::..:: ARCHIVES ::..::

Before we get into the task of writing a memo, here is a short exercise. Imagine your pants had caught fire. Would you want someone to simply sound the alarm and scream out a warning to you: “Your pants are on fire”? Or, would you rather they beat around the bush with a statement such as: “uh, I apologise for my interruption, but based on observations made by me, I regret to inform you that…!” I guess the answer is pretty obvious.

And it is so, because we all recognise that:

• The situation demands urgent action,


• The purpose of the communication is to grab attention and encourage action,


• The communication needs to be precise, unambiguous, and to the point.

The above may be an extreme example, but the dynamic business environment we operate in is quite similar to this. We are constantly trying to communicate with each other via phones and Blackberries, and through meetings, memos, instructions, feedbacks and responses, and so on. Given the amount we communicate daily with our colleagues and business associates, we have to make sure that our business communication style is as action-oriented, precise, unambiguous, effective and efficient as “Your pants are on fire!”

Here are five simple tips to help you get better at written business communication:

State the purpose of your communication upfront. At the beginning, tell the recipient what action is expected of him once he has read through the entire memo. For example: “This seeks your approval for an additional allocation of Rs X lakh to the 2009-10 advertising budget of Brand X to ensure delivery of the set sales targets.” This is completely contrary to our natural instinct. We would much rather start by building the case for our request: “We are facing a stiff challenge in delivering our 2009-10 sales target because…, etc. And so in order to…, we would need... ”. We feel safer doing so. However, this is not a very efficient style of communication.

The reader just wants to know what all those sentences lead to. If he is made aware of the intent upfront, he would absorb the information in the right context. Also, by stating the purpose upfront, you make it easier for the recipient to prioritise the urgency with which he consumes your communication, given that he is hit by hundreds of other pieces of information in a single day.

After stating the purpose, state the context or the background: These details or facts ensure that the recipient of the business communication is on the same page as you and understands the business situation from your perspective. For example, “Brand X has been losing market share for the last three quarters in a row.” Once you have set the context, follow up with a detailed recommendation/plan.

Conclude with clearly-stated next steps: Remember, the purpose of your communication is to either share, or ask for, or enable a business decision. Hence, it should always contain a clearly identifiable set of next steps that will happen as a result of that business decision. For instance: “Brand X team to present enhanced media plan to management for approval by....”, or “Process to track utilisation of incremental marketing spends in place by....” This ensures the business benefit of the communication.

Apply the grandmother rule: How often have we all heard the familiar phrase, “But I thought you meant.......?” Misinterpretation or misunderstanding of a communication is often a greater cause for business loss, than a bad business decision. The cause for this confusion are statements like: “If an internal audit process highlights that a vendor has received a consideration, which the said party was not entitled to, then the concerned party shall be deemed to be obliged to repay to the organisation the said sum of consideration, which they received even though they were not entitled to it.”

Cut out the verbosity, and write the memo clearly using simple words: “If the audit process finds a vendor who has been paid a sum he was not entitled to, then he must return the money back to the company.”

At the start of my career, one of my bosses at P&G would always ask me to do the “grandmother” check on any piece of communication that I had written. This was to ensure that anybody, including my grandmother who had no knowledge of business, reading the communication would take away exactly what was intended.

Answer the question first: This is a corollary of point 1. When faced with a question like “How is business?”, or “Are you on target?” we often tend to start by explaining what went wrong and why, and only then get into the exact status. But going directly to the point is always more effective - “Sales are up/down by X% vs target at the end of the half year.” Justifications can follow.

Though these tips sound simple, they take some practice and focus before they become second nature. But it is worth a try, because with effective communication practices, you could really help fire up your business instead of your pants!