MEMO (MEMORANDUM)

DOSEN                 : SASTRI LINDAWATI
MATA KULIAH      : BAHASA INGGRIS BISNIS 1 # (SOFTSKILL)

• Definition :

A short message or record used for internal communication in a business.

Once the primary form of internal written communication, memorandums (or memos) have declined in use since the introduction of email and other forms of electronic messaging.

An effective memo, says Barbara Diggs-Brown, is "short, concise, highly organized, and never late. It should anticipate and answer all questions that a reader might have. It never provides unnecessary or confusing information".(The PR Styleguide, 2013)

• Purpose of Memos :

"Memos are used within organizations to report results, instruct employees, announce policies, disseminate information, and delegate responsibilities. Whether sent on paper, as emails, or as attachments to emails, memos provide a record of decisions made and actions taken. They also can play a key role in the management of many organizations because managers use memos to inform and motivate employees.

• How to write a memo :

Memo is normally structured on semi formal basis and is usually not more than a page long.

Memo can be used to:

1. persuade to action (we should do this)
2. issue a directive (do this)
3. provide a report / to notify (here’s what was done, here is what is going to happen, or here’s what we found out)

In order to render a memo an effective business communication tool, you want to include some key components:

1. Purpose statement (why do you write this memo?)
2. Main content (what are the facts you would like to communicate?)
3. Action statement (what would you like people to do?)

The theme of the document might be different but the outline is usually very similar and includes two main sections: the Heading and the Message. The Heading section identifies the recipients, the sender, date on which the document had been sent and the subject, which explains the purpose of the communication. The Message section is where you describe the subject matter in detail.

• MEMO OUTLINE FORMAT: heading and message

HEADING

To: fill in the name of the recipient. For an informal memo use only the first name. For a formal memo use a full name of the recipient. If the recipient is not in your department, mention his / her full name along with the name of the department. It is not required to write a salutation before the name, for example, Mr., Miss, Ms., or Mrs. in informal memos while salutations are recommended when memo is formal.

From: fill in the sender’s name. Again, only the first name for informal memo and full name for formal memo. Sender’s full name along with his / her department name is recommended when sending the memo from one department to another.

Date: enter the date when the memo is sent. If you company is international, you want to avoid possible confusion between different date formats (dd.mm.yy and mm.dd.yy) by writing your date in a confusion-free manner, e.g. June 8, 2013.

Subject: identify the purpose of the memo in a clear, short, descriptive subject.

MESSAGE

This is where the actual message of the memo goes. Try keeping it short and fit everything on a single page. If your message is longer, use subheadings to divide your message.

• Example 

• Exercise :

Fill the memo with following word :

business     participants     schedule     company     champions

Read each question carefully and choose the best answer to each one.

6. Memos are a much more formal means of communication than business letters.

    a. True

    b. False

7.What purpose does the first sentence of the body of a memo serve?
    a. Introduces the writer of the memo
    b. Serves as a formal greeting
    c. Tells the audience who to contact if they have questions
    d. States the purpose of the memo and/or what action the reader needs to take

8. Memos are usually _____ page(s) long.
    a. 1
    b. 2
    c. 3
    d. 4

9. Which of the following statements is true in regards to the spacing of a memo?
    a. The entire document is double spaced
    b. The entire document is single spaced
    c. Everything is double spaced except for the body paragraphs
    d. Only the body paragraphs are double spaced

10. Memos sometimes contain subheadings to signal a shift in topics.
    a. True
    b. False

Answer key :

1. Company

2. Business

3. Champions

4. Participants

5. Schedule

6. b. False 

  (Memos have a less formal tone than letters, since they are usually distributed within a company amongst people who know one another. Business letters are considered much more formal than memos, and therefore contain very formal language and are usually lengthy and detailed.)

7. d. States the purpose of the memo and/or what action the reader needs to take 

  (Since a memo’s purpose is to quickly convey information, the first line states exactly what the memo is about. This saves time for the reader. Unlike a letter, a memo contains no lengthy introduction. There is no formal greeting in a memo, either. The contact information should be placed at the very end of the memo, not at the beginning.)

8. a. 1

   (Memos are supposed to be short and to the point. One page is usually a sufficient amount of space for the writer of the memo to get the point across.)

9. c. Everything is double spaced except for the body paragraphs 

   (The To, From, Date, Subject, and first line of the body of the memo are all double spaced. The body paragraphs are all single spaced, with double spaces in between the paragraphs.)

10. a. True 

    (Subheadings help the readers of the memo to quickly get to the part(s) of the memo that pertain to them. Also, subheadings are helpful for organizational purposes.)