Some industries have small consequences if you mess up.  A florist forgets to include one of the flowers in a display.  A painter uses the wrong color on a hallway. Other industries, such as law, consulting and insurance, potentially have much more severe consequences.  If you are in one of these industries, you would be wise to use a useful tool called a “Memo To File”.

A Memo To File is essentially a way to record important information and have it readily accessible if/when you need to remember it.

For example, a lawyer might write a Memo To File if he gave legal advice to a client and the client chose not to follow it.  This would help protect the lawyer from fallout should the client’s choice cause harm.  An insurance agent might record a Memo To File in order to note coverage he recommended and the differing final choice the customer makes.  As a consultant, you want to protect yourself from decisions your client makes that you disagree with, but which he may try to blame you for the outcome. 

Keeping good records allows you to present the memos in a legal setting and provide evidence of what you advised, and what the client ended up choosing. 

Memo Format

There are many formats for memos that are acceptable, and each particular organization will have its preferences, but they basically adhere to this structure:

To: the person/department the memo is meant for

From: the person writing the memo

Date: September 15, 2007

Subject: short description of your topic

On a new line, the content of the memo is filled. You would then file it away for records, and always be able to call upon it if needed. Here is a useful site that has some tips on writing good memos: http://www.managementhelp.org/writing/memosmpl.htm

The key to writing a Memo To File is doing it as soon as you can after you identify a need for it - the more time you push it off, the less accurate your memory will be, and the less precise your memo’s details will be.

I’m eager to hear your tips on writing a Memo To File (as well as general memos).