Internal Memoranda

The original meaning of memorandum was "a note to help the memory" and the word is still often used in that way. It is, however, also applied in business to various types of written communication – nearly always internal – which does in fact provide a written record, but whose primary function is to convey information or instructions, or to make pro-posals for the future.

The longest and most formal memorandum is a document resembling a report. A junior manager may see anew way of increasing sales or an opportunity to improve office efficiency; as a vehicle for his ideas he/she prepares a memorandum to be submitted – unsolicited – to his superior.

The term is also used to refer to a much simpler type of document which is sent to those concerned to remind of, or introduce, certain ar-rangements. Such a memorandum is normally headed Memorandum or Internal Memorandum with the words To and From followed respectivelyby the name of the sender and the names of recipients. In practice, the nominal sender – who may of course not be the person who actually writes the memorandum – is usually referred to by his/her rank or posi-tion, rather than his/her name.

Here is an example of a memorandum of this type:

FROM: Training and Education Officer TO: Managing Director

Works Manager

Course members (as under) Mr Mayhew, Main Gate Mrs. Paulson, "D"Mess

The Principle, Bromhill Technical College

The Head of Department of Languages, Bromhill Technical College Miss M. Harcourt, В.Л.

Foreign Language Course – English

Arrangements have been made with the Principle, Bromhill Technical College, and the Head of Department of Languages, to provide an inten-sive French course for executives of this company on company premises.

The course is to be conducted by Miss M. Harcourt; BA Enrolment forms will be available and should be completed on the first day of the course. Details are as follows:

Courses will be held in "D "Mess, Kentish Street, on Tuesdays and Thursdays 17.30 – 18.30 hours, commencing Tuesday, I6^lh March 2007.

The following have indicated their, intention to attend: MrJ.Aylett

Mr F. Baker Mr D. Coombes

MrL.F. Griffin...

A very large number of brief internal communications between indi-viduals are exchanged daily in most organizations. Although many of these will be informal and improvised (a message scribbled on a page torn from a diary and pinned to a man's desk in his absence, for example) it is desirable that as many as possible of these messages be conveyed on a standard message form, this marking them out instantly as official.

Most organizations provide pads of headed message forms for this purpose. Such messages too are sometimes called "memoranda" – or more often "memos" – especially when written on printed standard mes-sage forms.

The printed section of the form will normally consist of the name of the organization, a space for indication of department, the words To and From, and a space for the date and sometimes subject. Points should bearranged in logical order. In longer memos, it is common to number points. Here is a typical layout:

COLLINGBOURNE AND THOMAS LTD Department.......

From...... To...... Date......

The memo form is deliberately kept small so that wording will be held to a minimum. Good memos must be brief, unambiguous, without irrelevancies, yet friendly. They ask for, or transmit, information; they convey personal instructions. Much of the day-to-day working of an or-ganization depends on them. They represent a field in which communica-tion principles can be applied to particularly good effect.

Such memos should not be signed. The longer type of memorandum is, on the other hand, often signed by the sender. But it is usual to end with initials rather than a signature.

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