A Farewell or Retirement Speech

Most often this will be a speech you are making at your place of work. Occasionally it may be for a business or social/sport group to which you belong.

It can be a difficult speech to get right. You need to make sure the person is recognised for their contribution and at the same time provide a positive light on the change that is happening both in their lives and those attending the function.

Here is a ready made template I have prepared for you to use.

………….(name of person) leaves us today.

Before that happens I want you to join with me in celebrating the time he/she has shared with all of us.

I am going to talk briefly today/tonight about ………………..(tell them what you are going to tell them). Firstly, ………….. Next ………………Lastly………………….

In conclusion ……………..(tell them what you told them again in two sentences or less and call to action where appropriate).

I ask you now to join me in showing your appreciation of ………………

Now lets fill in the blanks –

………….(name of person) leaves us today. Before that happens I want you to join with me in celebrating the time he/she has shared with all of us.

Jack Jones leaves us today. Before that happens I want you to join with me in celebrating the time he has shared with all of us.

This is the best place to start as it focuses both you and the audience on the person who is most important in this speech.

I am going to talk briefly today/tonight about ………………..

Use the “Tell Them” format: tell them what you are going to tell them (a summary); tell them; tell them what you told them (a review). Make the structure clear – “firstly, secondly, lastly”.

I am going to talk briefly today about the contribution Jack has made to the organisation on both personal and business levels. Firstly, I acknowledge the contribution Jack has made to this company. Here is a man who has given years of service, years of dedication, years of commitment. Here is a man who has worked with us and for us for all that time. Here is a man with whom it has been a pleasure to work.

Next we should remember and celebrate the friendship he has offered in his time here. How many of us have benefited from his knowledge and experience, not just here in the job but in life as well? Jack’s wealth of learning has always been shared generously with us.

Lastly on a more personal note, I want to share with you Jack’s vision for his future. Jack has made a decision many of us envy – Jack has decided to retire. He’s worked hard to achieve it, he’s planned carefully for it, he’s looking forward to it and most importantly he deserves it.

In conclusion …………….(tell them what you told them again in two sentences or less and call to action where appropriate)

In conclusion then, I am here to pay tribute and celebrate a man who has worked diligently, shared generously and planned carefully. I ask you now to join me in showing your appreciation of Jack Jones as we wish him a happy, healthy and contented retirement.

Now here is the complete speech:

Jack Jones leaves us today. Before that happens I want you to join with me in celebrating the time he has shared with all of us.

I am going to talk briefly today about the contribution Jack has made to the organisation on both personal and business levels.

Firstly, I acknowledge the contribution Jack has made to this company. Here is a man who has given years of service, years of dedication, years of commitment. Here is a man who has worked with us and for us for all that time. Here is a man with whom it has been a pleasure to work.

Next we should remember and celebrate the friendship he has offered in his time here. How many of us have benefited from his knowledge and experience, not just here in the job but in life as well? Jack’s wealth of learning has always been shared generously with us.

Lastly on a more personal note, I want to share with you Jack’s vision for his future. Jack has made a decision many of us envy – Jack has decided to retire. He’s worked hard to achieve it, he’s planned carefully for it, he’s looking forward to it and most importantly he deserves it.

In conclusion then, I am here to pay tribute and celebrate a man who has worked diligently, shared generously and planned carefully.

I ask you now to join me in showing your appreciation of Jack Jones as we wish him a happy, healthy and contented retirement.

How do I get the information to fill in the blanks?

Ask the person who is the topic of the speech; ask the partner and/or family of this person; ask your co-workers; ask your employer particularly for historical anecdotes and information; write down everything you know about the person.

Writing the Speech Yourself

Perhaps you are confident enough to write this speech yourself. These are some questions to answer to help with the content of your speech. Whilst the answers will give you the content for your speech, I recommend you use a structure similar to the template to ensure you present the information in a logical sequence .

Content Questions

WHO IS THE SPEECH FOR?
Confirm the name of the person about whom you will be speaking – I know it sounds crazy, however you don’t want to do all this work only to find it was the “other” Jack Jones!

WHY ARE YOU MAKING THE SPEECH?
Is it a responsibility of your position, do you know the person best, have you worked with them the longest ?

WHAT IS THE TOPIC?
Are you going to talk about the person and his/her work? Are you going to talk about what he/she will be doing after leaving?

WHERE ARE YOU MAKING THE SPEECH?
Do you know the location well, can you have a practice run, will there be other distractions?

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE SUBJECT?
Is it the reason you are making the speech? Answering this question will also give you an idea of how much topic research you need to do. It is also related to how well do the audience know the subject.

Occasion Questions

WHO IS IN THE AUDIENCE?
You must think about the audience so that your speech includes them or they will lose interest

WHY ARE THEY THERE?
Are they there by choice? Is there a mix of work and other associates? What are they expecting from this occasion?

WHAT IS THE OCCASION?
Is this the last time the audience will see this person? Is this one of a series of farewells? Is this a formal or intimate farewell?

WHERE ARE YOU MAKING THE SPEECH?
Think here about the physical location as well as the “what” of the occasion

HOW WELL DO THEY KNOW THE SUBJECT?
Is this a mixed group of co-workers and family? Are there people who don’t know the person? Do you need to include a brief work history of the person in your speech?

Timing
Remember to find out how long you are expected to speak; write your speech with peak attention and comprehension time in mind. For a 20 minute talk, you will have 15 minutes of peak attention from your audience. Audiences generally need more time to settle at the start of a speech than at the end.

Practise

First we read the complete speech out loud to give us a base time. Then we review that time to see how it matches the time we have been allocated; add more content if you are short, remove some content if you are already over time.

Practising also means you may be able to give the speech without reading from your notes, making it a more personal recognition.