1. Professional Communication: The Corporate Insider’s Approach
Chapter Eleven
Memos: Relaying the Voice of Management

2. Genres of Communication
Genres of organizational communication are characterized by
Substance—social motives, themes, and topics
Form—observable physical and linguistic features

3. History of the Memo
Memos established a place in American industry due to an increasing need for
Control
Documentation
Less expensive, streamlined communication

4. Commission on Economy and Efficiency
President Taft’s 1912 Commission on Economy and Efficiency declared that the essential elements of a memo are
Date
Person or office originating the communication
Person to whom letter is sent
Body of the communication
Signature

5. Problems with Memos Incompatibility—mistaking memos for e-mail
Not acting one’s age—giving in to basic faults of professional communication
Generally misbehaving—making memos try to do the work of other forms of communication
Staying out late—confusing retrievability with permanence

6. Challenges of Memos
Ensuring correct placement of emphasis; using the memo in support of management direction
Maintaining proper voice to reinforce the one-directional nature of memos
Setting a final stamp on a question or problem; not opening an avenue for discussion or debate

7. Key Questions for Memos
Is the memo doing the work of a memo?
Is the memo stating or reinforcing policy, practices, or behaviors?
Is the memo doing the right job?
Is the memo stating a fixed position?
Is the memo providing a short-term remedy to a problem?

8. Essence of Memo Style Purpose Directions—Primarily downward
Reinforce corporate expectations
Provide reminders of rules and protocols
Ensure managerial context
Directions—Primarily downward
Tone—Managerial, authoritative
Style—Terse, businesslike

9. Memos, at their most fundamental heart, are a narrative translation of a policy statement.

10. Elements of a Policy Statement
Requirements
Responsibilities
References
The same structure, tone, and style are the fundamentals of all effective memos.

11. Memos—The Lessons
Primary Uses—Request compliance, remind, provide critical information with management perspective
Expectations—Adherence to request, follow-up for clarification only
Audience—Internal, generally downward
Style—Terse, businesslike

12. Memos—The Lessons Length—One to two pages Breadth—Single topic
Accountability—Author has authority to propose and enforce
Format—Standard internal correspondence format
Retrievability—Represents an official corporate document

13. Memos—The Lessons Potential Problems: Incompatibility of purpose
Stylistic problems
Use of memos to the work of other document types
Hiding behind a memo when direction interaction is needed
Issuing a memo when a document with greater permanence is needed