Communication Skills

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MEMOS
Memos solve problems either by informing the reader about new information, like policy
changes, price increases, etc., or by persuading the reader to take an action, such as attend
a meeting, use less paper, 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. This handout will help you solve your memo-
writing problems by discussing what a memo is, presenting some options for organizing
memos, describing parts of memos, and suggesting some hints that will make your
memos more effective.

WHAT IS A MEMO
When you think of a memo, what do you think of? Is it a little piece of paper with a cute
letterhead that says something like:
"From the desk of ..." or "Don't forget ..." or "Reminders ..."
The message itself may be very simple--something like:
"Buy more paper clips" or "Meet with President at 2:30" or "Mom, we're out of fudge
pops."
While these memos are informative or persuasive, and may serve their simple purposes,
more complex memos are often needed in an office setting. But don't let that worry you.
Even though business memos may be more formal and complicated, the intention in
writing one is still the same. You want to achieve your purpose with your reader
effectively. This handout will show you how.

Basic Memo Plans

Standard office memos can be approached in different ways to fit your purpose. Here are
three basic plans:
1. The direct plan, which is the most common, starts out by stating the most
important points first and then moves to supporting details. This plan is useful for
routine information and for relaying news.

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2. The indirect plan makes an appeal or spews out evidence first and arrives at a
conclusion based on these facts. This plan is best used when you need to arouse
your reader's interest before describing some action that you want taken.
3. A combination approach can be used for the balanced plan. This plan is
particularly useful when relaying bad news, as it combines information and
persuasion.

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

The Header
A header is usually available on the letter head provided by the company. It may include
the name and address of the organization, the UAN number and the website. The logo
may also be displayed near the header on the top of the page.

Heading Segment
Below the header 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)

Troubleshooting hints:
 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.

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 Be specific and concise in your subject line. For example, "Rats" as a subject line
could mean anything from a production problem to a personal frustration. Instead use
something like, "Curtailing Rat Extremity Parts in our Product."

Opening Segment
The purpose of a memo is usually found in the opening paragraphs and is presented in
three parts: the context and problem, the specific assignment or task, and the purpose of
the memo.
1. The context is the event, circumstance, or background of the problem you are
solving. You may use a paragraph to establish the background and state the
problem or simply the opening of a sentence, such as, "In our effort to reduce rat
parts in our product...." Include only what your reader needs, but be sure it is
clear.
2. In the task statement 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 controlling the percentage of rat
extremities, I will...."
3. Finally, the purpose statement of a memo gives your reason for writing it and
forecasts what is in the rest of the memo. This is not the time to be shy. You want
to come right out and tell your reader the kind of information that's in store. For
example, you might say: "This memo presents a description of the current
situation, some proposed alternatives, and my recommendations." If you plan to
use headings for your memo segments, you can refer to your major headings in
this forecast statement to provide a better guide for your reader.

Troubleshooting hints:
 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.

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 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. 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, but remember to keep it brief.
You can help your reader understand your memo better by using headings for the
summary and the discussion segments that follow it. Try to write headings that are short
but that clarify the content of the segment. For example, instead of using "Summary" for
your heading, try "New Rat-Part Elimination System," which is much more specific. The
major headings you choose here are the ones that will appear in your purpose-statement
forecast.

Troubleshooting hint:
You may want to wait until after the report is drafted and all conclusions and
recommendations have been decided before writing the summary.

Discussion Segments
The discussion segments are the parts in which you get to include all the juicy details that
support your ideas. Keep these two things in mind:
 Begin with the information that is most important. This may mean that you will
start with key findings or recommendations.
 Here you want to think of an inverted pyramid. 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--->weakest.)

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Troubleshooting hints:
 For easy reading, put important points or details into lists rather than paragraphs when
possible.
 Be careful to make lists parallel in grammatical form.

Closing Segment
Now you're almost done. 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: Several Complaints about Product, January - June 1997
If you look at this handout closely, you will see that, except for the heading segment, it
follows the guidelines and hints presented here. These hints will also help you make your
memo more successful

Good luck on your memo!

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