A meeting memo helps attendees know what to expect during - and how to prepare for - your meeting. Create a concise yet thorough memo with these steps and a detailed example.
By Fellow.app • August 10, 2021 • 6 min read In this article 6 min read In this article 6 min readThe last thing you want your meeting attendees to walk away with is confusion or a lack of clarity. Organizing decisions and documenting what happens throughout a meeting with a meeting memo will offer a source of truth and a place where attendees and stakeholders can go to seek answers and maintain clarity. Not to mention, having meeting memos available is less disruptive than other means of communication such as messaging or even more meetings!
Our guide to meeting memos will take you through how to compose one and give you an example you can tailor to your own meeting memo needs. Let’s get started!
A meeting memo gives attendees the “who,” “why,” “when,” and “where” of your meeting, plus a few details of what you expect from attendees. Whether the meeting is specific to a department or for all employees company-wide, creating a memo gives attendees a look at what’s to come.
Meeting memos keep your meeting organized, on track, and ensures that everything important gets done. Our guide to meeting memos will take you through how to compose one and give you an example you can tailor to your own meeting memo needs.
Use a meeting management tool like Fellow to have a collaborative meeting agenda to reference when writing a meeting memo so no decisions or important points get forgotten!
A meeting memo should be written with the following style tips in mind:
Before you begin writing your memo, have a clear picture of your meeting’s plan and objectives. This will ensure your memo remains concise and to the point. Briefly write the primary purpose for your meeting along with a list of topics you want to cover and any tasks you want to accomplish during the meeting.
You can send your memo through email or give attendees a hard copy. For a memo sent through email, include a subject line so your memo doesn’t get lost or overlooked in your recipients’ inboxes.
Your subject line should explain the purpose of your meeting in a few words. Avoid vague subject lines like “Friday’s meeting” or “Meeting at 3:30 in the conference room.” Instead, use a more specific yet detailed phrase, like “Friday’s meeting on improving workforce engagement.” This subject line gives your readers some context about the meeting before they open your email.
Include a general greeting to your recipients with a subsequent short sentence. A starting point for this sentence might be, “Please see the attached memo for details about Monday’s meeting on improving engagement within the workplace.” (Notice how you’ve stated the meeting’s subject matter, not just that it’s happening!) You can then share any background information about the meeting that you’ve chosen not to include in the memo.
If you’ve decided to hand out physical copies instead of sending emails, place your memos where recipients have direct access to them, like a workplace mailbox. Posting the memo on a bulletin board can remind recipients of the meeting and inform anyone not yet aware.
As you write your memo, remember to adhere to standards for professional writing as you would with other workplace communication. For proper formatting, lines should be left-justified and single-spaced. Instead of indenting, place a line between each paragraph to signal the start of a new one. Follow the punctuation after each sentence with a space.
While you should avoid informalities in your memo, you should also refrain from using overly complicated words and sentence structures that are difficult to understand. Consider the tone you use when composing company emails, and bring this style into your memo. Remain objective to clearly explain the meeting’s purpose and details. Your language should be as direct and specific as possible, leaving little to no need for recipients to interpret your words.
As you compose your memo, include the following components to guide your invitees through the details of your meeting:
Keep your memo to a single page. This way, emailed memos don’t require scrolling, and hard copies can be easily stored and referenced without misplacing multiple pages. Shorter memos also make it easy for attendees to add the necessary information to their calendars and notes.
If you find it difficult to stick to one page, revisit the primary purpose of your meeting and the topics you want to cover. Then, review your memo and make sure everything included is directly relevant to its purpose. The memo should be a summary of an invitation to your meeting, not a comprehensive document of meeting notes.
As you are nearing the completion of your memo, consider these tips before sending it to your invitees:
Meeting memos may seem like a lot, but creating them doesn’t have to be complicated. Just use the below example as a template to get started:
BOARD MEETING MEMORANDUM
TO: Cumbington LLC Members of the Board
FROM: Crystal Overton, COO, Cumbington LLC
MEETING DATE, TIME: October 19th, 2021, at 11 a.m.
LOCATION: The Teal Boardroom, 41st floor
MEETING SUBJECT: Improving Workplace Engagement in Preparation for Q1 2022
MEETING ATTENDEES:
Crystal Overtoon, COO
Michael DuVer, Co-Head of Employee Management
Alison Thompson, Head of Employee Activities
Marie Avalet, Director of Quarterly Management
MEETING SUMMARY & OBJECTIVE:
As the goals of Cumbington LLC develop, the board members will hold a meeting to discuss several initiatives. These initiatives will aim to facilitate greater employee engagement and improve morale among employees in the workplace. We will discuss how these goals will align with the others in place for the first quarter of 2022. We will also establish the budgets for these engagement events and activities.
Each board member is asked to bring a list of at least three suggestions for engagement activities. Please be prepared to share these ideas during an informal three-minute presentation during the meeting.
Please inform Cumbington Secretary James Mistall of your availability to attend this meeting. You can also direct any questions to him. He can be reached via email at [insert email address] or phone at [insert phone number here]. We look forward to your participation on October 19th, 2021.
A meeting memo can give your employees an adequate sense of what to expect at an upcoming meeting. It also presents you as organized and helps keep planning at the center of your company. And to stay just as organized during your meeting, Fellow offers all kinds of meeting tools that help you turn your memo’s ideas into meaningful discussions and action.
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Last Updated, 08/10/2021Fellow is the only all-in-one AI meeting transcription and management software for remote and hybrid teams. Have fewer, more effective meetings and 1-on-1s with AI, behavior-driving features, and seamless integrations.
Fellow is the only all-in-one AI meeting transcription and management software for remote and hybrid teams. Have fewer, more effective meetings and 1-on-1s with AI, behavior-driving features, and seamless integrations.
