...TO: Accountancy Project Discovery Students FROM: Communications Specialists DATE: Fall 2000 SUBJECT: How to Write a Successful Memo This memo's purpose is to explain how to write a memo that successfully conveys a message accurately, concisely, and coherently. Memos are the major form of internal communication in most organizations, so it is vital that business writers understand how to draft these important documents effectively. This memo will cover the correct memo format first. Then, it will discuss clarity and conciseness, consistency and numbers, passive voice, parallelism, sexist writing, agreement, comma usage and hyphen usage. USING CORRECT MEMO FORMAT Unlike conversations, memos leave a "paper trail," so the company can use directives, inquiries, instructions, requests, recommendations, policies and other reports for future reference. Depending on their purpose, memos can range from a few lines to four or five pages. Shorter memos do not require formal introductory and concluding paragraphs. However, most memos assigned in this class will be at least one page long. Therefore, writers should include the appropriate introductions and conclusions. Every memo should have a header containing the word (prominently displayed) MEMO or MEMORANDUM followed by the organization's name. Writers usually draft memos on company letterhead. Following the header are four crucial pieces of information: TO: Name and title (the title serves as a record for reference) ...
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...In this internal Cliffside Holding Company memo, Mr. Anil Ravaswami, Vice President of Human Resources of writes to Ms. Cynthia Castle, CEO to discuss the proposition of a leadership development program for junior insurance executives. Ms. Forsythe of Cliffside Holdings has proposed the new program and identified the total cost to be “$100,000.00 per year plus approximately the same amount for lost time on the job.” Mr. Ravaswami discusses the reasons he believes Cliffside Holding Company should not fund this new development program. The memo and rationale will be analyzed using the steps for Critical Thinking modeled in Asking the Right Questions by Brown and Keeley (2015). What are the issue and conclusion? The issue, or question being raised is apparent in the first sentence of the memo, “That we establish and fund a new leadership development program of our junior insurance executives.” Ravaswami writes that several of the senior leadership members at CHCM have not gone through such training and despite this, are all very “successful and effective without such programs” He goes on to point out that personality traits such as ambition, self confidence and intelligence were possessed by several known leaders throughout history show that leaders are not made, but born. The conclusion, as highlighted in the ‘Conclusion and Recommendations’ of the memo is “CHCM should not invest in the proposed initiative to send its junior executives for annual leadership training.” In...
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...to give someone important information for example a change in time for an important business meeting. Telephoning someone is much more personal than emailing or sending a letter. One disadvantage of telephoning someone is that you don’t always have single and sometimes people have their phones switched off, this is not good if you need to make an urgent phone call. But you can always leave them a voice mail message. Source of information(internal and external) - one way a phone call could be internally used by Tesco is if a manager needed extra staff urgently he or she could ring up staff they think would be able to make it in such short notice. One way Tesco could externally use a phone call could be to contact a customer about a complaint they made. Face to face Purpose of information – face to face is a lot more personal than a phone because you can see their body language and f acial expressions, for example you can see whether they are showing signs of confusion so you can slow do and try and explain what you are saying more clearly. By talking to someone in person you can give them more direct information. Source of information (internal and external) – one example of internal face to face use In Tesco would be if an manager was to discuss wage or overtime with other staff he or she is more likely to discuss this matter in person. one example of external would be if a member of staff was talking to a customer about the new closing times that could be put in place over...
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...Critical Thinking and Communication Skills By Matthew Paul DMBA 610 Professor Kennedy Introduction In this paper, I will analyze the memo by applying the steps of the critical thinking model discussed in Asking the Right Questions to assess the arguments made. Among the other tasks I had to make, I will not just analyze the memo but I will evaluate the author’s argument as objectively as possible. I will also provide a thorough evaluation of the issues presented and assess ideas critically, demonstrating clear and consistent treatment of each evaluation. Furthermore, I will verify the information that was in the memo and I will note what is not in the memo. For the last closure of the argument, I will end this paper with a conclusion of what I have critically completed. 1. What are the issues and conclusions? On October 20, 2011, President of APEU Union Local 121, Mr. Hector Fuentes, sent a request to the Human Resource Manager, Ms. Mary Ford regarding notification letter sent by Governor Gloria Gainor. Mr. Fuentes wanted Ms. Ford to evaluate the letter he received from the Governor notifying the union that the state intends to outsource and privatize the information systems management function within the Department of Motor Vehicles. This memo that Mr. Fuentes received from Ms. Ford was in response to the request of Mr. Fuentes to be evaluate simply because of issues and concern for the DMV employees...
