16 POLICE SEPTEMBER 2011

writing memos is not a particularly fun topic. It’s not as interesting as, say, fi rearms or combatives, but it’s an

important part of the job nonetheless. Have you ever read a poorly written memo? I have, and it’s embarrassing. We want to be considered professionals and yet we often write drivel. Memos are fi lled with misspelled words and gram-mar errors, but what’s even worse is when the writing creates more ques-tions than it answers. It’s especially embarrassing when such a memo comes from someone who gets paid a great deal more money because of his or her rank and position.

Th ere is an ebb and fl ow to writing memos. Th e goal of any memo is ei-ther to bring attention to a problem by providing information, or to solve a problem by defi ning what action should be taken. Let’s look at how to do this by identifying the target au-dience, defi ning what they need to know, and placing the information in a successful format.

iDenTiFYing Your auDienCeYour target group should be limited. Communicating with any group larger than a handful should instead be handled via a training bulletin, policy and procedure, or a letter of in-struction. Sensitive issues are often best handled in person.

Your target audience will usually consist of decision-makers. Th at means answering two questions up front: who you are writing to and why they need to know. Consider their position, responsibilities, and what projects they are already connected to. Since all law enforcement has a bu-reaucratic and politically charged structure, each recipient you are writing to is not just a position or title. It’s a human being, and you need to know something about that person in order to be eff ective.

For example, how does he perceive bad news? Is he open-minded? And what has been your experience with him? Sometimes having someone else write the memo, even if it is your idea, gives it a better chance of success. Take some time to think about how the information will be received.

Why your target audience needs to know is equally im-

portant. Th e military has a simple philosophy on handing information; they use “the need to know” as a paradigm. In the age of e-mails, the Internet, and intranets, we “cc” the crap out of everybody in an eff ort to CYA. But it’s usually unnecessary and an annoyance. As a unit commander, I al-ready had enough paperwork to deal with so I always appre-

ciated a carefully crafted memo that was actually relevant to me in some way. Usually memos that I received were split equally between a project fi le and the trash. Th ey’re either use-ful or they’re not.

Don’t be the person who writes a memo for everything. Th ere is still such a thing as a phone call, as well as bumping into someone in a hall-way, or just plain going to speak to someone in his or her offi ce.

whaT TheY neeD To KnowOnce you identify the who and why

of a memo, you need to focus on the what. Memos by na-ture contain very specifi c and focused information, so don’t ramble. If you are bringing attention to something then it’s important to include a brief background, specifi c points that you are making about the issue, and fi nally what it is you want back from the reader. In other words, include anything the reader would need to make an informed decision.

For example, let’s say you’re a supervisor and you are having a disciplinary problem with one of your subordi-nates. You formulate a memo that asks to invoke a formal disciplinary process. In this example, you must include the background that led to this point, what you have already done in order to try to correct the problem, disciplinary his-tory, what policy violations are involved, and what it is you need back from the reader to continue. If there is enough information to suggest a policy violation, then the last item covered should be seeking permission to go forward with an internal aff airs investigation.

On the other hand, if you are not asking something but are giving instructions to take some type of action, you still mention the background, but you then add where you are with the issue, and state how you want it handled. With an

Crafting a focused message targeting the right audience is key to getting your point across.

The arT oF memo wriTing

Best PracticesamaurY murgaDo

For more Best Practices go towww.PoliceMag.com/bestpractices

If it's a procedure change, list the changes systematically.

18 POLICE SEPTEMBER 2011

Best Practices

problem and provide a series of solutions. Unless you are totally clueless, a decision-maker wants to see you have put thought into the issue and are not just passing the buck. Watch your tone; don’t let an emo-tionally charged topic get the better of you. Use facts, make a logical argument, and always try to include options. No one likes to be hemmed in. And don’t try to surround your idea with less desirable ones as a ploy. It’s an old con that seldom survives a question and answer period.

