Rogers - Write of Way | Taking Care of Business |

| Memos |

Has it happened to you? You're having an argument with someone you love, and you've just been told, "I didn't know you felt that way. I would have done it differently if I had know that." You've just been a victim of miscommunication.

Effective communication within organizations—volunteer, public and private—is essential to optimal functioning. If you can write informative—and brief—memos, you have an edge. This section shows how to get that edge.

You will usually have no difficulty coming up with the content of a good memo: You won't want to write one until you feel some strong need to get something done. If people are not using the form you created to order Girl Guide cookies, it's taking you longer to process their orders. You'll want to remind your volunteers of the form and the correct procedure. Writing a memo may get the job done.

Creating the Content of Memos

What's the main recommendation for good content of memos? Be brief. Your co-workers are probably working nearly as hard as you are. They don't have the time to read long, windy memos.

You may find it helpful to sit and think about the main point you want to make. Some people jot a few notes. Ask yourself: What is my reason for writing this? What do I need to say so my reader understands me? Once you've got a clear idea of the message you want to send, express it in the fewest words, and think about how to organize it for maximal effect.

Organizing Your Memo

If you glance at the figure showing a memo (figure 1), it will be easier to understand these ideas about how to organize a memo. To make it easy for your reader to quickly decide if the memo is important, or even whether to read it, organize it to immediately tell the reader

to whom the memo is directed,
who sent it,
when it was sent, and
what it is about.

Figure 1: Example of a Memo

Look at figure 1 to see the four typical entries in the heading of a memo: the To, From, Date and Subject lines. There is no one standard for the organization of a memo, but this order is common. You want to quickly tell your audience the most important information in the memo. You start to do this even in the heading to the memo: In the subject line, summarize your main point.

Memos typically consist of several very brief paragraphs, moving from a general statement of the main point to the details necessary to act. Often a paragraph is a single sentence. The paragraphs are arranged from the most important to the least important. Write memos just long enough to tell your readers the relevant information. Memos should be brief. Don't deal with more than one topic in one memo. If you start to feel that there's a lot more to say, you probably need to write a report.

If you want to send copies of the memo to others, you can follow the same copy-notation conventions that are discussed for business letters.

Writing Memos with Effective Appearance

Even the appearance of the memo is designed to speed the reader along. Readers find the information quickly and easily when writers use block style, aligning all entries on the left margin. Use the tab or indent feature of your word processor to align all the particular details (i.e., the name of the recipient, sender, date and the text of the subject line) just to the right of the longest line, the subject line. You should also bold and underline to draw attention to the subject line. Make the most important information really stand out.

Activity 1: Analyzing a Memo

Read the two memos (figures 1 and 2). Form a group of four, discuss the questions, and record the group's answer to each question. Be prepared to discuss your answers.

Which memo fails to show good unity? Quote the material that is off topic.
Which memo heading is organized better? Why is it better?
Which memo body is better organized? What is better about it?
The writer of one of the memos forgot an important point about the appearance of memos. How should the appearance of the memo be improved so readers more quickly get the point?

Figure 2: Another Example of a Memo

Activity 2: Practice Writing a Memo

All the students in the Early Childhood Education program are exited—and nervous—about beginning their field placements in nursery schools and day care centres. Coordinator Mrs. A. Save has chosen to use a memo to inform students about the placements. They will all start on Monday, September 28. Students can look at the bulletin board at the Dr. Stott Early Education Centre to find the location of the placements, and it's their job to contact the supervisor and arrange to visit the setting before beginning placement. There is one other requirement: All students must attend a workshop on September 23 in S210 at 16:30 to make identification buttons and display the materials kit that they will take to the placement.

Write that memo for Mrs. Save. Show good content, organization, and appearance. Tell the students the information about their placements. Ease the students' understandable apprehension by welcoming them to this exciting part of their training and suggesting there are several steps they should take to get the most from their practicum. Create a paragraph for each main procedure the students must follow.

Answer to Activity 2: Practice Writing a Memo

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