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...Assignments: 2 memos 4 business letters 1 report 5 grammar quizzes in class 1 grammar exam 2 textbook exams 1 business presentation (speech) Tonight Memos direct pattern frontloading (when why how) Listen (When why) Parallelism plain language business text format Subject good Memo- internal communication Letter- External Subject line- Important to be extensively informative. Direct- Main idea first details later (good news, neural news)- Audience will be happy to neutral Indirect- Details first, main idea later (bad news, persuasion)- Audience is hostile to uninterested Frontloading- getting to the purpose in the first sentence. The body: organize information and explanations logically. use numbered and bulleted list consider headings Parallelism-Items in the list need the same grammatical structure. Goodwill- what you put in the message to maintain the relationship. In hard copy memos: No opening or closing. Sign your initials at the end of the FROM line. Thursday May 16th Qualities if Bus waiting -Main English -Audience centered -positive Quiz 1 -Active vs. passive voice -subject verb agreement Memo 2 -tables -APA documentation First person sing I, me, my, mine, myself We, us our, ours, ourselves Second person you, your, yours, yourselves 1. Use the you attitude 2. Reader benefits (affordable, meets your needs) You attitude exercise on Blackboard 1. Good news, you can now enjoy a new… 2. You...
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...vehicle of communication needs to be utilized. In this paper, as a team we will discuss the various ways of communicating such as; face to face meetings, overhead announcements, letters, emails and memos. These are just a few ways companies communicate within their organization. The inventory of various communication channels used within an organization includes e-mails, and face-to-face meetings. These channels are among two of the most effective ways of communicating within an organization. E-mail is a fast and efficient channel most frequently utilized. This channel is used because most employees in my organization work in the field, and emails allow them to respond to their colleagues in a timely manner. Computerized communication has several advantages, according to the book Health Promotion and Interactive Technology (Street, Gold, & Manning, 1997): Most organizations in the health field use this type of communication to obtain messages throughout the organization more rapidly. The messages sent out, are based on updates, events, information about the job, Job openings, and request of medical information. This information is delivered from one department to another. This channel of communication also can be used to send medical information to other doctor’s office. This is a good source of communication when it is disseminating health information of patients or self. The opportunity for feedback and response improves the chances for effective communication. Electronic systems...
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...having new registers installed in three of their stores. This is the main piece of information being communicated in the memo that was sent from Yvonne Reynolds to Brenda Wagner. Based on the criteria of organization, clarity, tone, and style this memo is not a very good example of what a memo should be. The organization of this memo is done in a way that you can understand that they are going to be getting new registers. However, the clarity of the memo makes it difficult to understand. Yvonne informs Brenda that the vendor of the new registers will give some training materials and train the company’s trainer. She then states, “We need to determine the best way to train the cashiers in the three stores, the management team in each store and the computer support specialists.” This makes is confusing to understand who is suppose to be doing the training in the store. It leaves questions as to why the vendor id training someone if it is then up to the stores to find a way to train the employees. The clarity also comes into question when Yvonne says to, “have someone evaluate the various means we could use to deliver the training and make a recommendation of how we should proceed.” This leaves Brenda to try to figure out where to look for someone and to figure out when exactly the training is suppose to happen. The tone and style are on the casual style for a business memo. The whole thing is typed in one paragraph that is not as informative as it should be. The whole memo seems...
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... | | | | | Memo To: InterClean Management From: Students 1 CC: HR Manager Date: April 22, 2010 Re: New Sales Team – Job Analysis and Selection To help with our company’s new direction of selling full -service cleaning solutions, I have been asked to select a new sales team from the combined employees of Interclean and EnviroTech. To accomplish this task, I needed to develop a new job analysis for the sales team, consider a workforce planning system, identify a selection method, and select the team members by using the job analysis and the selection method. This memo explains this process. Nice intro Job Analysis You may think that I should just select the appropriate employees without doing a job analysis. I contend that job analysis not only helps define a job, it gives our company a competitive advantage because we will understand the type of employees our company needs to accomplish our new sales initiative (Siddique, 2004, p. 219). Good I think we can all agree that giving our company a competitive advantage is worthwhile. A job analysis consists of a job description that lists the task requirements and a job specification that lists the worker requirements (Cascio, 2005, p. 158)...
