Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Learning objective:
After studying this information sheet, the trainee will be able to write an effective
memorandum.
WRITING A MEMORANDUM
A memo, short for the word memorandum, comes from the Latin word
memorandus meaning, "to be remembered".
It is a compact written message
designed to help someone remember something. It is a short and limited to a single
topic so that the reader will get the message quickly. A memo can call people to
action or broadcast a bit of timely news. If the memorandum is longer than a page, it is
used as a cover letter to an attachment or a document that follows.
Confined to a single topic, each interoffice, interdepartmental and
companywide memo becomes part of the institutional memory of an organization.
They record daily activities and eliminate the need for time-consuming meetings. As
historical documents they are often referred to when writing reports or resolving
disputes regarding past activities. In short, they speed up the daily business of doing
business; they keep people who need to be kept in the know, in the know.
Types of Memos
1. Informational Memos. It is an in-house communication addressed to one
or more individuals. The objective is to convey one or more pieces of information that
relate specifically to the topic in the subject line.
2. Instructional Memos. It is an in-house communication addressed to one
or more individuals. The objective is to convey one or more directives that relate
specifically to the topic found in the subject line. It will both call for and expect an
action to be taken.
Parts of a Memorandum
Regardless of purpose, memos are generally divided into segments in order to
organize the information and to achieve intention.
1. Memo Title. The title of a business memo is the word MEMO or MEMORANDUM, in an
appropriate font style centered at the top of the first page. Printed in bold uppercase letters it
informs the reader that the document is an internal communication.
2. Memo Heading. The heading of a business memo consists of four distinct information
fields and should begin two spaces below the title.
a. To. The recipient's name(s) follow(s). It is generally accepted practice that titles
such as Mr., Mrs., and Dr. are not used in this field. A title or position, such as
Purchasing Agent, should follow if appropriate. When two or three people are to
receive the same memo all of their names may be placed on the same line. They
should appear either alphabetically or in descending order, according to where they
rank in a company's organizational chart.
b. From. The name of sender follows. Titles such as Mr., Mrs., and Dr. are not
customarily used in this field. In formal situations, however, the sender should use
his/her full name, followed by a job related title, such as Public Relations Manager, if it
helps identify the sender to those with whom he/she is not acquainted.
c. Date. To avoid any misunderstanding, the date should always be
spelled out.
d. Subject . This field is important and needs to be precise and brief. It should
indicate exactly what the memo is about. The reader should understand, at a glance,
to what the information or instructions contained in the body pertains to.
Capitalize all key words. Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions should be capitalized
only when they occur at the beginning or end of the subject line.
3. Memo Body
The body of a business memo, depending on its subject, can be as short as one or two
sentences or as long as several pages. If you have two subjects, send two memos. If not, and
the memo is still long, you may want to turn it into a report, or a summary of a report, and
sent it out attached to a memo that briefly describes what it is about.
a. Opening. The opening sentence of a business memo should state the objective, or
reason for writing. It should answer the basic questions such as who, what, where, when and
why.
Enclosures (5)
When a memo has been dictated to an assistant it should be initialed. Both writer and
assistant are acknowledged with their personal initials. The writer's initials appear in
uppercase letters and the assistant's will appear in lowercase letters in one of the following
ways:
EIB: pjc
IMK/pjc
When copies of a memo are sent to named business associates or other interested parties,
those recipients are acknowledged with their full name as in the following example.
2. Clearly state the purpose of communication in the subject line. Most memo formats
have the basics of the header, like to, from and date in place. Make the subject
line as descriptive as possible so the reader understands the intent.
3. Write memos with purpose and make that purpose known in the first paragraph.
Outline the purpose and the desired action in the memos first paragraph. Readers
will become conditioned to the importance of a memo and gain that knowledge as
soon
as
they
open
it.
4. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple, Silly. Most memo formats accommodate only one page of
information. This means that the topic details should be concise, with clear directives
and contacts for follow-up. If its a complex topic extending into multiple pages, still
keep the language as direct as possible, add headings or bullets to guide the reader
and
conclude
with
a
summary
paragraph
of
key
points.
Reinforce the readers necessary action. At the end of the memo, specifically direct
the
reader
to
the
desired
action.
5. Effective business communication improves workflow and relationships. Use the tools
of memo formats and well-constructed information to your advantage.
Date of approval:
If you need to refer to other documents, attach them in an appendix or indicate where
they may be found. Dont rewrite their intent or try to summarize them.
When you finish typing the minutes, ask the meeting lead to review the document for
errors. Send the final copy of the minutes to attendees right away. Keep a copy of the notes
(and the template) for yourself in case someone wants to review them later.
Parts of Minutes Meeting
1. Content. The first paragraph must contain the following: kind of meeting
(regular, special, etc.); the name of the organization; the date, time and place of the meeting;
the name of the presiding officer and secretary; approximate number of members present;
establishment of a quorum; and recording of the action taken on the minutes of the previous
meeting.
2. Body. The body should include, with each motion being a separate paragraph the
following:
The exact wording of motions, whether passed or failed, and the way they were
disposed of, along with the name of the maker
If the vote was counted, the count should be recorded. Tellers reports, if there are
any, are included. In roll call votes the record of each persons vote is included
Discussion: Minutes are a record of what was done at the meeting, not what was said
at the meeting
3. Attachments. The official copy of the minutes should have attached to it the
original signed copy of:
Committee Reports
Officers Reports
Written Motions
Tellers Reports
Correspondence
Minutes Proceedings
Approval . If the minutes have been distributed to the members before the next
meeting the presiding officer simply states Are there any corrections to the minutes as
printed? If there are none, or after all corrections have been made, the presiding officer may
say If there is no objection, the minutes will be approved as printed (or as corrected).
Signature. After the minutes have been corrected and approved by the members,
they should be signed by the secretary and can be signed by the president. The word
approved and the date of the approval should also be included.
Minutes Book. The official copy of the minutes should be entered in the Minutes
Book and kept by the secretary. These are the property of the organization, not the
secretary. If the organization has a headquarters office, the official copy of the minutes
should be kept there.
Copies . If the members receive a copy of the minutes, it is not necessary for them to
receive all the attachments. When they do not receive the attachments, the minutes should
include a brief summary of the attachments.
___________________
Date of approval
[Organization Name]