Create Effective Memos In Five Easy Steps

Writen by Sharon Mann

Here are five proven ways to help ensure that the memos you generate achieve the results you want:

1. Less words, more impact: In preparing a memo, keep things short and simple. Most people reading your memos have other work to do and will appreciate a brief message as opposed to a book, or even a letter. People who receive your memos are more likely to read every word and absorb what you're saying when there are less words.

2. Bullet your thoughts: Readership studies show that the intimidating format of a paragraph often turns off some readers. Using bulleted copy points instead to stress key ideas. This makes the memo more inviting to the reader and enhances the overall impact of the memo.

3. Solicit feedback: Another smart way to add impact to your memos is to engage the reader personally by asking them to get back to you. If your memo is about the implementation of a new filing system for invoices, request that your readers take action by submitting back to you their own ideas for the new system.

4. Become multimedia savvy: In the 21st century, electronic communication is becoming the norm, but some of us still prefer pen and paper. Remember how your audience prefers receiving information to ensure you reach everyone with your memo. Circulating memos to co-workers by combining the old-fashioned paper way with cyberspace provides people with more opportunities to read your memo.

5. "Carbon Copy" the people in charge: When preparing your list of who will receive your memos, remember to keep the people you report to (and possibly the people they report to) in the loop. Send these people memos along with the others you send. Including the names of top management in the "cc" section of your memo not only keeps everyone informed, it also brings importance and urgency to the memo itself."

While memos are an efficient way of communicating with management and co-workers, they can easily be thrown away if they go unnoticed or are met with complacency. Put yourself in your readers' shoes. Ask yourself if you would read, react and respond to your memo.

Sharon Mann is an organizational expert for Pendaflex (http://www.pendalfex.com), the world's leading maker of innovative organizing products and also serves as president of the Pendaflex "I Hate Filing" club, a dedicated group of nearly 100,000 office professionals who dislike filing but enjoy finding new ways to become more organized and more productive in the workplace. Sharon is the author of "I Hate Filing", Everything you need to Get Organized for Success and Sanity at Home, on the Run and in the Office.