What is a memorandum?

A memorandum is a short document, which is drafted to help individuals to remember meetings, events, observations, future activities, or activities that they need to undertake. A memorandum also referred to a memo, is an informal written communication that one department uses to notify another department of any occurrences that are within the office, or passing information that one needs to be communicated, for example, a change in the program. Various establishments and offices use memorandums to relay information to between co-workers; memos are less formal as compared to the other official documents such as letters.

In the field of diplomacy, a memorandum is a summary or outline of a subject that needs to be discussed, outlining the reasons one id for the topic, or why one is against the topic of discussion. In business, a memorandum is a statement that is made by the consignor of the goods and services and establishing the terms a consignment is sent with the privilege of one to return. In the business, world memos help in building and maintaining relationships with partners, investors, and workers. Law firms have memos that contain a short written statement of the terms of agreement, transaction, or contract between the law firms and their clients.

Memos are usually written by higher authorities of a company for the purpose of informing their juniors of any new activity or content that they should be aware of, and they should take note. Memorandums record, relay and make brief appeals from one staff member to another or from one department to another.

Memorandums help to establish accountability in an organization as they are a long-term way to file and keep track of records. The memos help one to save time as you do not have to reach every single individual trying to pass the information. Memos are also used by organizations as forms of references when one is putting down different reports regarding various activities or events. One should make sure that memos are brief and simple; this enables the writer to be direct and straight to the point while delivering or sharing information. The memorandums do not exceed more than two paragraphs and the information is usually bulleted, to make it easier for the reader to read it and note down the important stuff.

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When writing a formal memo, the first paragraph is used to state the reason and purpose why one is writing the memo, and then he/she proceeds to write any additional information that needs to be communicated. You should maintain a professional language, tone, and do not use vocabulary that may cause misunderstanding among the employees. You should not add any personal testimonial if the message is meant to reach a selected group of people. One should always consider the audience he/she is aiming to address. He/she should make sure that his/her choice of acronyms and abbreviation are well familiarized by his target audience; one should not use law abbreviations when writing a memo for art students, as they will not get the message well and correctly.

An individual should emphasize on the important message he/she is communicating by making the headline bold, and mention the event or activity being announced on the subject line also underlining the topic creates stress. The subject should be clear and concise to avoid any ambiguity. The memos should be objective, and not subjective; one should focus on the facts and avoid being bias, displaying interest on one side, or showing any preference towards any person. Memorandums should always maintain a direct format, as the purpose of drafting the memo is clearly noted.