Want memos and e-mails they’ll really read?

Try these tips for more effective memos:

• Discuss one topic per memo. Your message gets watered down with more.
  
• Write paragraphs no longer than 6-8 lines. This makes the memo easy to scan.
  
• Use bullet points to emphasize a list. Formatting: Use only 2-3 bold/italics/underlines per page for maximum effect.
  
• Don’t repeat yourself; be direct.
  
• Keep it to a page even if you have to widen margins.
  
• Be ruthless: Cut out every extraneous word and get rid of any hedging.