Saying goodbye graciously
Farewell
speeches mark significant departures. They are much more than a casual
"see you later" and a mumbled "thanks for everything".
A planned
goodbye speech crystallizes the moment of leaving, giving it focus, form,
dignity and provides an opportunity to publicly acknowledge appreciation and
gratitude graciously.
They are
most frequently expected when leaving a current job to take another and are
given by the person leaving or to that person by a colleague, manager or boss.
Other
situations calling for farewell speeches are graduations (leaving a school, a
class...), retirements or perhaps when a long-time member of your club or neighborhood
departs. A funeral speech or eulogy is yet another form of a goodbye or
farewell speech.
Hallmarks of gracious farewell speeches
sincerity -
expresses genuinely felt feelings
positivity
- dwells on the positive: acknowledges good outcomes, projects and events
without undue exaggeration, expresses hopes for the future
brevity -
succinct and concise minus padding or waffle
Content
ideas for a leaver's going away speech
A brief
summary of involvement eg. how long you've been with the company, club etc
What you
have enjoyed, admired or appreciated about the workplace, job, neighborhood,
club
The
admiration and appreciation you have for the people - their qualities/skills
What you
feel about leaving
Your
gratitude and thanks for support, opportunities to learn, friendship...
Special
memories or good humored anecdotes
Your
reasons for leaving
What, or
where, you are going to
Hopes and good
wishes for those remaining
Content
ideas for a farewell speech given to a leaver:
What you
have sincerely enjoyed, admired or appreciated about the leaver's contribution
to the workplace, club, neighborhood ...
eg. their
role in X project, their organizational skills, the chocolate cake they made
for special occasions ...
A story or
two illustrating the positive qualities of the person leaving
How their
departure will impact on those left behind
Good wishes
for the future
Presentation
of gift on behalf of company.
Writing and delivering your speech
The easiest
way to take your content ideas and turn them into a speech is to use an
outline.
The speech
outline covers the main points you want to make in the order you want to make
them. Once you've filled it out, test by saying it out loud.
Listen for
the flow of information.
Is it
ordered?
Does each
idea link logically?
Are the
transitions clear?
Is there a
beginning (introduction), body (middle) and conclusion?
Is the
content, tone and language use right for the occasion and your intended
audience?
Time the
speech. Is it too long? Edit if necessary.
And say
your speech to a trusted friend or colleague before giving it on the day. This
is a safety precaution to ensure that you haven't left out anything that should
be there or put in anything that shouldn't!
3 ways to deliver your prepared farewell speech
Choose what
best suits you and the occasion.
1. Read
your speech
If the
situation is very emotional or you are very emotional this may be the safest
way to get everything you want to say out.
Using your
completed speech outline as a guide write the whole speech out.
When you
print your text out be sure to use a large font so that it is easily read.
Double space your lines and number your pages for the same reason.
2. Use cue
cards
Make brief
summary notes on numbered (cue) cards that will serve as memory prompts to
guide you from one idea to the next.
These are
very good if you have practiced and know your speech. They let you interact
with your audience more freely than reading word for word does. The result is a
more spontaneous sounding speech.
3. Give
your speech from memory
If you have
time this could be the option to go for. The advantages are that you speak
directly to your audience. Because you are not relying on notes you can use
readily use gestures and make eye contact.
Check here
for tips and techniques on how to remember a speech.
The
disadvantage could be the risk of forgetting what you wanted to say entirely
through being overcome by the emotion of the occasion but this is significantly
lessened through practice.
