BUSINESS

MEMOS
• A memorandum, more commonly known as
a memo, is a short message or record used for
internal communication in a business.

• It is used to communicate something of immediate

importance to people within the organization.
 Memos can be used to quickly
Purpose? •
communicate with a wide audience
something brief but important,
such as procedural changes, price
increases, policy additions,
meeting schedules, reminders for
teams, or summaries
of agreement terms, for example.
The Basic Structure of a Memo
Opening statement
Heading
/Introduction

Body Conclusion

Closing Carbon Copy “CC

Heading
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)

 Opening Statement

It is the opening paragraph. It states

the purpose of the memo, the context
and problem, and the specific
assignment or task

Give the reader a brief overview of

what the memo will be about.

The introduction should be brief:

approximately the length of a short
paragraph.
 Contains the relevant information
of the memo.
The
Body
Provides facts in a more elaborated
presentation of topics.

If the content of this section is long,

you may also want to include a
summary of the message.

The message should conclude with a clear

call to action, i.e., what action the recipients
are expected to take.
Conclusion
The conclusion Relates back to Include a clear
should be limited the information summary of the
to one paragraph. given in the body. main points,

Reiterates the
goal of the memo,
and states any
action required
 Closing

SINCERELY, YOURS REGARDS INITIALS OF

SINCERELY THE SENDER
 Carbon copy “CC”

• Indicates people not addressed

in the memo, but who are
receiving a copy cc”, but do not
expect them to take any action.
 Uses of Memos
Here are some instances when a memo might be useful:

Informing employees Announcements

about company Providing an update about the company,
policy or process on key projects or such as an employee
changes goals promotion or new
hire

Communicating a message that

Reminding
employees will refer to more
employees about a Making a request of
than once, such as the use of
task that needs to be all employees
the same template for writing
completed
memos
 Dos and Don’ts

Don’ts
Dos
• Be succinct.
• Do not use a salutation.
• Present the main point within the
opening paragraph.
• Don't use informal
language. ...
• Break down the memo.
• Don't use emotionally charged
words or language.
• Proofread.
• To: All Staff
• From: The Manager
• Date: May 27, 2021
• Subject: Inappropriate use of time on Google Doodle games
• Coworkers,
• It has come to my attention that many in the office have been spending time on the Google home page microgames. This
memo is a reminder to use your work hours for work.
• According to a recent article, the estimated daily cost of people collectively playing these games instead of working is
over $120 million—which is calculated based on the daily average increased time spent on the Google home page (36
seconds).
• If these estimates are applied to our 600 office employees, this results in a nearly $700 weekly loss.
• This is a conservative estimate considering the extensive discussions that occur about beating the office's current high
score. The extra cost quickly adds up.
• Of course, we don't want you to view our organization as a place of drudgery and draconian rules. I encourage a fun and
competitive environment, and I recognize that we certainly won't be profitable if you are unhappy or dissatisfied with
your jobs. This is just a reminder to be careful with your use of company time.
• Thank you,
• The Manager
To: Computer Programming Division
From: Vice President Lumbergh
Date: February 19, 2021
Subject: Attaching cover sheets to TPS reports

This is to remind the division that, starting today, we are now filing all Testing Procedure Specification
(TPS) reports with new cover sheets.

The reason for this change is simple. In addition to a new format, the cover sheets provide a summary
of the report as well as the updated legal copy. The new cover sheets also include Initech's new logo.

Though this change may initially seem like a headache and an extra step, it is necessary to include the
new cover sheets due to their updated information. Failing to do so will result in a confusing and
inaccurate product being delivered to our customers.

Please be sure to follow this new procedure.

Best regards,

Vice President Lumbergh

To: All First-Year Psychology Students
From: Professor Jenkins
Date: October 23, 2021
Subject: Update to this week's assignment

Dear Students,

This is to let you know there is a mistake in the reading list for this week.

The literature list you all received is from last year and is outdated. We have since made changes,
and these changes are outlined below.

Instead of reading Chapters 1–3 of The Science of Psychology, and Chapters 6–8 of Neurobiology,
read Chapters 2–3 of The Science of Psychology and Chapters 5–8 of Neurobiology.

Please be sure to follow these new instructions.

Best regards,

Professor Jenkins