Office Memorandum, Office Orders and Press Release

Office Memorandum

A memorandum (or “memo”) is a (usually) short piece of writing designed for communication within an organization. It is a piece of business communication, typically aimed at a specific audience (like members of your unit or team). It is typically either a reminder of the importance of some particular thing (e.g., renewed efforts in customer service) or a request to take specific action (e.g., be at a team meeting Monday at 2pm to discuss something specific.)

In a short sense, memo is a written message from one person to another person within the exact same company. Office memo is the brief kind of memorandum. The actual meaning of the word memorandum is a note to help the memory. Memorandum is particular in number. Its plural forms are memorandums or memoranda.

A memorandum is a written note or communication specifically in business between individuals working for the same company.”

A memo can be used:

• To issue directions to the things
• To communicate regarding policy changes to the personnel
• To give/seek tips
• To ask for help or details to verify a decision reached on the telephone, and so on

However, a memo might not be discovered proper if the matter is of a complex or serious nature including lengthy conversation.

A memo can be applied for future referral. For that reason, it functions as an evidence to serve legal issues.

Memo is a short piece of writing generally used by the officers of an organization for communicating among themselves.

• Used by a Person Known to the Receiver Personally
• Less Formal in Tone and Without Formal Elements e.g. Salutation/Greetings/Complimentary Close or even Signatures at the end
• Short, in a Friendly Tone

Uses of Office Memorandum

• To Provide Information
• To Issue Instruction
• To Convey Policy Decision
• To Offer/Invite Suggestion
• To Record/Report an Agreement
• To Establish Accountability
• Helps you to avoid meeting personally, when necessary

Basic Principles and Characteristics of Office Memorandum

• Necessary and Sufficient Information
• Do not Assume that Everyone knows Everything related to the issue discussed in the Memo
• Be Clear, Concrete and Specific
• Easy-to-Understand
• Explain with Ease and Co-operation
• NO Emotional Appeal

Office orders

Office order is an order issued by the employer or the authority or senior employees. Office orders contain instructions about work-related information indicated by the organization. The employees are bound to accept it. Office orders are issued at the beginning of the month or Monday of the Week to check on the progress.

Office order can be issued on any information like a shift in working hours or promotions or details of employee designation in projects. Officer order is a downward communication which carries a stamp of the company.

These offices order carries out the communication about the change in the designation of the employee or suspension of a specific employee and granting of privileges, disciplinary proceedings. Sometimes office order is issued dealing with imposing restrictions.

Office orders are precise and short to the point and they clearly specify information. Office orders are released towards the individual or intended target group of viewers.

Office order is a means of internal communication within an organization. The term ‘order’ generally means telling subordinates to do or refrain from doing a specific job. But’ passing an order high level executives want their subordinates carry out the order. When a message is conveyed as an order, it means that it carries a stamp of authority with it and has to be accepted. The high level executives circulate office order to the employees. Order is generally issued for posting of employees, promotion, suspension, transfer, and discharge from job, sanction or recession of yearly increment, imposing rules and regulations, enforcing certain rules or course of action etc.

An office order descends from the top of the organizational structure down to the employees for execution. Since office ‘order is a formal course of action, it should preferably be written.

Office order is a sensible part of communication. Its subject matter should be well thought, organized, meaningful and attached with reasonable interpretation so that no unpleasant situation grows in the enterprise. It should be relevant, concise, easy to understand and issued with proper authority and interpretation.

Press release

A press release is a short, compelling news story written by a public relations professional and sent to targeted members of the media. The goal of a press release is to pique the interest of a journalist or publication. The press release should contain all the essential information (who? what? where? when? how? and most importantly why?) for the journalist to easily produce his own story.

The Small Business Encyclopedia defines press releases — also known as news releases as “brief, printed statements that outline the major facts of a news story in journalistic style”. A press release should read like a news story, written in third-person, citing quotes and sources and containing standard press release information.

The standard press release begins with contact information, mostly likely the name, phone number and e-mail address of the person who wrote the release. Then comes the headline, arguably the most important four or five words in the whole press release. The headline will be what the journalist reads first. If it’s not intriguing, newsworthy and unique, he’ll read no further.

Below the headline often comes a brief, one-line summary of the press release.  Like the headline, the summary should draw the reader in quickly and motivate them to learn more.

Since a press release is supposed to look and feel like a story in a newspaper, it’s important to include a location and date stamp at the beginning of the first paragraph. Something like, “Palo Alto, CA – February 5, 2007.” Like a standard news story, the first sentence, or lede, should summarize the main news of the press release in 25 words or less.

The rest of the body of the press release should answer all of the questions a journalist might have about the product, service or event that you’re announcing. Although a press release is a public relations tool, it should not read as overly promotional.  If it sounds too much like a sales pitch, it will lose credibility in the eyes of the journalist.

Press releases typically end with a short description of the company or organization that’s issuing the release, along with a call to action. The call to action could be to participate in the event being promoted, to take a test drive of the product, or simply to find out more by contacting the author of the press release