HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemorandum Guidelines - As Of 08-22-12Memo
Ta Department Directors
vta Da id Greene, City Manager
FROM: Angela M. Apperson, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk jilt
DATE: 8/21/2012
RE: City Business Letters and Inter -Office Memos
As we continue to "raise the bar", one of our goals is to consistently produce professional
quality, correctly formatted business letters and inter -office memos. Listed below are
guidelines to be immediately implemented, which will result in the standardization of these
documents:
Business Letters
J • Font/Size: Times New Roman/12pt.
�0 • Date: Month, day and year, left justified.
• Inside Address: Recipient's name, title/business (if known & if applicable) and
address, left justified.
• Subject Line (if applicable): Capitalize, bold, left justified.
• Salutation: "Dear" full name, colon and blank line.
• Body: Paragraph format, single spaced, fully justified.
• Second/Subsequent Pages: Recipient's name, page number and date, top of page, left
justified.
• Should you desire to include your phone number or e-mail address for the
convenience of recipient, do so in body of the letter.
• Closing: "Sincerely," one line below final body paragraph, left justified; leave four
spaces between closing and sender's name and title.
• Initials: Sender's initials in caps, colon, typist's initials "XX:xx" directly below
sender's name and title.
• Enclosures/Copies: If letter contains an enclosure, indicate by typing "Enc." two lines
below initials; if letter contains several enclosures, type "Encs."; they may be listed
individually. If letter is being copied to any individual(s), indicate by typing "cc" two
lines below "Enc." List external individuals first (name and title) followed by internal
individuals (name and title).
• Proofreading: To be reviewed by two sets of eyes for accuracy. When reviewing, use
critical thinking skills and assess whether the reader can "poke holes" and/or follow
the content. Read text four times: structure, logic, understanding, grammar and
punctuation.
Other tips for writing a good business letter:
• Use succinct language, while stressing accuracy and specificity.
• Assume receiver will not have much time and will want to quickly understand the
point of the message.
• Writing style relies on the circumstances; it is important to use the correct degree of
formality.
• Be concise, but still consider the tone in order to avoid being blunt.
For your reference, attached is a sample xxxxxxx business letter.
Inter -Office Memos
• Font/Size: Times New Roman/12pt.
• Body: Paragraph format, single spaced, fully justified.
• Format each memo in the same manner: to, from, via (if applicable), date and subject
line clearly designated. These elements should be bolded and in all capital letters.
• Clearly state the purpose of the memo in the subject line and in the opening paragraph.
Example: Company Update. Revision: Company Dress Code Update.
• Keep language professional, simple and polite.
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• Eliminate inappropriate words. Example: "It is obvious from the difference in
elevation with relation to the short depth of the field that the contour is such as to
preclude any reasonable developmental potential for economic utilization." Revision:
"The field is too steep to plow."
• Keep paragraphs short, five lines or less.
• No signature block at bottom; sender to initial next to his/her name. If memo includes
a via line, that individual shall initial next to his/her name.
• If inter -office memo contains Attachments/Copies, use the same Enclosures/Copies
format as business letters.
• Proofreading: Same process as business letters.
For your reference, attached is a sample xxxxxx inter -office memo.
Please disseminate this information to your Staff. Thank you.
Attachments
3
Date
Recipient's Name:=
Title (if known & applicable)'
Business (if known & applicable)
Street Address/P. O. Box
City, State, ZC
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Recipient's Name
Page Number
Date
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Please call me at or e-mail me at ,::.: should you
have any questions or need additional information.
.cam
Sincerely,
i
Sender's Name
Title �•: ��:�
XX:xx
Y
Encs.
(1) Exhibit A
(2) Exhibit B
va
(3) Exhibit C
4;� . �rr Vii•;.
r
cc: Anthony, Garganese, Cty Atto ne►y t
Kate Lat6rre4Assistant Ci ttorney,'
David L. ditene,-,City, Managed:,
.Angela Apperson, A'ssi'stant CityrtlVlanager/City Clerk
r'
Memo
To Name(s) and job title(s) of the recipient(s)
viA: Supervisor of person writing the memo
FROM: Your name and job title
DATE: Complete and exact date the memo wasw
RE: Subject matter �'-
Write the opening segment. S'
parts: the context of the proble
Identify the exact reason for writi
r•- rr p+ys7
Include a summarfik" .
suggestions. This will 1 e
summary can also include
on the issue`
'the memo and identify the purpose in three
assignment and the purpose of the memo.
make it clear to the reader.
gKhould provide a brief statement of important
1.understand the key points of the memo. The
to sources that you have used in your research
Expand in tli' .;disc Aft.;,se menti In this segment, include all of the details that support
y �}r ideas and r'66ommend0' for solving the problem.
�A-
�!Timsh with a closing segment. Close the memo with a friendly ending that states what
actions o�want the reader to take.
may:, • � ,
(--lose with a call; to action. If there is something you want the reader to do by a particular
time, say so. ,-
Revi wo-spelling, grammar and content errors. Pay particular attention to names, dates
and/or numbers. Be consistent in the type of language you use.
Attachments/Copies — same format as Enclosures/Copies in business letters
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