7 Memo Techniques for Work
A Practical Guide for Professionals

Most professionals attend meetings passively. Preparing just 3 questions beforehand dramatically changes meeting density.

3 questions to write before every meeting:

1. What needs to be decided? (Clarify purpose)
2. What can I contribute? (Prepare your input)
3. What should I do after? (Anticipate the exit)

Write these 5 minutes before the meeting and email them to yourself. During the meeting, focus on filling in answers to these 3 questions.

The 30 seconds right after a meeting end are when information is freshest. In those 30 seconds, capture only these 3 points:

1. Decisions (what was decided)
2. Action items (who does what by when)
3. Next meeting (when do we reconvene)

You don't need perfect meeting minutes. These 3 points capture 90% of a meeting's value.

The most regrettable work moment is "I can't remember why we made that call." A decision log records not just the outcome but the reasoning and alternatives considered.

Decision log fields:

• Date: When the decision was made
• Decision: What was decided
• Reasoning: Why this option was chosen
• Rejected alternatives: What else was considered
• Stakeholders: Who was involved
• Review date: When to evaluate results

Trust at work is built by keeping commitments. Follow-up action memos manage all commitments in one place.

How to write follow-up memos:

• Start with a verb ("Send," "Confirm," "Create," "Contact")
• Name the owner (@notation)
• Always include a deadline
• Add "DONE" to subject when completed

Sent to email, you can use Gmail "stars" or Outlook "flags" to track incomplete actions. See work task use cases for more examples.

With multiple projects running, "where was that project again?" happens constantly. A 5-minute "progress summary" before end of day solves this.

Progress summary template:

• Done: What was completed today
• Doing: What's in progress
• Blocked: What's stuck and why
• Next: What to do tomorrow

Email this to yourself and the next morning you instantly know where you left off -- enabling a fast start.

Many people don't record 1-on-1 content, which is a huge missed opportunity. Manager feedback, direct report concerns, career direction -- all forgotten within a week without notes.

1-on-1 memo essentials:

• Quote important statements verbatim ("Boss said...")
• Record your instincts and observations
• Explicitly note commitments (both sides)
• Write what to follow up on next time

See meeting notes use cases for 1-on-1 memo templates.

Perform GTD's "weekly review" in memo format. Ideal timing: Friday before end of day, or Sunday evening.

Weekly review memo template:

• 3 accomplishments this week: Specific achievements
• 1 learning this week: Most important insight
• Incomplete tasks: Carry-overs (include why)
• 3 top priorities next week: Ranked
• 1 improvement: Process enhancement

Accumulating these weekly memos makes monthly and quarterly reviews dramatically easier. They also serve as direct preparation for performance reviews.