How to Write a Memo
Technical communication covers a variety of documents, memos included. A memo is something any employee can find the need to write. It doesn’t matter whether you are a CEO or a junior team member, a memo is a universal means of communication inside a company.
This is why I decided to talk about how to write good memos — hopefully, this post will help a lot of people improve written communication.
What is a Memo?
A memo is a special type of message that is often used inside a company, a team, or a group of people involved in one project. It aims at informing people of something. It can be an announcement, an invitation, a short report, etc.
One of the main features of a memo — it should be short and to the point. To get a message across is what you want, that’s the goal.
A Memo’s Structure
The classic structure looks like this:
- The main message
- Clarifications
This is a standard form that is used to inform about some news. However, you can turn things around if you wish to. A reversed order (context first, conclusion second) can be used too, when an author of a memo wants the audience to follow their thought process and see why something is happening.
Sometimes, a memo can have a more complex structure where several messages are mixed with details and explanations — this is usually a way to inform people of something unpleasant. If you just bluntly state something it will look too harsh.
The Tone of a Memo
The tone depends on two things:
- The message
- The audience
Memos can be both formal and informal. Try analyzing who you are going to be sending it to and the occasion.
I’d say, the broader your audience is the more neutral it should be. You can’t really take into consideration each individual in this case, so making your memo more formal means avoiding misunderstanding and possible negative emotions.
If this is just a party invitation for your team — sure you can add jokes and make it cheerful and funny. Common sense will help you choose the right strategy.
Specifics of a Memo
Now, let’s talk about certain specifics of this format. Take a look at the list of best practises for writing a memo:
- Give preference to shorter sentences. Long sentences are harder to process.
- As far as lexical units are concerned — no big and complicated words are needed. Use simpler words.
- The text itself should be as short as possible. Only the most essential things should make it into your memo.
- If it has any attached files, mention it explicitly in the text and even make it bold (this rule works for most types of messages with attachments), otherwise, people will miss it.
- Clearly state if any action should take place. It is worth repeating it at the end of a memo, too. If no action is required — mention this.
Conclusion
As you see, most of the things I am talking about in this article are meant to make a memo as clear and straightforward as possible.
The ability to create good memos will save you a lot of time — you won’t have to explain things to people moving forward. You can evaluate the quality of your memos counting the follow up questions. Ideally, you should have none.
