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In this book, we often use the terms “memo,” “letter” and “report.” Let’s define them before we work on them.

A memo is a one-page document written to someone inside your organization. Because people working for the same company, public agency or non-profit organization already share goals and probably know each other, when they write, they are usually trying to accomplish some specific work goal. A memo is heavy with facts.

When we say “memo,” we don’t mean “speed memo.” Maybe you have seen forms at your company or someplace else that include basic routing information and allow a little space for comment. Speed memos are valuable for certain situations. But we are not talking about speed memos here. When we say memo, we mean a document about a page long, that is, long enough to introduce and carry forward a workable idea.

Letters, however, are between people who do not work for the same organization. So when you write a letter, you cannot assume you share goals and experiences with the reader the way you do when you write a memo. Therefore, a letter often tries to establish a human connection between people, sometimes total strangers. A letter, as we use the word here, is also about a page long.

A report, I define on the basis of length alone. A report is a written document two pages or longer. The reason for this definition comes from the reader. Think about this from your own experience. When you receive a document two pages or longer, what do you do? If you are like most people, you do not immediately read it. Instead, you devise a strategy for reading it. The strategy usually begins with “I’ll read it later.” When a person gets around to reading a report, strategy continues. People often do not begin reading a report at the beginning and follow along to the end. They begin by looking for “entry points” such as the list of conclusions or an explanation of methods. So we must write reports with such strategies in mind. Now don’t get me in trouble with this definition. If you use a one-page document at work called the “weekly report” or something. Fine. Don’t tell your boss that’s a “memo,” not a “report.” I use these terms this way for efficient communication between you and me throughout the book. As always, local rules apply. If your boss calls it a report, it’s a report.