MEMOS

Overview

The term "memos" is a shortened form of "memoranda" or "memorandums."

Memos, sometimes referred to as "interoffice correspondence," are written communications intended for an internal audience. They are generally less formal than letters and reports.

The content of a memo ranges from a brief announcement to full-fledged situation analyses and action recommendations. Consequently, their length also varies depending upon their purpose and content.

Some organizations choose to arbitrarily limit the length of memos to a single page, suggesting that messages requiring more than one page have enough content to justify a report. Other organizations allow memos to be as long as required, which necessitates the use of summaries, headings, lists, and other emphatic devices to facilitate their reading.