Retirement Speech

How to Express your Best Wishes for a New Start

Writing a retirement speech can be very challenging. The retiree may, of course, be delighted to be getting out of the daily grind. On the other hand he/she may be leaving for health reasons or have grave reservations about managing on less money. In fact the retiree might feel that he/she is being put on the scrap heap.

So if you are giving a retirement speech to someone who is leaving it should be humorous and positive and, more importantly, focus on what they can achieve in the future. Often a boss or colleague is asked to speak who does not know the retiree well. In such a case they should do their homework and find out something about the retiree’s hobbies and lifestyle. A friend will usually be delighted to help you make the speech a very personal tribute. So if the retiree is a closet writer your speech might refer to his/her writing a best seller now that he/she has time. Mention all that can be done by those who do not have to go to work every day whether it is doing charitable work, joining a walking club or even starting a new business!

Always praise the work a retiree has done. He/she may have always been on time for forty years. He/she may have helped new staff or may have always been willing to do overtime. So whether he or she is the smiling face of the firm or the back room person who knows everything, mention it.

Always remember that you are giving a memory so everything you say should make the retiree feel good about him or herself. You should be filling their bucket full of self-esteem at a time when they may be feeling a little low.  Of course the retiree may be longing to leave and have plenty planned.  If so find out something about those plans and address them in your speech.  If, for instance, the retiree plans to travel to see the Pyramids or the Great Wall of China mention how nice it is to have time for such journeys and suggest that he or she might start giving talks to local groups on, “Places I have been and seen.”

Of course retirement often means having more time to spend with family and friends.

Your retiree may want to teach his/her grandchildren how to swim or share some other talent with them. He/she may intend to move house be live near a son or a daughter.

If members of the family are present try to ensure that they realise how valued the retiree was in the company and how much he/she will be missed...

You should end your speech by wishing the retiree every good wish in the future and, if applicable, make a presentation. If it is a party situation your good wishes can be included in a toast to the retiree. Overall, though, remember that the speech should be light-hearted and make the retiree feel ten feet tall.

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