that all of the people that the memo is addressed to need to read the memo. If it is an issue involving only one person, do not send the memo to the entire office. Also, be certain that material is not too sensitive to put in a memo; sometimes the best forms of communication are face-to-face interaction or a phone call. Memos are most effectively used when sent to a small to moderate amount of people to communicate company or job objectives.

Parts of a Memo

Standard memos are divided into segments to organize the information and to help achieve the writer's purpose.

Heading Segment

The heading segment follows this general format:

TO: (readers' names and job titles)

FROM: (your name and job title)

DATE: (complete and current date)

SUBJECT: (what the memo is about, highlighted in some way)

Make sure you address the reader by his or her correct name and job title. You might call the company president "Maxi" on the golf course or in an informal note, but "Rita Maxwell, President" would be more appropriate for a formal memo. Be specific and concise in your subject line. For example, "Clothes" as a subject line could mean anything from a dress code update to a production issue. Instead use something like, "Fall Clothes Line Promotion."

Opening Segment

The purpose of a memo is usually found in the opening paragraph and includes: the purpose of the memo, the context and problem, and the specific assignment or task. Before indulging the reader with details and the context, give the reader a brief overview of what the memo will be about. Choosing how specific your introduction will be depends on your memo plan style. The more direct the memo plan, the more explicit the introduction should be. Including the purpose

of the memo will help clarify the reason the audience should read this document. The introduction should be brief, and should be approximately the length of a short paragraph.

Context

The context is the event, circumstance, or background of the problem you are solving. You may use a paragraph or a few sentences to establish the background and state the problem. Oftentimes it is sufficient to use the opening of a sentence to completely explain the context, such as,

"Through market research and analysis..."

Include only what your reader needs, but be sure it is clear.

Task Segment

One essential portion of a memo is the task statement where you should describe what you are doing to help solve the problem. If the action was requested, your task may be indicated by a sentence opening like,

"You asked that I look at...."

If you want to explain your intentions, you might say,

"To determine the best method of promoting the new fall line, I will...."

Include only as much information as is needed by the decision-makers in the context, but be convincing that a real problem exists. Do no ramble on with insignificant details. If you are having trouble putting the task into words, consider whether you have clarified the situation. You may need to do more planning before you're ready to write your memo. Make sure your purpose-statement forecast divides your subject into the most important topics that the decision-maker needs.

Summary Segment

If your memo is longer than a page, you may want to include a separate summary segment. However, this section not necessary for short memos and should not take up a significant amount of space. This segment provides a brief statement of the key recommendations you have reached. These will help your reader understand the key points of the memo immediately. This segment may also include references to methods and sources you have used in your research.

Discussion Segments

The discussion segments are the longest portions of the memo, and are the parts in which you include all the details that support your ideas. Begin with the information that is most important.

This may mean that you will start with key findings or recommendations. Start with your most general information and move to your specific or supporting facts. (Be sure to use the same format when including details: strongest to weakest.) The discussion segments include the supporting ideas, facts, and research that back up your argument in the memo. Include strong points and evidence to persuade the reader to follow your recommended actions. If this section is inadequate, the memo will not be as effective as it could be.

Closing Segment

After the reader has absorbed all of your information, you want to close with a courteous ending that states what action you want your reader to take. Make sure you consider how the reader will benefit from the desired actions and how you can make those actions easier. For example, you might say,

"I will be glad to discuss this recommendation with you during our Tuesday trip to the spa and

follow through on any decisions you make."

Necessary Attachments

Make sure you document your findings or provide detailed information whenever necessary. You can do this by attaching lists, graphs, tables, etc. at the end of your memo. Be sure to refer to your attachments in your memo and add a notation about what is attached below your closing, like this:

Attached: Focus Group Results, January- May 2007

Types of MemoDirective Memo

A directive memo states a policy or procedure you want the reader or co-worker to follow. The length of the memo depends on how much space is required to properly explain the procedure.

