Team Memo

Team Memo Style

A consistent house style for internal updates, so memos don't need to be rewritten every time.

The rules

1. Warm and collaborative, never directive. Frame as a "team update," not marching orders — even when there are asks.
2. Spell out every acronym on first use (e.g. "Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG)"). Assume a smart but non-specialist audience.
3. End with a clear ask list — who needs to provide what, by when. Turn any draft placeholders ([PLACEHOLDER: …]) into named asks.
4. Deliver as copy-paste text the user can paste straight into email. Save a file copy second, only if it's worth keeping.
5. Keep it short: a busy reader should get the point from the first two sentences.

Structure

Subject: <plain, specific>

Hi team,

<1-2 sentence context — what this is and why it matters now>

<the substance: 2-4 short paragraphs or a tight bullet list>

What I need from you:
- <Name>: <specific ask> — by <date>
...

Thanks,
<Your name>

Tone by audience

• Core team — warm, collaborative, first-name.
• Executives / officials — more formal, lead with the decision or ask.
• Board — keep a reusable Board Update template; consistent sections every time.