Make sure to outline your points sys-tematically. If you know how to write a de-cent police report then you should already know how to do this. Police reports are written chronologically, categorically, or in some type of combination of both. No one wants to read something that takes forever to get to the point or bounces all over the place going nowhere.

Take your reader from Point A to Point B as painlessly as possible. If you are giving instructions, make sure they are clear and easy to follow. If there is any wiggle room, outline where and when the reader can apply his own judgment. If you don’t and he ends up not doing what you wanted, it’s your fault, not his.

Final ThoughTsAbove all, approach memo-writing from a standpoint of practicality. Try to keep your memo at one page but no more than two. Anything longer is not a memo and should be handled differently. Your memos are public record and subject to freedom of information-type legislation. Write them well unless you want the world to think you’re an idiot. Place only the informa-tion necessary to get your point across. And always follow-up after you write it. It will help you combat the bureaucrat who deflects criticism by saying he didn’t get it or doesn’t remember. Of course, it’s your name on the memo and not mine, so feel free to write it however you wish; it’s just paper. But then again, it’s you they’ll be calling onto the carpet, not me.

Amaury Murgado is a special operations lieutenant with the Osceola County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office. He is a retired master ser-geant from the Army Reserve, has 24 years of law enforcement experience, and has been a lifelong student of martial arts.

known or what you want done. You need to create a balance of information; write too much, you lose the reader. If you write too little, he or she won’t understand. The writing cliché "less is more" aptly applies. Writing a concise memo is harder than writing a long one. This is why you see so much drivel in interoffice communica-tion. So often the writer doesn’t take the time to craft her documents. To make life easier, she quickly writes 10 words instead of thinking of the appropriate two.

A memo might require varying degrees of involvement. The body might need a tasking section or a discussion section. You may need to list assumptions or detail the pros and cons of an option. In addi-

action memo, you need to include all the information necessary for the reader to become successful in completing the task. This means including the parameters, limitations, and the date when it needs to be completed. You can expect clarify-ing questions; minimize them by being as thorough as possible. Your failure to describe what you want done will result in the recipient’s failure to get it done.

As a sergeant I worked for a lieutenant who never told me anything except “Get it done.” When I asked questions, his re-sponse would make you think I had per-sonally insulted him. Then, when I han-dled it the way I thought it needed to be handled, he would tear my work product apart. Help your people become success-ful and don’t waste their time. Otherwise they will certainly waste yours.

Following The FormaTA memo follows the usual layout of head-ing, opening, body, and close. The heading or subject line will help determine wheth-er your memo will be taken seriously, let alone even read. Hit them hard there and you will get their attention. Subject lines like, “HAZMAT Concern,” “Problems with Booking,” and “Overuse of TASER” will stand out because they grab your at-tention immediately. Don’t ever be gener-ic or funny in this area or you will lose any sense of urgency.

The introduction is your opportunity to set the hook. It’s here where you supply the reader with the background, problem, or mission statement. If you lose the read-er here, your memo will be given a cursory treatment. Therefore, make your first sen-tence the strongest.

The body is where you find the support-ing evidence for your communication. Here’s where you list the points you want

1 Pop with an attention-getting subject line.

2 Make the first sentence strong, as that’s your hook.

3 You are either asking for informa-tion or telling someone what to do.

4 It takes time to write concisely.5 Close as strongly as you open; it’s

your last chance to impress your points upon the reader.

TiPs for MeMo WriTing

Crafting a good memo takes time.

tion, in order to bolster your point of view, you might have to provide additional at-tachments. You want to draw a picture for your reader. Anything that you can do to help make that picture come in clear and in focus will make your memo stronger and more effective.

The closing requires your attention because it’s your last chance to make an impression on the reader. You might have to craft a short summary or hit upon your main point one more time. A closing shouldn’t consist of just “thanks for your attention to this matter.” Remember, you can lose your reader at any point in your writing. You need to start strong and fin-ish strong.

memo wriTing TipsEmploying several simple techniques can take your memo from laughable to laudable. Remember to define the issue at hand by including the background, where you are now, and where you’d like to be. It’s a good philosophy to outline the