The body of the memo should begin with a clear, concise sentence that states the purpose of the memo. For example:

"The purpose of this memo is to let all members of the ABC department know that doughnuts will be provided every Friday morning at 8 a.m."

You then provide statements that explain the rationale for such a decision or procedure.

Example Directive Memo

MEMORANDUM

TO: Design Team #362

FROM: W.B. Working

DATE: May 27, 1997

SUBJECT: Project Schedule

As a result of yesterday's meeting, I suggest we follow the project schedule listed below. Remember, we must submit a Proposal by noon on July 2.

Schedule

Task Completion Date

Divide research into groupsand compile information

June 6

Review designs from Kate and Bill. June11

Write Proposal June 23

Review Proposal June 26

Submit Proposal for printing June 27

Response Memo

The purpose of this memo is to provide the audience with desired information. It usually has four parts:

purpose statement summary discussion action

Begin this memo with a short paragraph stating the purpose, which is always to respond to a request for information. Next, summarize the information requested.

Third, in a discussion section, point out to the reader any important information that you feel should be highlighted or stressed.

Finally, in the action section, state any additional action you are going to take or feel should be taken to properly address the original request for information.

Example Response Memo

MEMORANDUM

TO: Design Team #362

FROM: W.B. Working

DATE: May 27, 1997

SUBJECT: Project Schedule

Purpose:This memo responds to your request that the weekly meeting be moved from 9am to 10am.

Summary: This request is satisfactory as long as it is approved by management.

Discussion:Management usually has no problem with the individual time changes in meetings, as long as meeting minutes are turned in by noon to Cathy.

Action:I have asked Cathy if she thinks this would be a problem and she said no, so all we need to do now is get approval from Steve.

Trip Report Memo

A trip report memo is usually sent to a supervisor after an employee returns from a business venture. The structure is listed below:

purpose statement summary discussion action

Begin this memo with a short paragraph stating the purpose, which is always to provide information on your trip.

Next, summarize the trip. Remember, the reader is usually not interested in a detailed minute by minute account of what happened. Instead, take the time to write a clear and concise outline of your trip.

Third, in a discussion section, point out to the reader any important information that you feel should be highlighted or stressed.

Finally, in the action section, state any additional relevant information you have come across since returning from the trip or any recommendations you might have for the reader.

Example Trip Report Memo

MEMORANDUM

TO: Design Team #362

FROM: W.B. Working

DATE: June 27, 1997

SUBJECT: Weekly Meeting

Purpose: This memo presents my impressions of the meeting last week.

Summary: In general, I felt that the meeting went well and much progress was made.

Discussion:

Barb and Jeff were able to make progress on the graphics and should have them finished next week.

Kyle and Sandy are on Chapter 2 of the user manual.

Recommendation:Kyle will meet with Jeff to see how they want the graphics integrated into the text.

Field Report Memo

Memos are often used to report on inspection and procedures. These memos, known as field or lab reports, include the problem, methods, results, and conclusions, but spend less time on the methods section.

A field or lab report memo has the following structure:

purpose of memo summary problem leading to the decision to perform the procedure methods results conclusions recommendations

Example Field/Lab Reports Memo

MEMORANDUM

TO: Dean of Journalism

FROM: Steve Nash

DATE: June 27, 1999

SUBJECT: Computer Lab

Purpose:This memo presents the findings of my visit to the computer lab at Clark C252.

Summary: In general, I felt that the lab needs much new equipment and renovation.

Problem:

The inspection was designed to determine if the present equipment was adequate to provide graduate students with the technology needed to perform the tasks expected of them by their professors and thesis research.

Methods:I ran a series of tasks on SPSS and WordPerfect and recorded memory capacity and processing time for each task.

Results:The inspection found that the hardware used to run the computers is outdated and that the computers itself are very slow.

Conclusions:This lab is inadequate for the everyday needs of graduate students in this department.

Recommendations:Four new computers running on Windows98 and a processing speed of at least 233mhz should be purchased immediately.