How to Write an Executive Memo

paternity an Executive Memo Your strategy professors occupy asked the side faculty to cover the executive memo, which you allow for use in your strategic management class, for two reasons * The dexterity to write a short, informative, well-written memo like this will serve you well in your future careers. * Writing a good memo is difficult and requires practice. Students in past strategic management classes sport had scuffle with the guidelines youll see in the succeeding(a) dissever. Please read this document carefully and be prepared to process your reasonableness during the next class session.An executive memo is a short (no more than 500 words) inseparable document whose purpose is to make strategic recommendations to a company. The executive memo has 4 parts the issue, the recommendation, the fulfill send off, and the discussion of alternatives, in that order. When you write your executive memo, there are several important guidelines to keep in mind * The memo is sh ort, so every word should count. Dont waste time expectant the company information it already has (i. e. , what the company does, how much its sold, etc. * Its important that you chip in the material in the order fall flatn here. This is not creative writing * Everything in the memo should be connected to the issue at hand the recommendation, the action plan, and the alternatives should all serve to resolve the issue. * Since the memo focuses on the issue, it is crucial that you state the issue clearly. Starting your memo the field of operation line Make received your subject line encapsulates the main issue of your memo. share 1 The Issue * The memo should begin with a educational activity of the strategy problem you will address (i. . , you are defining the problem). This definition is key because it determines the direction which the quiet of the memo will take. * It is vital to distinguish between observational information and the problem you want to solve. Be crystal cl ear and specific about the issue you will address. Your issue segmentation should do the following * Identify the root problems associated with the issue. * Provide a measure of how significant the problem is. * Provide a maven of how urgent the problem is. * Identify the risk if the issue is not addressed.Section 2 Recommendation(s) This section comes early in the memo because its more important that the reader see it than the alternatives. Nevertheless, its best to write your alternatives initiatory and choose from among them. * Your recommendation must be one of your alternatives and must relate back to the issue and causes you hurl defined initially. * State CLEARLY what solution you recommend and briefly why it re maps the best alternative. * Normally, the recommendation will be one alternative however, sometimes it may incorporate one aspect of a cooperate option. Indicate briefly that you understand whatever drawbacks may exist to the solution you have chosen. * Make sur e your recommendation is realistic given physical and economic limitations. Section 3 Action plan This section should be a brief bullet list. The action plan is a schedule for the implementation of the recommendations you have made. * The goal of the action plan is to show the reader (your boss) the scope of the activity involved and demonstrate your understanding of what has to be done to complete it. * Since someone else will probably carry out the recommendations, your action plan gives that person a template to follow. Break it up into activity periods Immediate, Short term, etc. , with days in brackets. This gives the reader a sense of the time period the program will be finished in. Section 4 Discussion of alternatives This section helps the reader understand how you came to your decision and demonstrates that you considered the issue thoroughly. Be sure to present three reasonable alternatives. * The section should begin with a brief introductory paragraph for background thi s paragraph should include the basic criteria which the alternatives are judged on. You should then move on to discuss THREE alternatives, which should all have a similar focus 3 on a new target market, 3 on a marketing strategy, 3 on new distribution channels, etc. * For each alternative, you need to give factors in its favour and the reasons for your rejection, in other words, the pros and cons of each alternative. As you analyze each alternative, keep in mind the risk factor(s) you identified for the issue. * Remember that alternatives and the arguments you make for it must address the issue you have defined.