Beating the recession is top of the agenda for most businesses these days. In these hard times, though, attitudes and systems that were suitable in better times no longer work. Managers and owners have to accept the challenge of change in business. It’s a time when you have to make innovation your business. It’s a time when you have to save costs yet take some well calculated risks. Those who have lost their jobs are often told to re-train now but such retraining within companies may mean keeping on staff by using existing workers more wisely. Beating that recession is in everyone’s interest so take a long hard look at what you do, consult your staff about their ideas and work together to win out in the end.

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We are all leaders or followers. Naturally then a speech on leadership will be applicable on many speaking occasions. You may want to tell your audience about leadership - an acquired skill or about developing confidence/good leaderships. By doing so you may inspire a follower to turn into a leader. After all it is lack of self belief that makes people reluctant to take on the leadership mantle. Of course there are many kinds of leaders. You have military leaders, political leaders or you may want to show a business audience how to develop your leadership skills in an office. Whatever your audience, though, leadership is a relevant subject whether they know it or not before you speak.

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Everyone likes to be appreciated. Yet while most of us are quick to criticise we are, unfortunately, much slower to praise or to thank. We know, deep down, of course, that we ought to express our thanks to certain people. That is probably what gave the greeting card industry the opportunity to cash in our sense of guilt by marketing such occasions as fathers’ day and mothers’ day.
At Christmas or at the end of the company year many executives do thank their staff in their happy holiday/staff motivational speeches. Companies also thank customers in with client appreciation speeches. By doing so they are responding to a human need and it is good business as well.
On a more personal level one of the couple celebrating their wedding anniversary will thank guests for gifts and good wishes. The same applies at birthdays where the birthday boy or girl often says a few words of thanks.
We often forget to say thank you to a teacher. Yet teachers are often one of the greatest influences in our lives. In fact, second only to our parents, they are often the people who determine who or what we become later on. Many of them spend long hours helping us with problems we may have with a certain subject. Certainly they often go beyond the call of duty in encouraging and helping their pupils. In fact they are often the mentor who means the most to us and certainly the schools that have good teachers should treasure them and express gratitude to them too. So if you’ll remember your teacher in later years say the right thing and he or she will remember you too.

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The idea of Twitter employees having a set time to express their thoughts on the company explains in some way why Twitter has become so popular. After all it’s all about communications and the staff can say what they like about Twitter and tweets. The fact that they do so each in his or her own individual ways must give even more ideas to the bosses who listen in on this Friday afternoon event. So if they come up with another innovative way of getting our thoughts across we’ll know where they got the idea.
We all know the best ideas are simple and what could be simpler than letting people express their feelings to anyone who wants to hear them? The fact that what you can say is limited should be an idea copied by every chairperson of every meeting all over the world. Think of the hours it would save if everyone had to get their point across in 140 characters. Reports, comments or suggestions would have to be snappy and to the point.
There’s only one thing certain about twitter and tweets and that is that it is a very human activity. It has the world talking and the fact that some of the tweets are stupid only reflects on the way we are and what we say to each other anyway. Whether it will be a commercial success is still in doubt. Whatever about that it has touched a chord with us and made us want to answer that question “What are you doing?”. Well obviously we’re tweeting or maybe twittering of course!

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Despite the recession there are still plenty of entrepreneurs around. They have new ideas and new skills to offer the world and we are seeing an explosion in items like new style windmills. Think of all the packing around new washing machines or computers. Surely someone can come up with a dust free alternative to all that polystyrene?
Alternatively, they may take an old business and make it more suitable for today’s economic climate. The opening of a new store, for instance, may seem like madness but if it is selling good as new clothes or second hand furniture it may do very well. The same doubts may well apply to the opening of a new restaurant. If, however, it provides delicious and nutritious school lunches for busy working mums the owners may find a ready market. Obviously if we are to save the planet we need new ideas on how to generate electricity and to encourage eco tourism. If every person who reads blogs went out to plant a tree for instance think of the difference it would make to the environment. Maybe too we need a change of mindset. Think of all those air miles and perhaps you might decide vacations -you are better off at home.
When a recession strikes it makes us re-think and re-evaluate. There may be less demand for luxurious items but there is a huge need for innovation and sound common sense. Coupled together that means there could be plenty of speeches praising the Entrepreneur of the year.

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Most of us were told that it impolite to discuss religion, politics or money at the dinner table. Yet whether we like it or not money, or the lack of it, is the hot subject for discussion these days. That’s understandable because we are living through a recession. People are losing their homes, businesses are going to the wall and budgeting is something we will all have to do if we are to survive the current crisis.
We need to think of long term solutions rather than quick fixes. Students should learn not earn because in doing so they improve their job prospects by getting better results. So it will pay them in the long term to be better educated. That is not to say that we should not tighten our belts. It’s a challenge to see whether we can cut the electricity bill or
eat better for less. Certainly it would do most of us no harm to leave the car at home and take public transport thus saving the environment and our pockets as well. Most of us have skills or talents we could barter for services we need instead of using those expensive credit cards. It will pay us all to be better informed about money matters or to consult the experts who can help us manage our money. Things are bad at the moment but if you try there are lots of ways you can dig yourself out of debt.

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We all like to be made feel welcome but have you ever thought of the many ways that happens in an ordinary lifetime? If you are born into a Christian family you will be welcomed into the church with a Christening/Baptismal speech. As a small child you feel comfortable and welcome every time your parents hold out their arms to you although, of course, you cannot express that feeling in words. You are probably gladly received at birthday parties too but again you take it for granted and don’t realise that you are being welcomed. When you go on visits to doting grandparents it will seem natural that they gladly receive you into their hearts and home.
As you grow older you will go to school and a teacher will usually give a welcome to students at re-opening of school year speech. You will also be made to feel wanted at any clubs and societies you may join. You may get married and on the day of your wedding your future father-in-law will usually welcome you into his family. When you begin work there is the staff welcome or induction speeches. In fact all through your working life there will be conferences and meetings at which you will be received with open arms. So if and when you yourself are rolling out the red carpet for guests ensure that you make them know how much you value their presence. In other words make them feel as welcome as those proverbial flowers in Spring.

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Most of us want to be successful whether it’s in our business or our personal lives. We read articles about people who have managed it and we want to be like them. In business there are few of us who wouldn’t like to be a Henry Ford or a Bill Gates. Golfer’s dream of being another Tiger Woods and no footballer would mind being as successful as Pele… A singer might aspire to be a Bob Dylan or to form a group like the Beatles. For most of us, of course, being famous is just a dream but if you believe you can achieve success you will. How did those household names do it? Persistence, patience and passion are the secrets of success. There is no doubt too but that creativity is crucial to success. Obviously hard work and determination are factors but if you find a business mentor it’s a shortcut to success. So if you do get around to starting a business and you make a go of it always remember how much your staff has contributed and work on the basis that everyone should share in success. That way you will truly be a real achiever.

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Today I was asked to write an appreciation of staff speech. Obviously you cannot mention everyone individually but some deserve mention for some outstanding contribution. It’s a delicate balance and you have to be very careful not to keep saying “And I would like to thank” because that makes the speech boring. It’s always good too to add in a personal story to illustrate the fact that the company is about people rather then merely profit. This kind of speech should leave the all the staff feeling appreciated and motivated.

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“Know your stuff” is probably the most important rule for a speech-writer. It is critically important that you check and re-check your facts and figures if you are giving a speech that relies on these. If you are giving a business speech of course you should know about the company and its products. So do your research and your speech will have that touch of authority that makes it worth using.

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