Interoffice Memo
Interoffice Memo
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Assignment requested deadline May 24 by 10pm. Please read below for information concerning assignment. Support responses with examples and use APA formatting in the paper. You may access the school’s website by logging into:
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Interoffice Memo
The following memo is from an exasperated manager to her staff. Obviously, this manager does not have the time to clean up her writing or another set of eyes to review her written material before mailing it.
From: Albertina Sindaha, Operations Manager
To: All Employees
Subject: Cleanup!
Message
You were all supposed to clean up your work areas last Friday, but that didn’t happen. A few people cleaned their desks, but no one pitched in to clean the common areas.
So we’re going to try again. As you know, we don’t have a big enough custodial budget anymore. Everyone must clean up himself. This Friday I want to see action in the copy machine area, things like emptying waste baskets and you should organize paper and toner supplies. The lunch room is a disaster area. You must do something about the counters, the refrigerator, the sinks, and the coffee machine. And any food left in the refrigerator on Friday afternoon should be thrown out because it stinks by Monday. Finally, the office supply shelves should be straightened.
If you can’t do a better job this Friday, I will have to make a cleaning schedule. Which I don’t want to do. But you may force me to.
Using the South University Online Library or the Internet, research on the basics of interoffice memos. Based on your readings and understanding, create a 2- to 4-page Microsoft Word document that includes:
• An explanation on the effectiveness of the memo with respect to its tone.
• An analysis on the potential barriers to the successful communication of its intended message.
• A revised memo with improved structure using polite and firm tone consistently.
Support your responses with examples.
Cite any sources in APA format.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Interoffice Memo
In the context of office communication, greater emphasis is placed on communication that is not only effective, but whose tone and content is considerate of other peoples’ feelings. Communication presents a platform where not only words are considered, but also the intentions and emotions behind the message or information. The tone of the message presents an important aspect of the message. It is imperative that barriers that may affect the communication’s ability to portray the correct message are avoided. In the case of an interoffice memo, all of the qualities mentioned therein above should be adhered to.
Tone and memo efficiency
The memo by Ms Sindaha is an example of unprofessional communication that is not fit for business communication. The tone used portrays someone who is bitter or one who looks down upon her juniors. A reader receiving such a memo can feel the high level of intimidation in which Ms Sindaha writes the memo. When the tone is bitter, there is an aspect of emotions involved which will affect the receivers of the memo. According to Hamilton (2013), office communication must show consideration for others and targeted people should not feel threatened or intimidated by such communication. This can be demonstrated in the last paragraph where she threatens to develop a schedule if the employees do not act. The sender should use a polite tone and desist from ‘shouting’ and issuing orders and threats. In the event that this occurs, the communication efficiency is likely to be affected as attitudes become imminent in response to the use poor tone.
Starting the subject with an exclamation mark presents a poor approach by the operations manager. The subject of the memo begins with discourteous tone ‘Cleanup!’ which to a great extent affects its effectiveness. Secondly, the memo has an informal tone which can be considered as negative (Hamilton, 2013). The closing remarks are not positive and include threats and the body of the memo is a long series of complaints and feels like a ‘rant’. The informality of the tone coupled with the negative mood created renders the message of the memo ineffective. The lack of positivity will not motivate employees to perform their best in solving the problem. For this reason, the communication can as well as be considered as ineffective. Furthermore, the memo fails to go straight to the point instead of a long explanation of the problem (Guffey, & Loewy, 2012).
Potential barriers to successful communication of memo’s intended message
The memo sent by Ms Sindaha presents various factors that hinder successful exchanges in the office. The message is likely to face a wall of unwanted emotions. As noted earlier, the message needs to be composed with consideration to the feelings of the receivers. For example, in the last paragraph, the manager uses a threat as opposed to using a polite conclusion to encourage receivers to act the memo. The informality of the memo is a barrier to successful communication. Although the message will be received, it will not have the intended impact (Guffey, & Loewy, 2012).
Ms Sindaha does not pay attention to grammar, sentence structure, and punctuations which make it difficult to read the memo. She also mixes up ideas and this ends up confusing the reader or making them lose interest. According to Hamilton (2013), for office communication to be effective in delivering the intended message, it must be well structured and free of grammatical mistakes. In the second paragraph, Ms Sindaha says that everyone must clean up himself. While this was aimed at portraying that everyone should clean after himself, it tends to say that people should clean themselves. Such mistakes jeopardize the effectiveness of internal communication. The discourteous tone or rather the bitter tone used is a major threat to communication effectiveness.
Revised memo with improved structure
From: Albertina Sindaha, Operations Manager
To: All Employees
Subject: Office Clean up
Date:
Message
As you all know, the custodial budget has reduced sigificantly and the company is no longer capable of providing cleaning services. This means that everyone is now responsible for maintaining cleanliness within the organization. This is to inform and remind all the employees on the expected clean-up of the offices and work areas. Areas of significant concern include the printer area, the lunch room, counters, refrigerator, sinks, and the coffee machine area.
I would like to request everyone to cooperate to ensure that the company environment remains as clean as it was when cleaning services were available. Let us all adhere to maintaining cleanliness to the areas outside the offices. Due to the inconveniences caused, a cleaning schedule may need to be developed and supplied to every employee in the departments.
I look forward to a clean office environment through your continued cooperation.
References
Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2012). Essentials of business communication. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Hamilton, C. (2013). Communicating for results: A guide for business and the professions. Boston: Cengage Learning.
White, C. et al (2010). Internal communication, information satisfaction, and sense of community: The effect of personal influence. Journal of Public Relations Research, 22(1), 65-84.
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