Unit 4 (A) Memo Writing Lecture, Educational Platform

MEMO WRITING
Memo
■ A hard copy (sent on paper) document.

■ Used for communicating inside an organization.
■ Usually short.
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■ Does not need to be signed, but sometimes may contains Sender’s address at the bottom of the
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document. The format may vary according to the company own style.
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Definition
■ A memorandum, more commonly known as a memo, is a short message or

record used for internal communication in a business or organization.
■ In practice, memos answer questions and give information.
■ Memo is derived from Latin word memoranda, the plural for memo is memos or
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memorandum.
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Types of memos
Although we can not clearly put all the memos in the list but some of them are:
■ Policies (changes and new)
■ Instructions.
■ Procedures.
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■ Announcements.
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■ Trip reports.
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Some of these business memo types overlap, some other memo types cannot be
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squeezed into any of the above.
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Instructional memo:
■ An instructional memo is a memo in through which any particular type of instructions is

conveyed.
■ An instructional memo must include enough information for the reader to understand
exactly what the instructions are, who issued them, and when, where and why they are
to be acted upon.
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Policy memo:
■ A policy memo is a practical, professionally written document that can vary in length
from one page to over one hundred pages. It provides analysis and/or recommendations
directed to a predetermined audience regarding a specific situation, topic, or issue.
■ It gives the readers a clear view of what the previous policies were and what Kind of
change have been brought in these policies. It also explains how the new policies will
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be effective in future.
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Instructional memo
■ Instrumental memo is a type of memo through which any specific type of instructions
are conveyed.
■ An instructional memo must include enough information for the reader to understand
exactly what the instructions are, who issued them, and when, where and why they are
to be acted upon.
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Procedure Memo:
■ Procedure memos as we can see from the title, explains procedures of any specific order
or thing. They are less explained as compared to instructional memos.
■ Procedure Memos means the memorandum (as may be amended from time to time)
detailing the administrative procedures and guidelines.
■ For Example: a memo with short details about being eligible for certain bonuses or
procedure for certain things to be carried out.
Announcement Memo:
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■ Announcement memos can collectively be a representation of all the memos as all the
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other types of memos are certain type of announcement that were conveyed through
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memo.
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Trip Reports Memos:
■ A trip report memo explains the reason for the trip, what was found, and one or more
conclusions.
■ The purpose of a travel report is to justify the purpose of the trip and the money that you
spent. Because trip reports provide proof of expenses, it is imperative that they are
accurate and provide a clear explanation of the trip.
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Purposes of Memos:
A person writes a memo with some purposes in mind. It is used:

■ To inform.
■ To inquire.
■ To give suggestions.
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■ To remind.
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■ One can use it to instruct.
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■ One can promote goodwill using a memo.
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■ To communicate the ideas.
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Some other purposes:
■ Documentation or a record, such as for documenting an accident at work or
recording the reason for terminating an employee.
■ Confirmation regarding decisions or the date and time of future events.
■ Status and progress reports.
■ Dissemination of rules and procedures.
■ Instructions or directives, such as delegation of tasks and responsibilities.
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■ A method to inquire about an organizational procedure, event, or other
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organizational issue.
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■ A preface to a formal report.
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A memo may comprise of all or combination of the above mentioned purposes.
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Advantages of Memo:
Using memos has a number of advantages. Memos are:
■ Avoiding Distortion of Information: Memo helps to avoid distortion in messages that
occur in internal oral communication.
■ Avoiding Misunderstanding: Memo provides all concerned with the same information.
Therefore, there is little chance of any misunderstanding between the recipients of a
message.
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■ Preserving Information: Since memo is a written document, it can be preserved. Such
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preservation develops an information base in the organization and any one can access it
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whenever he needs.
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■ Maintaining consistency:The memo also helps managers to maintain
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consistency in their actions and decisions for recurring problems. By examining
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the previous records, they solve similar problems in a similar way. We can see
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that many organizations use printed memos. As it is generally printed, it takes
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less time to draft it.
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Some other advantages
■ A quick exchange of information: The use of a memo is restricted within the
boundary of the organization. Therefore, through writing a memo, any
information can be exchanged throughout the whole organization very quickly.
Another vital object of the memo is to provide information from one level to
another within the business. As memos are written in a very short structure it
saves important time.
■ Concise presentation of information: A memo is generally written concisely.
Whatever the subject of the memo is, it is written directly and concisely.
Salutation and complimentary closing are also avoided from a memo. No
formality is needed in drafting a memo, generally, inside address, salutation and
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complimentary closing are absent in it.
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■ Less expensive: A memo is a less expensive medium of communication. It
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does not require any mail or telephone expenses. It is written in simple papers
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and can be transmitted very inexpensively. So, the cost of communication
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through a memo is less than those of others.
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■ Use as a reference in the future: Since a memo is a written document, it can
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be preserved and used as a reference in the future. If Memo is a printed
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document. At that time, it also can be used for future references.
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Disadvantages of Memo:
As memos are used within an organization, it’s scope is limited. There are some
limitations which are as follows:
Limited scope:
The major demerits of a memo are its scope is limited. Detail information cannot
be provided by a memo.
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Lack of secrecy:
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In case of memo secrecy is not maintained, thus secret messages cannot be
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transmitted through memos.
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Not suitable for external communication:
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Another shortcoming of memo is it cannot use for external communication.
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Format of Memo:
A good memo organizes the information to be conveyed both for the reader's convenience
and ease of understanding and to achieve the writer's purpose in the most effective way.
■ Heading.
■ Opening.
■ Summary.
■ Discussion paragraph(s)
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■ Your closing.
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■ Attachments.
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Steps for Memo Format Explanation
■ A memo is a written business communication that conveys basic information. Using a simple,
straightforward format makes that easy. You should always check whether your workplace has
a standard form for memorandums. If not, follow the steps below for a universally acceptable
memo format.
■ Title: The word "Memorandum" should be in a significantly larger font, bolded and either
centered or placed in the top left-hand corner.
■ Recipient: Begin this heading with "TO:" and write down your recipient(s).
■ Source: Immediately after the recipient, write "FROM:" along with your name and position.
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■ Subject: Write a short summary of the memo's purpose (no more than about four words).
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■ Date: Include the date of when the memo is sent.
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■ Keeping to strict styles like this improves clarity and avoids the danger of poor grammar or
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unclear communication.
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Tips for Effective Memo:
Here are a few quick tips for writing effective memorandums:
■ Check for stylistic requirements with your job. Does the company have a standard form
when it comes to writing memos? If so, is it downloadable?
■ Make sure that the body of the text is clear, concise and grammatically correct.
■ Keep things simple. Avoid long sentences and wordy phrasing.
■ Do not use a salutation. You should simply go right into the subject of the memo.
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■ Use bulleted lists and headings to convey your message.
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■ Conclude the memo with any closing statements that may inspire the recipient to take
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action.
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■ Mention any and all attachments at the end of the memo by using the single word
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"Attachment."
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■ Once you've completed a draft, share it with a colleague. An extra pair of eyes always
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helps to catch errors and improve readability.
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Unit 4 (A) Memo Writing Lecture, Educational Platform

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MEMO WRITING

■ A hard copy (sent on paper) document.

■ A memorandum, more commonly known as a memo, is a short message or

■ An instructional memo is a memo in through which any particular type of instructions is

A person writes a memo with some purposes in mind. It is used:

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