I NEED HELP IN TRYING TO WRITE A INTEROFFICE MEMO WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION.
Background
Phoenix Advertising, with its main headquarters in Charlotte,
North Carolina, serves clients that include banks, insurance
companies, and retail chains.
You’re the vice president of human resources management at
Phoenix. You report directly to Gregory S. Forest, the company
president. Mr. Forest advises you that in the last month, four
clients have complained about the advertising work produced
by the Roanoke, Virginia branch of the agency. He reminds
you that the clients served from the Roanoke branch are vital
to the overall success of Phoenix Advertising.
Mr. Forest also explains the little he has been able to learn
about the situation at the branch: In the last three months,
two of the top management people—an art director and an
account executive—have left the agency. Three of the graphic
designers and four of the copywriters are threatening to quit
because they feel their creative efforts are being rejected or revised without consultation. They want to be part of a
collaborative team, not to simply produce work that the art
directors and account executives can alter arbitrarily.
In an attempt to increase revenues, the branch is accepting
new clients without evaluating the effects of the new accounts
on the current project workload. As a result, without notice or
compensation for the additional hours, all salaried employees
are required to work long hours several days each week.
Employee morale and productivity are declining day by day.
1. Start by creating facts, figures, and people for the company.
2. Try to flesh out the above background information and your position in the company.
3. The following questions are provided to jumpstart your prewriting, but you must expand on them to brainstorm thoroughly.
4. In addition to listing details, also free write about the Phoenix Advertising agency and its executive team.
How large is the agency?
How many branches does it have?
Where are the branches located?
What’s the company’s mission? How does each branch relate to that mission?
What are the company’s primary business goals?
What do clients need from Phoenix Advertising?
Who are the people on the executive team (other vice presidents of other departments)?
Who’s in charge of the agency’s accounts in all the branches?
Who knows about policies for accepting and assigning new accounts?
Who knows about the policies for collaborative work among account executives, art directors, graphic designers, and copywriters?
Are any other branches losing clients?
Now brainstorm and free write more specifically about your own department and the people who work for you.
What are their names and positions?
What would an organizational chart of your department look like?
What policies have you established for the agency about overtime for salaried employees?
Are branches allowed to have different policies?
Under what conditions can you have different policies?
What are the compensation and benefits packages for the positions of art director and account executive at the branch level?
Do they depend on the location of the branch and local competitors or is there a general agency package for each position?
Step 2
After your meeting with Mr. Forest, you realize you need
information from other members of the executive team.
Using the ABC method, draft one interoffice memo to be sent
to the entire executive team. Briefly summarize in one paragraph
the situation with the Roanoke Branch. Explain how
the situation affects Phoenix Advertising as a company and
why it demands immediate attention. In a separate paragraph
explain the actions you need different team members to take
(who must provide what information). Tell the team when
(specific date) and how they should get the information to you
(report, e-mail, etc.). Close your memo with an appropriate final
line or two. Make sure you copy the president on the memo.
4 answers
There are several sites in here that will help with the format of writing a memo. As Ms. Sue has said, your directions are very clear about what you need to include in the memo.