Memo Organisation
Aims: This exercise is to show you the organisation of a memo and how to use sub-headings to improve the clarity.
Instructions: Read the memo on the right, then answer the questions on the left. The answers are not as easy as they seem, so read the memo carefully and think about Hugo Tsang's aim.
Questions
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Answers:
- Hugo wants to present the information logically: what
caused the memo, the investigation and finally the request for action.
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(Note: He has cleverly 'hidden' the fact that non-smokers only have a majority of 1 in the middle of the text, emphasising the request for action and the fact that the memo comes from the Staff Liaison Committee. He is attempting to influence Sandra to implement the request, even though many people voted against it.)
For you to think about:
If you were Sandra Lai,- would you know how many staff are on the Staff Liason Committee, and did they all attend the meeting?
- would you know how powerful the smokers on the committee are?
- would this memo give you all the information you need to make a decision?
- would you ban smoking?
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- Bold headings are clearer : the different parts are
separated and summarised.
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Last updated on: Monday, March 26, 2012