Use these tips to write better business memos

“We feel we have to overcomplicate our writing,” said Larson, who spoke at the Radiology Business Management Association annual conference in St. Louis in May. “It’s a curse of the 21st century. We seem to think if we don’t use big words then our memo, or letter, or policy change won’t seem important enough.”

Learn the simple rules

In healthcare, as elsewhere, nearly every manager tends to convolute the written word, Larson said. 

Certainly, no one expects you to compose Shakespearian sonnets about the next radiology coding compliance policy change. (Why write “One must expect that the general population of the genus Rosa tends to cultivate at least one barb” when you could write “Every rose has its thorn”?) But your staff members expect you to communicate changes effectively. 

Larson said written communications should: 

Get organized

Organize your thoughts prior to putting your pen to paper. It will improve your writing significantly. No amount of polishing can mend a poorly crafted document. Follow Larson’s steps to organize what’s on your mind and communicate it on paper: 

1. Form your big idea. Always have a theme. If you don’t know exactly what you want to say, it will be impossible for you to write a strong document.

2. Know your audience. Figure out who you want to read your document. Executives, technologists, radiologists, vendors, and the general public all approach data from different perspectives. Create your document with your specific audience in mind. Explain the items that the particular audience needs to know about most. 

3. Make your point. Explain the three or four most important points that you need to make. “Remember the rule of threes,” Larson said. “Readers and listeners generally aren’t able to absorb groups of more than three. So try to limit your message to two or three essential points whenever possible.” Also, tell your audience what you want them to do. Big business experts call this the ‘call to action’ or ‘action items.’ 

Create a thought bucket

Visualize your point by sketching out your memo. Put your “big idea” in the center of the page, and surround it with the things that you need to say. Create buckets of common thoughts or messages. Put everything that’s similar into its proper bucket. Position these buckets around the big idea, and include supporting data and other information.

Now, think about the beginning, middle, and end of your document. Introduce your main idea, and then support it with examples, documentation, and information. Explain why your main idea is important. Conclude your document with what you want your audience to do with the information you just provided. 

Be concise

Frequently, managers use too many words to describe a simple concept, Larson said. Take the following example of a recent radiology department memo:

Going forward all current and future employees should operate within the hospital’s new basic radiology coding system regardless of departmental roles and relative job descriptions as this new computerized programming will allow the administration to track, audit, and report appropriate use and reimbursement of radiology procedures.

Now consider the following, more readable version of the same memo: 

As of July 1, please use the new coding software. This new program provides better patient service and ensures that we get paid appropriately for the work we do.

The latter version efficiently informs the reader of the important points, such as who (everyone), what (implementation of a new computer program), when (July 1), and why (to receive proper reimbursement).  

Insider source

Paul Larson, president, Paul Larson Communications, 1017 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202, 647/475-1283;larsonpw@hotmail.com.

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