| A retirement speech is your best opportunity to | | | | go through your retirement speech. Pay attention |
| convey best wishes or congratulations to a | | | | to the speed of your speech-don't go too fast, |
| retiring coworker, or your only opportunity to | | | | that's something that is common. Just relax and |
| express your feelings about a lifetime of | | | | be yourself. |
| employment. Either way, it is the last moment in | | | | As you practice in front of your audience, think of |
| your career, and one of the most important. Do | | | | one or two absolutely unforgettable things that |
| not leave a retirement speech to the last minute. | | | | happened during your career. Take advantage of |
| Successful careers deserve an equally well planned | | | | the one or two things, and weave them into your |
| retirement speech. Despite the anxiety that | | | | speech-they can definitely reflect on you, your |
| sometimes comes with public speaking, it is | | | | past and your livelihood then, and possibly even |
| certainly not a time to become too anxious. | | | | into the future. Best of all, one or two things |
| If you would like the perfect vehicle to tell | | | | wisely chosen will keep you from talking endlessly. |
| someone congratulations on their retirement why | | | | Your practice audience can tell you what you |
| not use a retirement speech? It will not be as | | | | need to work on, and after having done that, |
| easy as you think to do, so give yourself plenty | | | | take a minute or two and make some note cards |
| of time to plan it out. Retirement speeches should | | | | just to keep yourself on track. |
| tell the audience about your feelings-remember | | | | Of course, adding humor to any speech is always |
| this is the very last step of your professional life, | | | | a must. While it does not have to be gut-busting, |
| so make the most of it. | | | | do make it so that at least a few people grin. If |
| You will need some time, not only to plan out the | | | | you are really at a loss, get onto the good old |
| speech, but to write it out. Then, after it is | | | | Internet, and start Googling "retirement |
| written, put it off to the side for a day or so, and | | | | jokes"-you will undoubtedly come up with |
| put it out of your mind. Go do something else. Go | | | | something that you like. Or jokes on any other |
| play golf, go to a football game-something. | | | | topic that you might like, for that matter. |
| After you have given the written speech a rest, | | | | Some people are so lazy that they can't even be |
| come back to it. Read it out loud to yourself. | | | | bothered to write their own retirement speech. |
| Does anything sound really stupid, or | | | | Those people will either buy a speech-and yes, |
| uncharacteristic for you? OK, thanking everybody | | | | you can do this from the Internet, or hire |
| and their brother may be unusual for you, but | | | | someone to write it. More power to them, but |
| other than that, does the speech sound normal? | | | | personally, writing the speech yourself guarantees |
| If so, ask a spouse or a friend to listen to you. | | | | that you get things right. |
| Then, standing in front of your audience, relax and | | | | |