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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They are gone but they are still with you. The members of your staff retirement association will soon gather for that annual seasonal dinner. It’s a social occasion of course so what you say cannot be boring, dull or lengthy. Yet they will be those present who have worked for the firm for forty years and who still take a keen interest in the goings on of the company or corporation. They want to hear how it is succeeding in these recessionary times and you have to tell them. Remember their pension might not run to reading the Financial Times. It’s appropriate too to welcome them and to urge them to mix and match with old colleagues and friends. This is one gathering of staff that doesn’t have to be motivational but it is a big day in their lives. So tell them that it is they who have built up the company and that they did a marvellous job. Don’t forget, of course, to wish them the compliments of the season.

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Employers do it. Bosses do it. So too do C.E.O’s and managers. Whatever their titles they often give retirement speeches and usually have them off pat. For someone who is retiring, though, it is often the first and only time they will give such a speech. Often they will feel a little emotional and won’t know what to say or how to say it. The first thing that they should remember is to be positive. They are starting out on a new adventure, because that is what retirement is these days. Naturally they should say how happy they have been in their work. Naturally too they should mention their colleagues in glowing terms. They might mention certain people who have been particularly nice or helpful to them. More importantly, though, they should speak of their future plans and how delighted they are that they will have the time to do all the things they have dreamt of doing. If family members are present they may speak of how much they look forward to spending more time with them. If applicable they should also thank their colleagues for their parting gift and mention that they will remember them slaving away while they are enjoying days of ease and pleasure.

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Retirement isn’t what it used to be. At one time retirees were shunted to the sidelines of life. Today they are usually setting out for new horizons. That’s why the speeches given at retirement parties are different nowadays. They concentrate on the positive. They speak not only of sitting in the sun but of sitting there and plotting your next adventure. Some things remain the same, though, and one of those is that the speech should contain words of appreciation for work well done. It should speak of friendships made and of the contribution the retiree has given to the company. Nowadays though many people are starting new businesses at retirement age. Others will have full and active lives for another thirty years or so. Cheap flights will give them the opportunities to travel which may never have been the case before. So whether your boss is retiring or your colleague is leaving your farewell toast should be a toast to new worlds and the chances to do something exciting with their yet to be’s.

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Retirement means a whole new start in life. It is a time of opportunity as well as change. Sadly many retirement speeches speak only of the past and simply wish the retiree a mundane happy retirement. How much better if such speeches were motivational in tone, speaking of the abilities of the retiree. Naturally his or her working skills should be mentioned. Certainly his or her loyalty to the firm and many friendships there should also be mentioned. The retiree’s special contribution to the company should also definitely be included. Nonetheless the speech should refer to the future in glowing terms. Far too often such speeches make it seem as though the retiree is a “Has been” instead of someone who will now have the time to take on the world. Words expressing optimism and hope should form a central part of the speech. The theme should be what he or she is going to do and should express the envy of those left behind. If you are presenting a gift you should do so and then toast the retiree with a personal toast that says, “Here’s to a future that is even more satisfying, more exciting and more fulfilling than your past.”

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Most of us value our friends although we may not express our appreciation of them publicly. Yet what better way to show what they mean in our lives than by telling others how important they are to us? You might, for instance, take a friend’s 50th birthday party as the ideal opportunity to say how much he or she means in your life. What about a wedding anniversary? Your toast to the couple could express how much you value them as friends. The same applies on a wedding day of course. You might express your good wishes as a friend of the family or as a friend of the bride or groom. If a friend is retiring a good friend should wish him or her well in that retirement and express the hope that their friendship with you will continue. Graduation time is yet another time when we can express our feelings for our friends. Giving a eulogy for a friend is probably the last act of friendship you can make. Whatever the occasion take the opportunity to talk about friendship and how important it is. Friends, make them and keep them by letting them and everyone else know just how important they are to you.

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What‘s the best way to say goodbye? It depends, of course, on the occasion. Often, though, the reason for a goodbye speech is that someone is retiring. Naturally his colleagues will want to say farewell in an appropriate manner. Such a speech should be short, sincere and optimistic about the future. Time was when retirement was almost the end of life. Today it is another word for opportunity. So your speech should mention the contribution made by the retiree to the company. It should speak of his personal traits such as punctuality or good nature. It should say how much he will be missed by his friends and colleagues and, above all, it should be envious in tone… After all most of us would like to get out of the rat race and have choices about what we do every day. If his family is present on the occasion it is nice to make the speech more personal by mentioning how much he has been looking forward to spending more time with them. If there is a presentation of a gift it should be mentioned as being particularly appropriate to the retiree. Finally, the speech should be light-hearted in tone and end with a toast to the future.

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Teachers usually retire at the end of the school year. Other people, though, retire at any time during the year. The retiree might be a politician who has finished his term of office. It could be a soldier whose time in the army is up. It might be your father’s retirement or even the retirement of your boss. Whoever the retiree someone usually gives a speech. Many of these speeches are boring and quite often they are repetitive because the speaker has to give so many of them. So what should you do if you are asked to give a retirement speech when someone is leaving? The bottom line is that you should find out as much as possible about the retiree. Find out his plans, his hobbies, about his family and about the things that matter to him. This will enable you to make the speech very personal. Find out too about how he did his job and what his colleagues thought of him. Obviously it has to be positive and there must be no indication that leaving work is the end of the world as he knows it. Instead it must seem as though you envy him his future freedom. You might include some hints as to what he should do with all that free time. Finally you should end your speech with a toast. Make sure that the retiree leaves feeling that he has done a great job and has a wonderful future in store. If you do your speech will be a great success.

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Mothers really matter but how often do we tell them so? Most people buy their mother a gift on mother’s day but that is all. How much better if they expressed, publicly, their love and affection for her. Of course on Women’s Day speeches are often given in praise of women but that’s not personal enough. It applies to women generally and not to your particular mom. A mother’s 60t birthday or indeed any birthday is the ideal opportunity to say how much she means. Mothers often work hard double jobbing at home and in their careers. So when she retires is an opportune time to have a party and give a mother’s retirement speech. Both of these occasions are times when family and friends gather and she will be especially touched when you tell them what a wonderful mother she is. So don’t leave it until you are giving your mother’s eulogy. It’s fine to praise her then but it would be much better to do it when she’s alive to hear it.

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Retirement is about a new beginning. Retirement speeches, therefore, should always be positive in tone. Far too often speakers speak about the past and end up with a short good luck wish. Naturally a good speech will include mention of the work done by the retiree. Naturally too it should mention the friendship he or she has made over the years. Certainly mentioning special incidents will add to the speech especially if they are humorous but, above all, such a speech should be personal and speak about what the retiree will do in the future. Most of us gain lots of experience in our working lives. We get to mix with others and learn to work as a group. We have the discipline of certain working hours. All of these experiences can be useful in our retirement. That is not to say, of course, that the retiree should have to get up at dawn every morning to face a traffic jam. Retirement should be about change for the better. It should be about using the spare time you have to fulfil ambitions or make dreams come true. It should be about using such time pleasantly and perhaps usefully. So the speaker should know about the personal life of the retiree and the speech should contain suggestions about what he or she might do in his or her golden years. Naturally the speech should end with a toast but do try to make that personal too. The retiree will, you see, may have years to remember what you have said. So let it be complimentary and thoughtful, and express all the good wishes of the staff for a wonderful future. In fact it will be even better if you can make some thought-provoking suggestions about what that future might hold.

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