June 2, 2009
To: General Motors Employees
From: Fritz Henderson
Subject: General Motors Bankruptcy and Bankruptcy
General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy yesterday, June 1, 2009. We will combine the financial assistance we have received from the US government with the Chapter 11 protection in order to reorganize the company. When this process is complete our company will be stronger and more secure than ever.
Steps to Rebuilding
General Motors is going to rebuild the company by developing better products. We will focus on advancing green technologies including fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions. These updates will draw a wider customer base and improve sales. To better manage our resources we will be focusing solely on four of our major brands. They will include: GMC, Cadillac, Buick, and Chevrolet. These brands have shown promise and potential for moving forward. Sadly, we will be discontinuing Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac, and Saab brands. To all of our employees who have worked with these brands, we thank you for your commitment and dedication. Under the Chapter 11 protection we have been given a second chance to refine our business. These changes will strengthen General Motors as we move forward.
Future for Dealerships
We will be able to continue supporting the majority of our dealerships. However, due to our financial situation, we will need to close a small percentage of these businesses. These decisions have not been finalized, but we will inform you of the closings within a month. We deeply regret that these steps have become necessary.
Furthermore, we will not be able to buy back any discontinued models. Recycling centers will pay a small compensatory fee for unsold cars. We will still honor the warranties of all General Motors cars, including the discontinued ones.
We are implementing a new strategy to regain loyalty and trust. We will give our customers sixty days to return purchased vehicles without penalty as long as it is in the same condition as when they bought it. We are confident that this will bring in a new client base and help reshape our company’s image.
Benefits and Compensation
Salaries will remain unchanged for all employees from designers to our manufacturers. For those whose job status has been affected we will continue your salary for the next year. You will receive this compensation every three months and it will not be withdrawn if you find other employment.
Vision for the Future
Though we face difficult times, we have an impressive future ahead of us. By focusing on the four cars we have chosen, we will be able to create fuel efficient and eco friendly brands that are in high demand today. By allowing our customers to have a risk free trial with our cars, we will be able to establish customer’s confidence in us. Our reshaping is a necessary step to securing and stabilizing our company and we are excited for you to be a part of the new General Motors.
Location of Source
Locker, Kitty O., Donna S. Kienzler Business and Administrative Communication. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2008. Print pp.623-625
comparisonssssssssssssssssss
Overall, this is a great memo. However, there were a few things that our memo source had that differed from this memo. Our memo source described memos and showed examples of memos being a lot shorter than this memo, although this isn't necessarily bad, just something to consider. A memo that is pretty long or full of details may not get the main points across because those reading it get lost in the details. Another difference I noticed was that our memo source suggested having a line for the date that begins "Date:" in the heading, but you just placed the date in the heading without that. Again, this is just something to consider. Using "Date:" in the heading before the date may help make it more organized or professional looking. I also noticed that there is no sender name at the bottom of the memo, and our memo source suggested that the sender's full name can be used to give the memo a more professional feel, or just the sender's name to give a more friendly feel. But again, all of this is personal choice, and overall it looks great :-)
According to our source.....
1) Consider shortening the memo, seems like it is extremely general. Remember you are writing to your employees not the public.
2) It is thorough.
Your subject is a little
Your subject is a little confusing when you mention bankruptcy twice.
Your purpose for writing this memo is clear. GM went into bankruptcy and needs to make some changes for the future.
Maybe add some more information on a personal level, for example, how many jobs do you expect to be lost and over how long a period of time do you expect these layoff to take place. Or if you do not know this information yet, be honest with the employees and tell them this.
The use of your headings is good, because it breaks up the memo nicely and clearly lets the employees know what is going to happen next.
Response
Somewhat lengthy, but information seems well organized. Maybe try to be more concise with less filling information.