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44 Writing Clear and Concise Memos (4.2.4/5/6)

Venecia Williams; Nia Sonja; and Verna Johnson

What Is a Memo?

A memo (short for memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is a brief, formal document used to communicate information within an organization. Memos are typically written from one person or department to a group—similar to mass communication—rather than as one-on-one correspondence. They are often used to share policies, procedures, instructions, updates, or announcements relevant to a specific group or the whole organization.

Unlike emails, memos are often more structured and are intended to be archived for future reference. Memos are especially useful when communicating information that should be documented and shared clearly across teams.

Communicating with Different Audiences

One challenge of memo writing is communicating effectively with multiple audiences with different levels of understanding. For example, if a new policy is announced, frontline staff, supervisors, and senior management may each have different concerns. A well-written memo considers the perspectives and information needs of its entire audience.

Watch Video 6.2 below for a brief overview of business memo writing.

Video 6.2: Writing a Business Memo | Running Time: 2:02


Sample Memos

This is a Sample Memo in PDF format. Read through the sample memo to examine its structure and get some tips on writing a memo that looks professional and is easy for readers to follow.

A memo has a similar format to an email but with a few differences. The following reading from Indeed describes the structure of a typical workplace memo and provides some examples.


Common Situations for Memos

Memos are commonly used in the following workplace scenarios:

  • Announcing changes to policies or procedures

  • Providing step-by-step instructions

  • Sharing updates on team activities or projects

  • Reporting on events or travel

  • Making general workplace announcements


Formatting a Memo

A memo typically includes a heading section followed by the main message. The heading includes the following fields:

  • DATE: The date the memo is distributed

  • TO: The name(s) or group(s) receiving the memo (e.g., “All Staff,” “Finance Team”)

  • FROM: The name and job title of the sender

  • SUBJECT: A short, specific phrase summarizing the topic

Other optional fields may include CC (for copied recipients) or RE (as an alternative to the SUBJECT line). The heading format may vary depending on company style guidelines, but the format above is widely used.

The memo’s body is in block format: single-spaced lines, no paragraph indentations, and an extra space between paragraphs.


Organizing a Memo

There are two common organizational strategies for memos:

  • Direct approach: States the main purpose or message in the opening sentence or paragraph, followed by supporting details. This format is appropriate for routine or neutral messages, such as updates, instructions, or general announcements.

  • Indirect approach: This approach begins with context or background information before revealing the main message later in the memo. This strategy is more suitable for persuasive, sensitive, or negative news, where a more gradual lead-in is preferred.

Use the direct approach when the audience is likely receptive or the message is straightforward. Use the indirect approach when delivering bad news, making a request, or when the audience may be resistant to the message.

Activity 6.7 compares both strategies side-by-side to help you decide which approach is best in different situations.

Activity 6.7 | Direct vs Indirect Strategy

In both types of organizations, action information (such as deadlines or contact information) or a courteous closing statement is placed in the last paragraph.

Activity 6.8 provides an example of a direct memo.

Activity 6.8 | Sample Direct Memo

As you can see, this memo has a direct and concise opening that states the purpose of the memo. The body paragraph provides the award criteria, which will help managers follow through on the request. The conclusion provides action information, a deadline and a courteous closing message. We can contrast this organization to the indirect memo in Activity 6.9 below.

Activity 6.9 | Sample Indirect Memo

In this memo, the introduction is relevant to the subject but doesn’t directly state the bad news, which is that the popular early weekend schedule is ending. Instead, the writer uses a buffer that lists the reasons for the change to mentally prepare the reader for it. The bad news is then clearly stated, but it’s sandwiched between two positive statements. Note that the bad news is at the end of the paragraph since the writer doesn’t want readers to skim the memo and miss this important information. The memo then ends with action information and a forward-looking statement.


Style and Tone

While memo reports and policy memos have a more formal tone, most memos will have a conversational style—slightly informal but still professional. Coworkers are the audience of memos, so the writing style usually assumes a relationship with them (and therefore a certain lack of formality). Just keep in mind that the relationship is a professional one, so the writing should reflect that. Furthermore, as with all workplace documents, the audience may contain a variety of readers, and the style and tone should be appropriate for all of their technical and authority levels. Activity 6.7 below compares various levels of formality.

Activity 6.10 | Levels of Formality


Possible Memo Structure

Activity 6.11 is a guide you can use to write a standard memo.

Activity 6.11 | Sample Memo Structure


Additional Memo Guidelines

When writing a memo, it’s important to maintain a clear, professional tone and ensure that your message is accessible and appropriate for your audience. The following guidelines will help ensure your message is effective and well-received:

Audience Awareness

Always consider who will read the memo and what information they need. Avoid using acronyms, abbreviations, or jargon that may only be familiar to a specific group (such as senior management) unless you define them. If the memo is intended for a wide audience across the organization, your goal should be to communicate clearly and simply to avoid confusion or misinterpretation.

Professional Tone

Memos are typically formal and represent the voice of the organization or a specific department. While memos may invite feedback, the tone should remain professional and direct. Memos are often used to communicate official policies or decisions and may reference existing procedures or policy documents. Because of this, they may carry legal or administrative weight, especially when related to organizational operations.

Clear Subject Lines

The subject line of a memo should be specific and informative. This helps readers immediately understand the purpose of the message. For example, instead of writing “Holiday Observance,” write “Thanksgiving Weekend Schedule” to clearly state the topic. A well-written subject line helps ensure the memo is noticed, understood, and acted upon appropriately.


Attribution

This section contains material taken from Chapter 6.4 “Writing Memos” in Fundamentals of Business Communication Revised (2022) and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

References

References are at the end of this chapter.

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Writing Clear and Concise Memos (4.2.4/5/6) Copyright © 2025 by Venecia Williams; Nia Sonja; and Verna Johnson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.