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How to Write a Memorable Retirement Speech + Examples

Updated 12/28/2023

Published 03/2/2020

Belinda McLeod, BA in Secondary Education

Contributing writer

Follow this guide to write a memorable retirement speech, whether for yourself, a friend, or colleague.

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Stepping up to the podium for your own retirement speech or perhaps for a colleague’s grand exit? Bravo! Whether you’re bidding farewell to your own illustrious career or celebrating a coworker’s legacy, it’s a momentous occasion. And guess what? The spotlight’s on you, and people are eager to be moved, amused, and maybe shed a tear or two.

Jump ahead to these sections:

Who Gives a Retirement Speech?

Retirement Speech Etiquette

Tips for writing a retirement speech, short retirement speech examples.

If this is your debut into the world of retirement speeches, you don’t have to fret too much. Think of it as giving a wedding toast but with fewer embarrassing stories and more career highlights.

Even if you’ve mastered the art of public speaking, a retirement speech is a unique beast. After all, you want your words to capture the essence of decades of dedication and hard work.

This article will help you do just that. Keep reading to learn how to write a retirement speech that resonates and leaves an indelible mark.

Tip: Growing older and entering retirement also means watching your friends and family members grow older, too. And that often means coping with loss and grief. If you know a retiree who's facing a loss, our post-loss checklist may be able to help.

Who Gives a Retirement Speech?

Retirement speeches are a rite of passage and a moment to reflect on years of service, shared memories, and the legacy left behind. But who steps up to the mic to deliver these poignant words during an office farewell or retirement party ?

While the retiree is an obvious choice, there are others who’ve shared in the journey and can offer unique perspectives. Each speaker brings something unique to the table, painting a comprehensive picture of the retiree’s impact. Let’s take a look at the roles of these speakers and the insights they can bring to the celebration.

The retiree

If you’re the retiree taking center stage, this is your chance for personal reflection. You can share:

Anecdotes from your journey
The challenges you overcame
Milestones you celebrated
Gratitude for colleagues, mentors, and the organization

A retiree’s speech often carries pride in their achievements, nostalgia for the memories, and excitement for the future. You might also sprinkle in some humor like a light-hearted mistake or a memorable office prank. This speech is your curtain call, so make sure to leave a lasting impression and maybe impart some wisdom to those still in the midst of their careers.

A coworker’s perspective is invaluable because they’ve been in the trenches together, weathered the same storms, and celebrated mutual successes. If you’re giving a retirement speech for a close coworker, you can highlight:

The retiree’s professional attributes and teamwork
The camaraderie you shared
Recollections of shared projects, inside jokes, and day-to-day interactions
Your personal bond and the times you spent together

Your words have the power to connect with many in the room, echoing shared sentiments and reinforcing the retiree’s impact on the team.

A boss or manager

When a boss or manager speaks, it’s a testament to the retiree’s professional impact. Your perspective offers a birds-eye view of the retiree’s contributions, leadership, and the legacy they leave behind.

You can also touch on the personal qualities that made the retiree stand out, such as their resilience, dedication, or mentorship to younger colleagues. The retirement speech is a chance to express gratitude on behalf of the organization, pride in their accomplishments , and to assure the retiree that their shoes were hard to fill.

Retirement speeches are a tribute, a celebration, and a farewell all wrapped into one. As with any significant occasion, there’s etiquette to follow to make the event memorable for all the right reasons. Understanding these nuances can make the difference between a speech that’s cherished and one that’s merely endured.

Consider some retirement speech etiquette to ensure your words resonate with grace, respect, and warmth.

Dress appropriately

The way you dress not only reflects your respect for the occasion but also sets the tone for your speech. Dressing appropriately signifies that you value the event and the person being honored. It's not just about looking good; it's about showing that you've put thought into your appearance as a mark of respect.

Whether it's a formal event or a casual gathering, ensure your attire matches the occasion. Remember, it's always better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed.

Use humor wisely

Humor can be a fantastic tool to lighten the mood and engage the audience. However, it's a double-edged sword. What's funny to one person might be offensive to another.

