Please follow these instructions carefully to do this assignment.

For this assignment you’re going to write a step-by-step procedure memo to someone that you’re either training at work, let’s say, or explaining to your manager or friend or an acquaintance, or even teaching a group of people such as a class, perhaps.

Select a task that you know how to do very well, either at work, or in your personal life such as in sports, cooking, craft making, etc., something that you’re very knowledgeable about, and are really good at doing—best to keep it related to work or hobby. Write a brief, three-paragraph, one-page memo to this person/group.

Below is an example only of the headers:

TO: Joe Schmidt (Do not use my name here this time; otherwise points will be lost.)

FROM: Mary Mendez

DATE: April 30, 2020

SUBJECT: How to Manage the Front Desk

As explained in previous class meetings about the Subject line:

1. Don’t put pronouns, contractions (won’t, etc.), or punctuation marks (, ; ! etc.)
2. Make sure to use at least three words.
3. It doesn’t have to be a proper sentence, just a statement
4. Capitalize the first letter of each word except conjunctions and prepositions
5. Make sure that the statement isn’t so long that it wraps around to a second line

Opening paragraph

Introduce your message briefly, USING ONE TO THREE SENTENCES ONLY, and introduce the list. (See Grading Criteria for reference.)

Grammar rule: When doing the above, make sure that you don’t have a verb or a preposition before the colon to introduce the list.

For example:

Here is a list of things: (When starting a list, the word before a colon: should not be a verb or a preposition; best if it’s a noun—such as things, or the following, etc.)

Middle paragraph/Body of the memo

This paragraph should have a list that is either bulleted or numbered for each of the procedures/steps. Allow a maximum of eight steps; do fewer if possible. If you must have more than eight steps for your process; then combine two or three steps to form one step, with proper punctuation.

Closing paragraph

Write a polite ending to your message with either a forward looking statement or a courteous offer to the reader to contact you if there are any questions. Write ONE TO TWO SENTENCES only.

If you worked in retail clothing, retail banking or a restaurant business, write about one important job duty you have/had that required step-by-step actions to complete it. If you never had a paying job before, think of any volunteering you did, or internship, or community work, etc. Imagine that you’ve been asked to train someone to do this activity. How would you train this person in writing through a formal memo?

Double space between paragraphs, but single space text. To double space: click the Return key twice and start typing.

GRADING CRITERIA TOTAL = 50 points

Content = 15 points

(followed the above instructions correctly on what to write, sentence limit on the opening and closing paragraphs, how to introduce a list using a noun before the colon, etc.)

Format = 15 points

(followed the memo format carefully as shown above: proper memo headers, information next to headers properly lined up, Subject line requirements; and other format directions such as spacing, using U.S. MS Word Times Roman 11 or 12 only, etc.)

Grammar = 5 points (four or more errors = -5)

Spelling = 5 points (four or more errors = -5) Use www.dictionary.com to check spelling.

Work posted either as .docx or converted to PDF file when posting in Canvas = 5 points

TurnItIn Similarity Report less than 30 percent = 5 points; (30 percent or above similarity = -5 points)

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Please open the document below to see how three routine memos are done; the second one with the interview dates is not one you should use for this assignment; it’s just there to show you what another type of routine memo looks like in the business world.