3-Part Memos

The thing I remember most about getting email functionality at work (in 1990, I think) was that I could get rid of those 3-part memos. Some of you will remember them – usually they had ‘Memorandum’ across the top, and places to write your recipient’s name/department, your message, and their reply. They were 3 sheets with carbon paper in between - so you could keep a copy for follow-up and the recipient could write a note to return to you, keeping a copy for themselves. They even folded a certain way for interoffice mail. Yes, they were handwritten!

I used the phone a lot more back then.

When I wrote those 3-part memos, it was generally for two reasons:

1. to communicate detailed info, and/or
2. to have a record of decisions.

When I think of the number of emails I get daily now, and visualize them as a stack of 3-part memos... well, it would be a big stack!

Now we use email for a long list of other reasons, far beyond those two listed above. It has opened doors and provided opportunities that didn’t exist before.

I’ll admit that email is my personal preference, but I also know that using the phone is still the best choice for some situations.

originally published Work Better, Not Harder newsletter August 20, 2014
photo by cinderellasg / Flickr

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