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...3/29/2014 1 CIO Organization Memo Before you begin this assignment, be sure you have read the “Wobbly Wheels Case Study,” as well as Chapter 21, Service Management, and Chapter 22, Balancing IT’s Workload. You will also need to review any feedback you received on your IT Strategic Plan assignments. Purpose of this Assignment This assignment gives you the opportunity to apply the course concepts to address the organizational changes needed to evolve the information technology (IT) department into a true CIO organization to support the Wobbly Wheels Distribution Company (WW). This assignment specifically addresses the following course outcome to enable you to: explain the roles and responsibilities of an information technology department to support an organization’s IT strategy CIO Organization Memo For this assignment, you will assume the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at WW (i.e., you are Carol). Since you are WW’s first CIO, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has asked you for a plan for the organizational changes you need to make. One of the first things you realize is that the organization that exists is just an ‘IT Department’ and you know that what WW needs, and has hired you to do, is to create an organization that fulfills the broad responsibilities of a Chief Information Officer. You know that your proposal needs to be convincing to the CFO in order for you to get the resources you need. Assignment You will develop a memorandum addressed to the CFO...
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...Critical Thinking Analysis of Cliffside Holding Company Memo Lisa A. Farinelli University of Maryland University College 1209 AMBA 610 9043 10/9/2012 Professor Bonnie Peter Abstract This paper demonstrates the application of the critical thinking and systems thinking models to analyze complex organizational issues. To illustrate the benefits of using such a model, one sample memo originating from a Cliffside Holding Company of Massapequa will be referenced. The 10-steps of Critical Thinking defined in asking the Right Questions, Browne (2012) will guide this discussion. A summation of findings and suggestions for future readings concludes this discussion. Asking the Right Questions What are the issue and conclusions? The first step to appreciating the authenticity and credibility of the work is to identify the issue as well as the conclusion purported by its author. Browne (2012) defines the issue as the question or controversy that is responsible for the discussion, the actual stimulus (p. 19). In the memo by A. Ravaswami to one of his colleagues, the issue raised is whether a leadership development program is even necessary (A. Ravaswami, personal communication, October 10, 2012). This is an example of an explicitly stated prescriptive issue. The author is raising the question as to what is the proper route for training his top-level executives. The answer to this will involve ethical, moral and personal viewpoints and is therefore a prescriptive issue...
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...DIRECT AND INDIRECT APPROACHES In writing letters, memos, and e-mail messages (the focus of Chapters 2 and 3), one issue that you'll need to consider is whether your message is one that is likely to be well-received or one that may encounter resistance or ill-will--a "bad news" message of some type. Searle’s spends a good bit of time in Chapter 1 discussing tone and making sure to use a reader-centered perspective that utilizes a "you" approach and positive wording. In addition to a reader-centered perspective, however, you also should consider the difference between what is called a direct and an indirect approach when organizing letters, memos, and e-mail messages, especially ones that convey bad news. DIRECT APPROACH The direct approach anticipates no resistance to its message--for instance, "you've been hired," "your order is being shipped today," or even "the project will be done in one week." In this case, organizing your message is simple. Searle’s mentions that memos and letters should have some kind of brief introduction, sometimes as its own paragraph. If you're using the direct approach, this introduction is simply a straightforward statement of the main point of the message. For instance, if you are writing a letter to confirm an order, simply begin by stating, "We have received your order for part #23-B-4439 and are shipping it today." Then the rest of the letter can provide details like shipping time, cost, etc. Whenever possible, use the direct approach...
