The joy of a memo
As a child my favourite film was the Pelican Brief. This was for several reasons. I loved the fact that it was a story about truth speaking up to power and defeating it. Weirdly the thing I loved most was the brief itself. The idea that a written document could have such power.
Over the past few months many of my clients have started a journey, moving away from slides to a world of memos. At Airbnb I have written more than 30 so far this year. For someone who loves slide ware it’s been a challenging but rewarding transition.
So what’s so great about a memo?
Well firstly it’s a lot quicker than writing a set of slides. You don’t have to spend hours on Unsplash looking for that perfect image. You’re not stuck scrolling on nounproject for an icon. You aren’t spending hours making sure boxes on keynote align. You simply open up google docs and away you go.
Another great benefit of the memo is the ability to land complex ideas without a lot being lost in translation. Complex topics disseminated via slides often require clever diagrams. These diagrams mean a lot to the author but often fail to land the same meaning with meeting attendees or readers. Instead, taking a few paragraphs to describe a complex solution or problem means you spend more time thinking it through and describing it in a way that is simple, succinct and easy to digest.
Then there’s the challenge of nuances. When going through a set of slides you’ll often be asked questions that you think your slide is already answering. You’ll find that words are better at communicating messages than a diagram or image you’ve decided to create.
So how do you write a great memo?
Well I’m still learning but here’s my two cents.
1. Keep language simple and avoid acronyms. Imagine you’re writing for someone who has no idea about the topic you’re writing about.
2. Always include an executive summary that distils the document into 6–7 lines. Think Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
3. Brevity is everything. Avoid recreating War and Peace.
4. Don’t be scared of writing a lengthy memo. (this one isn’t in conflict with the advice above. The reality is that some issues are complex and can’t be distilled into a one pager. In a world of ‘Too long didn’t read’ (TLDR) don’t be afraid to write a lengthy memo and demand that people take the time to read it).
5. Know your audience and tailor accordingly. Include relevant background information especially if not all readers will be aware.
6. Think of questions or objections as a way to craft and structure your memo. If you know what questions you’ll be asked then use these to start populating your memo.
7. Share as a pre-read but allow for reading time at the start of each meeting. I originally wasn’t a fan of this approach but the reality is that few people actually read pre-reads which soon becomes clear when questions come flying in that are already answered in the memo.
In the last month I’ve written memos on segmentation, closed loop, product management and SEO strategy. It hasn’t been an easy transition for me but one I’ve relished.
For a long time we’ve been sold the view that pictures tell a thousand words. Well sometimes words are just better at landing messages. Try it. Ditch your next slide pack and write a memo. You’ll save time, learn new skills, fall in love with writing and improve engagement.
At Strategy Activist we help clients improve the way they work. Just this year we’ve helped several clients embrace new ways of working to become more effective and efficient. To learn more about what we do and how we can help you visit us at www.strategyactivist.com or call us on +44 7786063053.
