There are specific things that you can communicate to other people in your place of business by using memo distribution. A memo is generally communicating something important to fellow workers and is usually distributed to at least more than one person within the company. A memo can also be used to let everyone know about something urgent, such as lost files. Lost files can affect the operation of the business and workers should be alerted about the problem and how they can help as soon as possible.

Complete the header for the memo about lost files. This includes a line for the date, the subject, who the memo is to and who it is from. These lines are labeled “Date,” “Subject,” “To,” and “From.” The subject should at least say “Lost Files” but can also describe which files are lost.

Explain the issue briefly in the first paragraph directly under the header. This should definitely include which files are lost, such as files for a specific client or project. It can also include how you believe the files were lost, where they might be and how urgent it is to find them.

Describe more about the problem in the next section. Get more detailed about the lost files at this point. You might supply details about the client or project the files are for or more information about how the files might be looked for by employees. At this point, give a specific date the files must be found by.

Tell the recipients of the memo exactly what you want them to do in the final section. This should be specific action items, such as search in database X or go through all of your personal files in case you saved the lost files on your company computer or flash drives. Repeat the date that the files must be found by.

Proofread the memo. Make sure you did not include any sensitive information about the files that there should not be a written record of. Also, make sure you have articulated the importance of finding the lost files clearly.