Awards are great motivators. So why are there no more business awards? After all we all like to be praised for doing well. Whether the award is for being the salesman of the year or for years of service to the company doesn’t really matter. The whole point is to make the recipient feel good about him or herself. After all someone who is acknowledged as being good at the job will feel that they are doing something right and will make an even bigger effort. It’s even better if the award comes from an outside source of course when an employee is named entrepreneur of the year for instance or the company is awarded the business award of the year. Such awards will be given more publicity which in turn is good for the company. Whatever the reason for it though remember it pays to praise.

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Sisters are often very close yet they hardly ever toast each other on their birthdays. That’s a shame because they would not have to do any research on their subject. Knowing their sister they could speak from the heart. They could talk of childhoods spent together, of family vacations and of school days and their happenings. They could mention teenage parties and shared clothes. Sisters usually want each other to have the best things in life so why do they not express that wish at a birthday bash? In fact a sister is the ideal person to organise a birthday party . So go on, toast her and tell her you love her. She’ll be touched and thrilled.

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The term “Sweet sixteen” is more than just the inspiration for songs. It’s a birthday that is different to all the others. It’s when a girl becomes a woman and her family celebrate that fact. The birthday party may be formal or casual. It may be a strictly family affair or it may be open to the community. Whatever the format for the celebration it is recognition that a girl has passed a threshold and is now a young adult. One thing that will be common to all the different celebrations is the fact that someone, usually her father, will toast the birthday girl. He will undoubtedly speak of what her arrival meant to him and of her childhood days. Such a speech will usually be poignant although he may lighten it by giving his ideas on the difference between her being her daddy’s little girl and being a teenager who stays out late at night. He will express the good wishes for her future of all those present. Above all he will express his pride in, and his love for, a special 16 year old girl.

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A Bar Mitzvah day is a day for making memories. It’s a day for a family gathering and it’s a day for tradition. Whatever form the celebration takes it is a day most men will remember for the rest of their lives. The mother of the bar mitzvah boy will usually excel herself in arranging the occasion whether it is a party held at home or in a hotel or club. The father of the boy in question will usually give a short speech about his son and what he means to the family. He will mention some childhood escapades and speak of his pride in his son’s abilities perhaps as a student or on the football field. Hopefully too he will say something that is so inspirational that the boy will remember it for life. It may be something as simple as exhorting his son to have good manners all through life. It may be to encourage him to join a charitable group or body who do good for others. He might mention the opportunities that lie ahead not to mention the challenges. Whatever he chooses to say he should make it short and sweet and end by toasting his son and reminding him that some day he too may have to find something inspirational to his own son.

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Health is the ideal topic for any public speaker. After all it is a subject that affects everyone in an audience in some way. They, or a family member, may suffer from allergies, have Alzheimer’s, Hay Fever or Asthma. Diabetes and Obesity are ever growing problems. So by choosing a health topic you should have a captive audience straight away. Make sure your speech is not too technical for the layperson. Give examples of how the illness actually affects people. Speak of the treatments and always stress the fact that research for treatment and cures is ongoing. Look at the age profile of your audience too. If you are speaking to a young audience you might choose to speak of teenage acne or bulimia for instance. If you are speaking to management you might choose stress as your subject. Whatever the topic let your listeners understand that ill health won’t go away if we don’t discuss it. It is far better to be informed and to deal with it and that is exactly where your speech comes in.

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Graduations can be full of pomp and ceremony or a simple low-key handing out of certificates. Whatever about the ceremony there is one thing certain and that is that someone will give a speech. It may be a dean or a dignitary but whoever speaks should bear in mind exactly what this occasion means to the graduates. They may have studied law or medicine or simply done a course in freelance writing or photography. Whatever the subject or the status of their accomplishment it is worth noting that, for those students, it is an accomplishment. . It may be an end in itself or the beginning of some further course of study. Either way it says, “We have studied and we have succeeded.” So your words should be congratulatory in tone. They should be motivational and inspirational. That graduation day is a day that stands out from the rest and your speech should reflect that fact. Put simply graduation day is a day to make an impression and make a memory.

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Retirement is not what it used to be. People are living longer these days and retirement often offers them the time to do something that their ancestors could not have dreamed of doing. Instead of sitting in an armchair snoozing they can take trips around the world, start new businesses or become actively involved in various worthwhile projects. That means that instead of clocks retirement gifts may be tokens for flying lessons, travel vouchers or maybe even a session of fencing lessons. The speeches given at a retirement party should also be different. Naturally you still thank the retiree for his contribution to the company but you also speak of the opportunities ahead. Your speech might mention some of the challenges the retiree might undertake. Certainly they might suggest some rest and relaxation but not for long. There are too many exciting things to do and places to see. So your retirement speech should be positive and challenging and if you sound slightly envious so much the better!

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Staff dinners and parties are held at different times of the year. Many are held at Christmas of course. Yet more are held at the time of the trading year. Whenever they are held they give an opportunity to the C.E.O. the owner or manager to give a motivational speech to staff. That is something that is increasingly important these days. Companies are downsizing. People are in fear of losing their jobs. It is up to the speaker to be positive and reassuring. Thanking the staff for their contribution is essential because you need to engender the feel good factor. You must challenge the staff to overtake the opposition and to beat the recession. You should speak too of being open to their ideas and suggestions because even simple solutions can make a difference. The annual dinner is your opportunity to speak to the staff in a personal capacity too. So it’s alright to mention the style being worn or the dancing that will form part of the occasion. It’s a social occasion so your speech should not be too long and a few light hearted comments are perfectly acceptable. Finally such a speech is about involvement. It’s your annual opportunity to get the staff onside. Don’t waste it.

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The father of the groom is an honoured guest at a wedding. So it is quite appropriate that he should be asked to say a few words at the wedding breakfast. What he will say will depend on his relationship with his son. If they are close he should mention the fact that they meet once a week for lunch or to play golf. If their relationship is more distant he can still speak of his son’s growing years. He can say how he felt when he heard he had a baby boy. He can speak of years of helping with homework and bringing him camping. He should speak of his pride in his son and explain how successful that son is in his career and in his private life. He should mention that his boy’s greatest success was in finding such a lovely bride and he should say how glad he is that two families have now become one. He does not give a toast at a wedding breakfast but he should end his speech with his best wishes or a blessing for the bride and groom.

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Retirement from the forces is different. After all when someone retires from an office or factory they have not served the flag or defended the country. That is precisely what members of the armed forces do and that is why their retirement speeches have to have a different slant. Such speeches should refer to the service they have given. They should refer to bravery and mention camaraderie. A mention of shining brasses or duty will not go astray. It doesn’t matter whether the retiree is a soldier, a sailor or a member of the air force. It doesn’t matter either whether the retiree is a NCO or a four star general. The important thing is that they have done a specific job that no civilian does. Members of the forces are prepared to face danger and death. They are special people and so, when they retire whoever is giving the retirement speech should emphasise that fact. The speech should, in fact, salute the retiree.

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