How to Write an Executive Memo

Writing an Executive Memo Your strategy professors contain asked the English skill to cover the administrator memorandumrandaranda, which you entrust use in your strategic steering assort, for two reasons * The ability to write a short, informative, well-written memo like this will serve you well in your future careers. * Writing a nice memo is difficult and requires practice. Students in past strategic management classes have had trouble with the guidelines youll see in the following paragraph. Please read this schedule carefully and be prepared to demonstrate your redeing during the next class session.An executive memo is a short (no more(prenominal) than 500 words) intimate document whose purpose is to make strategic recommendations to a company. The executive memo has 4 parts the regaining, the recommendation, the action object, and the discussion of alternatives, in that order. When you write your executive memo, there are several important guidelines to keep in promontory * The memo is short, so every word should count. Dont shoot a line time giving the company information it already has (i. e. , what the company does, how untold its sold, and so forth * Its important that you present the material in the order given here. This is non creative writing * Everything in the memo should be connected to the vent at hand the recommendation, the action visualize, and the alternatives should totally serve to resolve the riposte. * Since the memo concentratees on the issue, it is crucial that you state the issue clearly. Starting your memo the dependant line Make sure your subject line encapsulates the main issue of your memo. Section 1 The Issue * The memo should begin with a statement of the strategy enigma you will terminus (i. . , you are defining the problem). This definition is key because it determines the direction which the rest of the memo will take. * It is vital to distinguish between observational information and the problem you want to solve. Be crystal clear and specific about the issue you will address. Your issue section should do the following * Identify the root problems associated with the issue. * Provide a measure of how significant the problem is. * Provide a sense of how urgent the problem is. * Identify the risk if the issue is not addressed.Section 2 Recommendation(s) This section comes early in the memo because its more important that the commentator see it than the alternatives. Nevertheless, its best to write your alternatives introductory and choose from among them. * Your recommendation must be one of your alternatives and must tint back to the issue and causes you have defined initially. * State CLEARLY what resolvent you recommend and briefly why it represents the best alternative. * Normally, the recommendation will be one alternative however, sometimes it may incorporate one persuasion of a second option. Indicate briefly that you understand whatever drawbacks may exist to the solution you have chosen. * Make sure your recommendation is graphic given physical and economic limitations. Section 3 Action program This section should be a brief bullet list. The action plan is a schedule for the implementation of the recommendations you have made. * The goal of the action plan is to show the reader (your boss) the scope of the activity involved and demonstrate your understanding of what has to be done to complete it. * Since someone else will probably stomach out the recommendations, your action plan gives that person a template to follow. move it up into activity periods Immediate, Short term, etc. , with days in brackets. This gives the reader a sense of the time period the program will be finished in. Section 4 Discussion of alternatives This section helps the reader understand how you came to your decision and demonstrates that you considered the issue thoroughly. Be sure to present three commonsensical alternatives. * The section should begin wit h a brief introductory paragraph for priming this paragraph should include the basic criteria which the alternatives are judged on. You should then move on to discuss THREE alternatives, which should all have a similar focus 3 on a new target market, 3 on a marketing strategy, 3 on new distribution channels, etc. * For each alternative, you need to give factors in its favour and the reasons for your rejection, in some other words, the pros and cons of each alternative. As you analyze each alternative, keep in headland the risk factor(s) you identified for the issue. * Remember that alternatives and the arguments you make for it must address the issue you have defined.