Unit 2: Internal Communication: Writing Memos and Emails
Two of the most common forms of technical writing that you will encounter are the memo and the email. After completing an audience analysis, you must determine which form would be best for sending the message; memos and emails often rely on smaller amounts of information or requests for more information. In this unit, we cover the best practices for creating effective memos and emails.
Once the dominant form of communication in the workplace, memos typically serve as internal communication within an organization. Memos can update policies and procedures, announce meetings or organizational changes, or inform the internal audience as needed. Memos must typically be brief, concise, organized for readability, and addressed to targeted audiences with specific subject lines.
Emails, which often replace memos for internal communication, can be sent internally or externally. While this form of business communication must take into account the time constraints most readers face as a result of high email volume, people use emails to communicate issues both large and small. Emails must make use of strong subject lines, clear formatting, and concise writing. Email also presents some ethical challenges as the forwarding and BCC function enables you to easily share communications with larger audiences quickly and in a way that is documented for the longer term.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 9 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- characterize communication types according to their suitability for particular communication needs;
- compose and format emails and memos;
- effectively work within established conventions for email and memos; and
- recognize some ethical dilemmas posed by electronic communication.
2.1: Memos
2.1.1: Purpose
- Read this section on memos. The author notes that memos are "one effective way to address informal, unofficial speculation is to spell out clearly for all employees what is going on with a particular issue".
- Watch this video, which highlights that memos can "inform, persuade, or even call to action".
- Make a submission
In a page (150–300 words), describe a recent memo you received or one you have written. What purpose drove this communication? Did it make use of the Five Tips for Effective Business Memos? Why or why not?
2.1.2: Format and Delivery
- Receive a grade
This assessment involves using a table to describe the parts of a memo and how they function. Place each statement alongside the appropriate number that corresponds with each segment of the memo.
- Make a submission
Using what you learned in the previous video, write a one-page (150–300 words) memo of your own regarding change in location for a weekly meeting. You will have an opportunity to assess your writing and revise it in the next step.
2.1.3: Subject Lines
Read this article and review the linked sample memos for an example of well-constructed memos.
- Make a submission
In a brief paragraph (25–50 words), discuss the role of a subject line in a memo. Discuss examples of memos you have received or written in addition to the samples provided by the website. What makes for an effective subject line?
2.1.4: Paragraphs, White Space, and Bullets
Watch this video, which emphasizes why white space and brevity are important in memos.
- Make a submission
In a brief paragraph (25–50 words), summarize what makes a memo reader-friendly.
- Make a submission
In a paragraph (50–75 words), analyze a few memos you have received or this sample memo. How did they use paragraphing, whitespace, and bullets to make the document reader friendly? What could be improved in the memos you reviewed?
2.2: Major Topic Emails
2.2.1: Purpose
Read the second section, "E-mail". The authors define several purposes for email, including serving in both internal and external communications contexts.
Although email is very common, it is also a new form of correspondence with rules that are not yet settled. Even so, it is still possible to make mistakes. This article brings up some things to consider as you craft effective professional emails.
Read these e-mails and then follow the instructions to complete this assessment. Note that it is important for you to critique each element in the table and that you recognize that some elements have more than one problem. Realize, however, that while your revised emails should improve the elements you criticized, there are many ways to do so and thus the emails you produce will not be the same as the examples provided in the answers.
- Make a submissionIn a paragraph (50–100 words), create an inventory of the emails you received or sent in the last two days. Where they internal or external? What purpose did the sender have for sending the email? Was email the best communication tool for that purpose?
- Make a submission
In a page (150–250 words), answer the following questions about an email you might want to compose for your personal or professional life:
- Is this message suitable for e-mail, or could I better communicate the information with a letter, phone call, or face-to-face meeting?
- What is my purpose for sending this e-mail? Will the message seem important to the receiver, or will it be seen as an annoyance and a waste of time?
- How many e-mails does the reader usually receive, and what will make him/her read this message (or delete it)?
- Do the formality and style of my writing fit the expectations of my audience?
- How will my message look when it reaches the receiver? Is it easy to read? Have I used correct grammar and punctuation? Have I divided my thoughts into discrete paragraphs? Are important items, such as due dates, highlighted in the text?
- Have I provided enough context for my audience to easily understand or follow the thread of the message?
- Did I identify myself and make it easy for the reader to respond in an appropriate manner?
- Will the receiver be able to open and read any attachments?
2.2.2: Best Practices for Emails
- Make a submissionIn a paragraph (50–100 words), review the subject lines of emails you have received. What made them effective or ineffective? What role does a subject line play? In a second paragraph, critically examine the formatting of several of the emails you have received or sent. Do they meet the standard of using line breaks or whitespace and being concise (under three paragraphs)? Why is formatting key in emails? How does save time for both the sender and the reader?
2.3: Ethics of Electronic Communication
Watch the video or read the transcript. Andy Yen focuses much of his discussion on the privacy concerns related to emails at the server level. We can take this down to a much more personal level – how easy is it to share an email with someone else? How easy is it to share confidential data across the Internet in general? Have you seen new stories about posts on social media that result forced resignations or terminations? Reflect on how a single social media posting or improperly shared email ruin a person's career.
- Make a submission
In paragraph (50–100 words), document the ethical questions raised by electronic communication. Include any real world experience you have with issues and your plans for dealing with these concerns in the workplace.
2.3.1: CC and BCC
Read this article on primary, secondary, and hidden audiences.
2.3.2: Confidentiality
Read the "Business Ethics" section. Study the example in the second paragraph of the business ethics section about the newsletter vendor selection process in light of how easy it is to share documents and information electronically.
2.3.3: Legal Requirements for Record Keeping
Skim this website. It shows some of the many challenges faced by the public sector in terms of record keeping. These rules and regulations vary by industry and specific company policies. Both public and private industries face certain legal requirements for electronic record keeping. Aside from legal requirements, there are some cases where having a "paper trail" can protect an employee's interests or document customer service issues. Knowing that the documents you create as a technical writer can have larger implications helps you to better plan and prepare what the documents should contain and how they should be retained.
Skim this website along with the one above.
- Make a submissionIn a paragraph (50–100 words), describe what you feel would be necessary for an email retention policy in your current or intended workplace. Justify your stance with examples.
Unit 2 Assessment
- Receive a grade
In this assessment, you will consider which forms of correspondence would best meet your needs in different situations. After you write your answers, you will also be shown sample responses to help you assess your writing.
- Receive a grade
In this assessment, you will write and format a memo that responds to a realistic scenario. Apply what you know about audience to ensure your memo is effective. Once you are done, you can use the sample memos to assess your writing.
- Receive a grade
In this assessment, you will write a revision to an email. Incorporate your understanding of emails as a form of professional correspondence and your awareness of security and privacy issues in your response. Once you have written your revised email, compare it to the sample emails to assess your writing.