When is chronological organization appropriate in a memo

Depending on the particular topic, there are a variety of ways in which writers can organize their work. There is no right way to organize writing; rather, it involves careful consideration of what structure would make the most sense for the topic.

It is also important to think about how the reader would best understand the message you are trying to convey. Chronological A chronological pattern organizes information according to the sequence of time. Spatial When it is necessary to articulate how things fit together, a spatial pattern of organization would help. Cause-Effect Sometimes, if you are writing about a particular problem, you might find that your argument is pointing out the particular root causes of that problem.

Problem-Solution Much like the cause-effect pattern, the problem-solution pattern describes a problem and its solution s. Compare and Contrast When you are comparing-contrasting two or more items or ideas, this pattern will obviously work the best. Advantages-Disadvantages When illuminating the advantages and disadvantages of two or more things, this pattern of organization will help the reader to understand both sides of an issue.

Topical Most of the time, when writing does not fit into the above-mentioned categories, it requires a topical organizational pattern. When the audience is not receptive to the message, it is best to lead up to the purpose gradually. In both types of organization, action information such as deadlines or contact information or a courteous closing statement is placed in the last paragraph. While memo reports and policy memos are examples of documents that have a more formal tone, most memos will have a conversational style—slightly informal but still professional.

The audience of memos are those with whom the writer works, so the writing style usually assumes a relationship with them and therefore a certain lack of formality ; just keep in mind that the relationship is a professional one, so the writing should reflect that. Furthermore, as with all workplace documents, the audience may contain a variety of readers, and the style and tone should be appropriate for all of their technical and authority levels.

Help us identify great employees! Common Memo Writing Situations Memos are used in a variety of workplace communication situations, from documentation of procedures and policies to simple announcements. Below are some common types of memos:. Memos may be distributed manually through print medium in organizations in which not all employees have access to email.

Organizations with access to email may distribute memos as attachments to email. All factual information that later appears in the discussion section of the memorandum should be described in the facts section. This is the heart of the memo. Here, you need to educate the reader about the applicable legal principles, illustrate how those principles apply to the relevant facts, and explore any likely counterarguments to the primary line of analysis you present.

Many law offices will expect you to begin with a short thesis paragraph that briefly identifies the issue and the applicable rule without elaboration , and restates the short answer. Follow with an introductory section, which provides a map or framework for the discussion as a whole.

The introductory section should summarize and synthesize the rule, setting out all subparts of the rule and clarifying how they relate to one another. When the synthesized rule is derived from case law, the discussion of the cases should focus on general principles, on the criteria that courts use to describe the rule, rather than on the specific facts and reasoning of the cases.

The introductory section is also where you would mention, if applicable, information about the procedural posture of a case, about burdens and standards of proof, and about rules of interpretation pertinent to the law you are applying. You should identify any undisputed issues, and explain why they are not in dispute.

Then state the order in which the remaining issues or subparts of an issue will be discussed. For a useful discussion of an introductory section, please see pp. Edwards, Legal Writing and Analysis Aspen After setting forth the conclusion and the rule, you should explain the rule by providing an in-depth discussion of the cases from which the rule is derived. Do not ramble on with insignificant details. If you are having trouble putting the task into words, consider whether you have clarified the situation.

You may need to do more planning before you're ready to write your memo. Make sure your purpose-statement forecast divides your subject into the most important topics that the decision-maker needs. If your memo is longer than a page, you may want to include a separate summary segment. However, this section is not necessary for short memos and should not take up a significant amount of space.

This segment provides a brief statement of the key recommendations you have reached. These will help your reader understand the key points of the memo immediately. This segment may also include references to methods and sources you have used in your research. The discussion segments are the longest portions of the memo, and are the parts in which you include all the details that support your ideas.

Begin with the information that is most important.