When incorporating humor, make sure it's in good taste and won't alienate or upset anyone. Steer clear of inside jokes that only a few might understand or controversial topics that could divide the room. The goal is to evoke smiles and laughter, not raised eyebrows.

A retirement speech is a heartfelt tribute, and sincerity is its cornerstone. While it's okay to refer to notes or an outline, ensure your words come from the heart.

Authenticity resonates. People can tell when sentiments are genuine versus when they're merely rehearsed lines. Speak with conviction, share genuine anecdotes, and let your true feelings shine through.

Be positive

Retirement is a celebration of a significant milestone. While it's tempting to bring up past challenges or conflicts, focus on the positive. Highlight achievements, growth, and the good times.

Even if there were hurdles, frame them as learning experiences or stepping stones that led to greater successes. A positive tone uplifts the atmosphere and leaves the retiree with fond memories.

Time the speech correctly

While you want to cover all your points, you don’t want to bore anyone to sleep. A speech that's too long can lose the audience's attention, while one that's too short might seem insincere.

Aim for a sweet spot, typically between 5 to 10 minutes. This gives you plenty of time to convey your message without overstaying your welcome. Practice beforehand and, if possible, time yourself to keep on track.

Be grateful

Whether you're the retiree thanking your colleagues or a manager expressing appreciation for years of service, always express gratitude. Recognize the contributions, the memories, and the shared journey. A simple 'thank you' can resonate deeply, leaving a lasting impression on the retiree and the audience alike.

Crafting a retirement speech is an art that can seem daunting. After all, you have to encapsulate decades of memories, achievements, and emotions into a few minutes.

Thankfully, with the right approach and a sprinkle of creativity, you can pen a speech that’s both memorable and moving.

General tips

Whether you’re a retiree or a colleague, retirement speeches should be given with utmost care and respect. Add a touch of creativity, and you’ve got a well-prepared speech that will move hearts and honor the star of the show.

Here are some general tips for crafting a memorable retirement speech.

Choose a speaker who knows the person well

Selecting the right speaker is the foundation of a memorable retirement speech. The speaker's connection with the retiree can make all the difference. Here are some qualities the ideal speaker should have:

Personal connection: The speaker should have a personal rapport with the retiree so they can give genuine anecdotes and heartfelt sentiments.
Knowledge of career journey: Choose someone familiar with the retiree's professional journey, milestones, and achievements.
Eloquence: While personal connection is vital, the speaker should also be comfortable speaking in public and conveying emotions effectively.
Representative of the team: Ideally, the speaker should represent the sentiments of the larger group, ensuring the speech resonates with everyone present.
Avoid last-minute choices: Plan ahead so the speaker has ample time to prepare. Don't leave the selection of the speaker to the last moment.

Focus on the honoree

how to give a retirement speech for someone examples

The retiree is the star of the show, and the speech should reflect that. Here's how to keep the spotlight on them:

Highlight achievements: Discuss significant milestones, projects, and contributions made by the retiree.
Share personal anecdotes: Personal stories add warmth and depth. Share moments that capture the retiree's essence.
Avoid generic praises: Be specific in your compliments. Instead of saying "You're great," mention what makes them so.
Incorporate feedback: Talk to colleagues and gather shared memories or sentiments to include.
Acknowledge growth: Discuss how the retiree evolved over the years, both professionally and personally.

Keep it short — but not too short

Timing is everything when you’re giving a retirement speech. You’ve got to strike the perfect balance. Here's how to ensure your speech is just right:

Set a time limit: Aim for 5-10 minutes. It's long enough to cover key points but short enough to retain attention.
Practice out loud: This helps in gauging the length and making necessary edits.
Prioritize content: Focus on the most impactful memories and achievements.
Engage the audience: A well-timed speech ensures the audience remains engaged throughout.
Leave room for applause: Factor in moments of applause or reactions, ensuring the speech doesn't feel rushed.

Carefully use humor

Humor can elevate a speech, but you’ve got to tread carefully. Here's how to infuse humor without overstepping:

Know your audience: Choose jokes that are appropriate for the audience's sensibilities.
Avoid sensitive topics: Steer clear of controversial or potentially hurtful subjects.
Test your joke: Share them with a trusted colleague to gauge their reaction.
Use light self-deprecation: It's a safe way to add humor without offending anyone.
Stay authentic: Forced humor can fall flat. If humor isn't your strength, focus on warmth and sincerity.

