Effective Ways of Writing a Memo

Posted by Vaibhav

July 30, 2008

A well-defined memorandum or memo is one of the most effective tools to communicate information between employees within an organization. It is comparatively less formal than a letter and is used as an internal document to inform people about the organizational activities.

While writing a memo, utmost care should be taken about its structure and language, as a poorly generated memo would lead to misinterpretation of the message that is to be communicated.

A memo usually consists of three sections, which have their own significance in terms of communicating the message:

• The Opening: This section comprises of the background information depending upon the subject matter of the memo. It is very important that the purpose of the memo is established in absolutely general terms.

• The Main Body: All the points that you wish to outline through the memo should be included in the main body section. It is to be noted that the content should be clear, precise and to-the-point.

• The Closing: Make the reader aware of the steps that need to be taken and close the memo with a courteous ending. This section is important in terms of leaving a positive impression in the reader’s mind.

There are certain crucial aspects you need to consider in order to write a high-quality memo:

• At the outset, make sure whether a memo is the right medium to communicate a particular message. If yes, consider the information that needs to be sent across to the employees and create an outline accordingly.

• Having accurate and well-defined information is extremely mandatory if you wish to use a memo. Otherwise, it is appropriate to look for some other medium to spread your message.

• Identify the structure or the format for the memo, and accordingly implement your ideas and thoughts in an organized manner. See to it that the memo is written professionally.

• Recognize your target audience - the one for who the memo is intended. It can either be the internal staff, members of a particular department, or the upper management.

• Opt for the right words that would fit effectively in the memo. Keep the memo as simple as possible and avoid use of jargons and unnecessary words.

• Adopt the K.I.S.S (Keep it short and simple) formula with short and comprehendible sentences.

• Once you are done with writing the memo, proof read it thoroughly. This helps in eliminating the possible errors and further simplifying the message.

Now you are well-equipped in writing an effective memo!

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