Professional Communication: The Corporate Insider’s

Approach

Professional Communication: The Corporate Insider’s

Approach

Chapter ElevenMemos: Relaying the Voice of

Management

11-2

Genres of CommunicationGenres of Communication

Genres of organizational communication are characterized by

• Substance—social motives, themes, and topics

• Form—observable physical and linguistic features

11-3

History of the MemoHistory of the Memo

Memos established a place in American industry due to an increasing need for

• Control• Documentation• Less expensive,

streamlined communication

11-4

Commission on Economy and Efficiency

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

11-5

Problems with MemosProblems 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

11-6

Challenges of MemosChallenges 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

11-7

Key Questions for MemosKey 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?

11-8

Essence of Memo StyleEssence of Memo Style

• Purpose• Reinforce corporate

expectations• Provide reminders of rules and

protocols• Ensure managerial context

• Directions—Primarily downward• Tone—Managerial, authoritative• Style—Terse, businesslike

11-9

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

11-10

Elements of a Policy StatementElements of a Policy Statement

• Policy• Requirements• Responsibilities• References

The same structure, tone, and style are the fundamentals of all effective memos.

11-11

Memos—The LessonsMemos—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

11-12

Memos—The LessonsMemos—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

11-13

Memos—The LessonsMemos—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