COMMUNICATION

WITHIN A COMPANY
The word “memo” is derived
from the Latin “memorare”
changed to “memorandus” and
means “to state” or “to tell”. In
an organization, it takes the
form of a short official note that
one writes to a person or to
several individuals such as
members, faculty, heads of
offices and the like.
Joe LoCicero (2007) offers a good example of when
to use memos. He claims that memos may inform
the readers of:
֍ Announcements for diverse occasions.
֍ Changes such as policies, procedures or processes.
֍ Confirmations of discussions, decisions and meetings.
֍ Documents for submission such as reports, data, research
and results of survey.
֍ Recommendations.
֍ Requests for further information.
֍ Solicitations for opinions.
Effective memos must be:

֍ Civilized

֍ Concise

֍ Coherent

֍ Compelling

֍ Correct
 COMMUNICATION
WITHIN A COMPANY
Minutes

– official written records of meeting’s

proceedings

- Serves as an official record, aids in

refreshing memories of participants,
supplies information to individuals
who were not present, and help
prepare members for upcoming
meetings
Henry Martyn Robert worked in an Army. One day, he was tasked
to be a presiding officer for an important meeting in his community.
Because he realized he had no knowledge of presiding over a
meeting, he knew he would be embarrassed. Yet, despite his
inability, he did his best to preside over the meeting.
 Robert’s Rule of Order (2005) recommends that minutes contain
the following items:
1. Committee or organizational name
2. Kind of meeting (regular board meeting, an annual meeting, a
meeting of the housing committee or a special meeting)
3. Date, location, and time of beginning and adjournment
4. Names of the chair and secretary or their substitutes
5. Names of all present members
6. Names of guests and their role in the meeting
7. Reference to approval of last meeting’s minutes
 Robert’s Rule of Order (2005) recommends that minutes contain
the following items:

8. Motions raised. Motions must be written as stated, including the

member or individual who raised the motion, and the vote’s
outcome
9. Reports. Record the name of the report, the name of the member
presenting it, and any action taken on the report. If the report was
in writing, attach it, or tell where it may be found. An oral report
may be summarized briefly.
10. Other special concerns from the committees or individual
members
11. The signature of the secretary upon the approval of the minutes.
What should be excluded in the Minutes?
The minutes are a factual record of business. Robert’s Rule of
Order (2005) recommends that the following be excluded from a
minutes:
1. Condemnation or honors: Criticism of members should not be
recorded unless it takes the form of an official motion.
Expressions of gratitude should only be included with the
permission of the participants.
2. Discussion: Whatever statement was given by the members must
be recorded objectively
3. Extended repeating of reports: Just hit the highpoints or key
facts, mostly if there is an attachment of a written reports.
4. Opinions or judgments: Omit accounts like “a well-done report”
or “a heated discussion.”
Who should write the Minutes?

The Minutes are documents significant to an organization. In

any kind of meeting, one must take the role of a note taker, a
secretary, or a recorder.
The person who takes the meeting minutes is usually a
member of the organization or institution and takes note of the
meeting proceedings while taking part in the conference,
assembly, session, or discussion.
In government or legal meetings, an outsider must be the note
taker or recorder to avoid biases and maintain impartiality. He or
she, however, must have full knowledge of the adapted
parliamentary process to be able to effectively carry out the role.
Who should write the Minutes?

In government or legal meetings, an outsider must be the note

taker or recorder to avoid biases and maintain impartiality. He or
she, however, must have full knowledge of the adapted
parliamentary process to be able to effectively carry out the role.

In some cases, the same person takes the minutes at each

meeting. In others, the role of minute taker passes from member
to member or participant to participant. The role of the recorder
builds effective leadership skills, effective communication, and
full involvement of members.