Preparation is key to delivering a confident and heartfelt speech. You can thoroughly prepare in several ways:

Write an outline: Organize your thoughts and structure your speech with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Rehearse: Practice multiple times to get the flow right and make necessary tweaks.
Seek feedback: Share your speech with a trusted colleague or friend for feedback.
Visualize the day: Imagine yourself giving the speech. This mental rehearsal can boost confidence.
Stay calm and composed: Remember, it's a celebration. Take deep breaths, stay relaxed, and speak from the heart.

As the retiree

If you’re a retiree, there are several ways to create a great speech:

Reflect on your journey: Talk about where you started, the highs and lows along the way, and where you feel like you've "landed" at the end of your career.
Acknowledge and appreciate: There are a lot of people who have helped you on your way. Take the time to acknowledge and thank them for their role in your life and career.
Share life lessons: What lessons have you learned that you want to pass along? Share these during your speech.

As a trusted coworker or superior

What about if you’re a coworker or superior? Focus on highlighting the retiree’s impact, sharing personal anecdotes, and offering well wishes for the future.

You might know the person pretty well, but it's always important to make sure you've got the right information on hand. Make sure to gather information and fact check for items like:

How long the retiree has been in the industry.
How long the retiree has worked for the company.
The previous positions the person held within the company.
The contributions they made while working.
Awards the person who is retiring may have received in the course of their career.
Pertinent information about the retiree's work history.

Here are some snippets of retirement speeches that you can amend for your situation. Remember, it is important to speak from the heart. Your audience will appreciate a more authentic speech rather than a stoic message.

For a friend

When Max began work at our firm, gas was $1.19 a gallon, and Ronald Reagan had just been elected president. Kramer vs. Kramer won Best Picture, and “Call Me” by Blondie was playing on the radio. All that to say, she’s been a fixture here for quite a while. To say that Max knows every aspect of this business like the back of her hand is not an understatement.

I remember the first time I walked into this office. Maxine was the first person to greet me. She gave me advice on where to park, showed me how to fill out a PTO request, and answered all my questions during lunch. She introduced me to everyone on staff. And she made sure I knew all the ins and outs of working for Brighton Industries. This wasn’t part of her job, but she did it anyway. She made every new person in the office feel welcome.

Every office has a “go-to” person. The person who knows how to handle the difficult client. The person who knows how to hire the right person for the job. The person who knows how to load new toner in the printer. Max has been our go-to person for 25 years, and she leaves big shoes to fill.

One of Max’s best qualities is her ability to stay calm in the middle of the storm. Do you remember the great Jones Company fiasco in 2004? While the rest of us panicked about the loss of our biggest client, she went out and found us a new client. And that client brought in twice as much revenue as the client we lost!

We know that Maxine is looking forward to retirement. She told me she is planning to spend more time quilting. And she’ll be hanging out with her daughter and three adorable grandbabies. You’ve all seen pictures of her grandkids, right? Of course, you have! We are all so excited to wish Maxine well as she starts checking off items from her retirement bucket list .

For your retirement

Thank you so much for all the kind words. I have loved working at Brighton Industries. I have had some of the best times in my life at this office. I have made lifelong friends who I treasure. Thank you for being the best coworkers and friends a woman could ask for.

There are a few things that I won’t miss about working for Brighton. I won’t miss filling out the TPS reports. I won’t miss the late nights that came with tax season. I won’t miss how cold the office is in the summer, or how hot the office is during the winter. But I will miss all of you. You have made this office feel like a second home to me. Thank you.

I discovered what amazing coworkers I had when I lost my mom to cancer three years ago. You all stepped in so willingly to pick up the slack when I couldn’t perform my regular duties. Not only did you take on more responsibilities in the office, but many of you also provided meals to my family. It meant the world to me, knowing that I could depend upon you all for help.

For a coworker

I have witnessed many people come and go throughout my years here at Smith and Smith. However, I am sadder today than ever, knowing Michelle won’t be stepping out of our elevator Monday morning.

