The Memo Is Dead Should We Still Teach Students How to Write One? Amy Newman, ABC, New Orleans, October 2013

Gasping for Air Mourning the Demise Resurrecting Assignments Resurrecting Assignments

Gasping for Air Mourning the Demise Resurrecting Assignments Resurrecting Assignments

Gasping for Air

Surveyed Managers Spend No Time Writing Memos Lennox, Newman, and Wolfe, ABC Europe 2012

“Memo” Is the New Q-tip

“Letters” Look a Lot Like

Gasping for Air Mourning the Demise Resurrecting Assignments Resurrecting Assignments

Will We Lose Learning Objectives? FormattingParagraph development and transitionsOpenings and closings

We need to spend more time teaching complex, multi-channel, audience-focused communication skills.

New Communication Model Newman, Business Communication: In Person, In Print, Online, 9e

Gasping for Air Mourning the Demise Resurrecting Assignments

Breathing New Life into Assignments Complex Multi- Channel Audience- Focused Add surrounding communications Switch audiences Incorporate graphics Change formats

Add Surrounding Communications Complex Multi- Channel Audience- Focused Team Presentation of Bad News Employee Blog Comments Team Response Team Announcing a Change Standalone Proposal Cover Oral Presentation Voice Mail Message Resort or Restaurant Concept Proposal

Switch Audiences Complex Multi- Channel Audience- Focused Report to an HR Manager Proposing a New Employee Benefit Draft to Employees (Within the Report) Presentation to Employees Announcing the Program Internal Benefit Report and Presentation

Incorporate Graphics Complex Multi- Channel Audience- Focused Condensed Proposal At Least One Graphic Cover Presentation (Meeting Format) with Handout “One-Pager” (Written Summary)

Incorporate Graphics: Example Complex Multi- Channel Audience- Focused

Change Formats Complex Multi- Channel Audience- Focused One-Pager PPT Report Blog Posts Tweets Facebook Posts Creative Formats

References Andrew Beaujon, “Tim Armstrong Apologizes for Publicly Firing Abel Lenz,” Poynter, August 13, 2013, accessed August 14, Martin Dickman, Termination of Disability Annuities, United States Railroad Retirement Board, April 21, 2013, &emc=edit_th_ &_r=1&, accessed August 6, &emc=edit_th_ &_r=1& Alison Doyle, “Resignation Letter Sample: Sample Letter of Resignation to Send by ,” About.com, “Job Searching,” accessed August 13, Peter Kafka, “Tim Armstrong Apologizes for Publicly Firing Patch Employee,” All Things Digital, August 13, 2013, accessed August 14, Leslie Kaufman, “AOL Chief Apologizes Over Firing of Worker,” The New York Times, August 13, 2013, employee.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_ , accessed August 14, employee.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_ Cynthia King, “Introduction to the Rhetoric of Layoff Memos,” Business Communication Quarterly, September 2010, Vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 320 – 322. David Lennox, Amy Newman, Maria Wolfe, “How Business Leaders Communicate in 2012: Classroom Strategies for Teaching Current Practices," ABC Europe, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, May 2012.

References (cont’d) “Yahoo! No More Working from Home,” BizCom in the News, February 25, 2013, home.html, accessed August 13, home.html Amy Newman, Business Communication: In Person, In Print, Online, 9e, (Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2013). Amy Newman, “JPMorgan Chase Loses $2 Billion,” BizCom in the News, bizcom_in_the_news/2012/05/jp-morgan-chase-loses-more-than-2b.html, accessed August 13, bizcom_in_the_news/2012/05/jp-morgan-chase-loses-more-than-2b.html Kara Swisher, “‘Physically Together’: Here’s the Internal Yahoo No-Work-From-Home Memo for Remote Workers and Maybe More,” All Things Digital, February 22, 2013, heres-the-internal-yahoo-no-work-from-home-memo-which-extends-beyond-remote-workers/, accessed August 13, heres-the-internal-yahoo-no-work-from-home-memo-which-extends-beyond-remote-workers/ Jim Stevenson, Layoff Notice, SRI Homes, May 20, accessed August 6, Phillip Stover, Budget Forecasting, Layoffs and Answers to Questions, San Diego Unified School District, March 5, 2011, /editorial/b/26/b26ae576-4a91-11e0-a cc4c03286/4d77ecd634f78.pdf.pdf, accessed August 6, /editorial/b/26/b26ae576-4a91-11e0-a cc4c03286/4d77ecd634f78.pdf.pdf United States Senate, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, “Exhibits,” Hearing on JPMorgan Chase Whale Trades: A Case History of Derivatives Risks & Abuses, March 15, 2013, pages 327 accessed August 13,

Thank You! Amy Newman Cornell University Amy Newman Cornell University