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...case brief, which law students usually write for their own use. Most legal writing, however, is done to communicate with others. As a law student (and new lawyer), you will receive legal problems and will be asked to analyze the problem and write up the results of that analysis. The typical vehicle that lawyers use to do this is the legal memorandum. When you write a memorandum, you will make use of the several analytical skills you have been developing. This handout explains the form and content of a legal memorandum. II. PURPOSE OF A MEMORANDUM A legal memorandum is a document written to convey information within a law firm or other organization. It is a written analysis of a legal problem. The memorandum is usually prepared by a junior attorney or by a law clerk for a more senior attorney early in the firm's handling of a legal dispute. The writer analyzes the legal rules that govern the issues raised by that problem and applies those rules to the facts of the case. These memoranda prepare attorneys to advise clients how to proceed, if at all, with prospective business dealings or litigation. The memo must be complete and objective including both the rules and facts that help the client and those that do not. In concludes with a considered opinion of the likely outcome on each issue. The attorneys will then use the memo to understand the issues that the case raises, to advise the client, and to prepare later documents for the case. Office memoranda present an objective...
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...deliberative rhetoric and gives impulse to most of our actions in technological capitalism. Katz explains that the problem with deliberative rhetoric and technical communication is epistemology and ethics. He uses a Nazi memo as a technical writing sample, which embodies the rhetoric and ethos of the Nazi Party but fails to take any account for ethics. He also uses Aristotle's Politic and Rhetoric to make the connection between rhetoric, ethics, technology, and expediency. Katz concludes that the deliberative orators aim is utility, to determine means to ends- a question of expediency. Aristotle believed that practical wisdom must be accompanied by moral virtue to supply the right end. Hitler used Aristotle’s work to form the ethos in Nazi Germany. However, with Hitler, there was no distinction between "practical wisdom" and "moral virtue", between expediency and the good as long as rhetoric serves its end, that is, the State. His belief in the efficacy of science and technology as the basis of ethics and politics resulted in mass extermination. Based on the ethic of expediency, rhetoric for Hitler was pure technique, designed not to encourage debate, but rather to indoctrinate. Hitler created an ethos of expediency to carry out his program for the “greater good” of Germany. Katz believes that to some extent, technological, economical expediency is the “moral” basis of many decisions in our society that sometimes harm human welfare. The ethic of expediency that provides the moral...
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...conceptualizing, evaluating, applying, and analyzing information to reach an answer or a conclusion. This allows the reader to process the information received to come to a reasonable conclusion based on a reasoned process. This process involve the utilization of the ten step methodology presented in Browne and Keeley’s book called “Asking the Right Questions”. These steps are used to achieve a clearer understanding of the issues being evaluated. In this paper, I will be using Browne and Keeley’s ten step methodology presented in “Asking the right questions” to analyze the memo title “Leadership Development Program” writing by Mr. Anil Ravaswami to Ms. Cynthia Castle (CEO of Cliffside Holding Company of Massapequa CHCM). I will be analyzing the memo by going through each steps of the critical thinking model. This is to show my level of understanding of the intended messages being conveyed by Mr. A. Ravaswami’s memo. Critical Thinking: Leadership-Development Programs In Browne and Keeley’s book “Asking the Right Question”, Browne and Keeley discuss what the characteristics of an active reader or listener is. Browne and Keeley indicated that an active reader or listener is one who possesses the ability to utilize the search strategy, which explains or reveal an in depth answers to the question asked by the writer. These involves a process of asking certain powerful questions in order to reach a personal decision based off of an author’s argument. These powerful questions are what...
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...Description of Technical Memo Format Technical memos are used to communicate short reports where a formal technical report is not warranted. Typically they would be employed to communicate the solution to a posed question or assignment involving a technical analysis. Technical memos often include equations, figures and illustrations, tables, data and attached appendices. Due to their longer length, the memo’s text is broken into standard first level sections, and where appropriate, into second level sections depending on the complexity of the information being conveyed. Technical reports must be clear and concise. Proper organization of the information is essential. A typical report is divided into the following sections, * Executive Summary * Introduction or Purpose * Theory and Analysis * Results and Discussion * Conclusions and Recommendations * References * Attachments and/or Appendices These sections are suitable for many circumstances but may be modified according to need. On the following pages, detailed information about the contents and function of each section is provided. Section headings are aligned with the left-hand margin in a memo and may be simply capitalized and/or given bold or italicized font. Maintain the 12 point type size. Recognize that the format itself is also flexible; however, all the critical elements or information need to be included. The Results and Discussion and Conclusions sections are sometimes...
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