Even though Michelle has only worked at Smith and Smith for the last eight years, she has contributed much to our organization. For example, she made our network more secure by spearheading our cybersecurity efforts. But she also had a knack for streamlining processes, allowing us to work more efficiently. Before Michelle began working here, we worked a great deal of overtime. The reason we are now able to leave at 5 p.m. is because of the processes she began.

On a personal level, Michelle was always a delight to be around. She’s not one to complain – even when we had to put in extra hours last winter. Michelle was always the first to jump in to help when someone was sick or had a personal emergency. We all have stories of how Michelle helped us during a pinch.

Michele – I will remember you with fondness. I am excited that you will have more time to spend with your beautiful grandchildren, and I wish you every happiness in the future.

I was honored to be asked to speak about Samuel this afternoon. After working for Samuel for over 20 years, I have a lot to say. Don’t worry, Sam. Most of it is good.

First, I would like to tell you some things about Sam’s background that you might not have been aware of. Sam has a degree in Chemistry from Perdue. Even though he was prepared to spend his life in a lab setting, he sat next to a stranger on the subway one day while going to a job interview. He spoke with this person and learned he was starting a new shoe company and looking for someone to oversee the distribution. Of course, that stranger was Frank Jones, our illustrious founder. And that was why Sam never used his chemistry degree.

The second thing you may not know about Sam is that he is a violin virtuoso. I didn’t know this about him until a few years ago when Sam and his wife had me over for dinner. I saw a music stand in the corner of his living room and asked about it. Sam’s wife encouraged him to play for me. Needless to say, I was dumbfounded by his talent.

For a subordinate

I know I have the reputation of being a bit of a perfectionist. In fact, before Lucy was hired four years ago, I had been through twelve assistants in thirteen years. That’s one reason why today is such a sad day for me. While I am ecstatic that Lucy will have more time to devote to her novel, I am sorry that I have to find someone to replace her. It’s not going to be easy.

Lucy is amazingly gifted at reading my mind. In fact, it’s a little scary how she seems to know what I want before I ask for it. This ESP, or whatever gift she has been blessed with, has saved me on more than one occasion. I’ll never forget how she interrupted me during a meeting with Mrs. Franklin to remind me of something that saved that account. She also kept me out of the doghouse at home by purchasing perfect Mother’s Day and anniversary gifts for Louise.

While I certainly will miss Lucy’s contributions to our workplace, I am most sad for our clients. Everyone loves Lucy, and they are as heartbroken as I am that she is retiring.

For a teacher

Throughout Mrs. Anderson’s career, she has taught approximately 2,300 students. That means she has graded more than 18,000 essays, 2,300 research papers, and more book reports than you can imagine. Incredibly, her purple flair ink pen isn’t attached permanently to her hand with all of the grading she has done over the years.

But more important than the essays and book reports are the relationships she has formed with her students over the last three decades. She has comforted students who have lost family members and helped kids find jobs. She has written letters of recommendation for scholarships and advised many in their careers.

On top of her work as an English teacher, she has overseen the publication of the yearbook and newspaper, traveled with students to Europe, ran the concession stand at football games, coached the cheerleaders, and sat through negotiations each year on behalf of the teachers’ union.

Mrs. Anderson – you deserve a break. We hope you can sleep in each morning, stay up late reading novels each night, and travel the globe without the fear of losing a kid. Congratulations on your retirement!

For a family member

It’s hard to imagine our Dad without a job. This place has been a part of his routine for so long that he may show up on Monday simply out of habit. In fact, we may have to put a sign on the back of his front door reminding him to stay at home.

And Dad loved every minute of it. Unlike most people, Dad never complained about his job. In fact, when we prayed as a family before each meal, Dad often expressed thanks for this company and his job.

But, we are thankful that he can now stay home. He’s worked hard for a long time and deserves a break. But don’t worry – he won’t be sitting around for long. My siblings and I all have lists of home repairs that only Dad can do. We’ve also scheduled a few fishing trips over the next several months.

