Memo Content & Organization

Memos need to be informative, direct and concise. Before writing a memo, it often helps to make a quick outline of the main ideas and points you want to cover and then organize that information into a logical sequence.

When organizing a longer memo, use section headings to direct the reader's attention, just as you would in a longer report. Section headings are described below.

Summary: Always include a Summary section when writing for a manager. This should be not more than a half-page long and should include the essentials of the memo, including the purpose statement, any findings or recommendations, and bottom line costs. (However, a memo that is one page or less does not necessarily need a summary.)

Background: The purpose of the Background section is to acquaint your reader with the memo's subject. The extent of background you include depends upon your audience. If you are writing to a colleague who is very familiar with a project, you may not need much background detail. However, if you are writing to a new supervisor who knows nothing about your project, you will need more information here.

Discussion: This typically is the main body of your memo and will include the majority of the details on your subject. Be concise. Don't include information that the reader doesn't need to know. If the purpose of your memo is to persuade, include sufficient, concrete evidence to support your case. Bullet lists are perfectly acceptable within a memo and can help a reader find information more quickly.

Action Items: If you are writing a memo that requires action by other employees, state clearly who should be doing what.

You might also include sections such as Benefits, Cost Analysis, Design Concepts or whatever else fits the topic of your memo. The Summary section always should go first, but the other memo sections can be ordered in whatever manner is most logical for your subject.

Sample Memo