Thank you for inviting my siblings and me to this retirement party. It’s been a lovely day. I only wish Mom could have survived long enough to see Dad retire. She was always so proud of Dad for everything he accomplished. I’m sure she is smiling down on us right now.

Funny retirement speech

Christopher has many gifts and talents. And he has contributed a lot to our company over the years. He’s been the top salesperson for twenty-three out of the twenty-five years he has worked here. He has worked hard to streamline our processes to work smarter, not harder. He has also been a leader in our industry by representing us in front of the state legislature.

Even though I can easily provide you with a long list of awards and accolades, he will forever be known in this office as the person who was always misplacing his stuff. We found his keys by the copier, his wallet next to the giant fern in the back room, his raincoat on Mitch’s desk, and his water bottles – everywhere. It’s always been a mystery to everyone how someone absentminded can perform in a high-pressure job so well.

So, we have purchased a tile tracker system to help you keep track of all your stuff on behalf of your retirement. Now that you won’t have an entire staff of people keeping track of your personal belongings, we think this might help. It may also keep Louise from killing you during your first week at home.

Retirement: The Next Stage in Life

As we stand on the precipice of one chapter ending and another beginning, we must recognize and celebrate the journey that brought us here. Whether you’re the one stepping into the golden years of retirement or honoring a colleague making that leap, words are powerful. A heartfelt speech can encapsulate years of dedication, camaraderie, and growth.

Retirement isn’t just about saying goodbye to a job. It’s about acknowledging the passion, identity, and pride that one has in their career. For many, their career is a significant part of their life’s narrative.

As you craft your speech or pen down your thoughts, remember to celebrate this dedication. It might take a bit more effort, but the impact of genuine appreciation will resonate deeply, marking a memorable transition into the next exciting phase of life.

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About To Retire And Need To Give A Speech? 5 Retirement Speech Ideas With Examples

After a lifetime of hard work and dedication, retirement is a big milestone in life.

It’s a time to reflect on all the amazing moments experienced over the years and celebrate the future ahead.

As such, it often requires giving a retirement speech to acknowledge the occasion and those with whom you’ve worked for many years.

Knowing what to say when passing the baton and sharing final words of wisdom is challenging.

Should you be funny or serious?

Go into detail or keep it brief?

Look no further if you’re stuck and need some ideas or inspiration.

We’ve put together a few examples of retirement speeches from the retiree’s perspective (and from an employee’s, as well) to help ignite your creativity.

How to Outline Your Retirement Speech

Tips for writing your retirement speech, 1. farewell type of retirement speech, 2. short retirement speech, 3. funny retirement speech, 4. heartfelt/serious retirement speech, 5. retirement speech for an employee, final thoughts.

Like any other written work, your retirement speech should have a narrative that walks through the main points clearly and concisely.

To ensure your address resonates with your audience, you should outline it properly before delivering it.

When creating an outline for your retirement speech, make sure to consider the following steps:

Start with a strong opening statement: Begin your speech by introducing yourself and setting the tone for what’s to come. Starting with humor can break the ice.
Mention and thank everyone present: Take time to thank those who have been a part of your professional journey, such as managers, colleagues, family members, and mentors.
Share memorable moments: Reflect on your career highlights and share your favorite memories with the audience.
End with inspiring words: Leave your audience with a few words of wisdom encapsulating everything you’ve said.
Edit and practice: Once you’ve completed your outline, edit it as many times as needed to make sure there are no errors or unnecessary information.
Rehearse it out loud: Also, practice delivering your speech aloud, so you know exactly how it will sound when the time comes.

By crafting an effective outline and following these steps, you can ensure that your retirement speech is well-received by everyone in attendance. It may take a few drafts to get it right, but the effort will be worth it.

As you bid farewell to your work life and embark on a new chapter in life, a well-written speech will serve as an inspiring reminder of all that has been accomplished.

Decide on the tone of speech: Will it be a formal address or light-hearted? Will it start out with one tone and end with another? These decisions can help guide the story you tell.
Set the context: Choose a theme or story to open your speech so your audience can relate and follow along.
Establish a timeline: How long have you worked at the organization? What are some of your most memorable moments? Who did you work with in different eras? Answering these questions can help you craft an engaging narrative.
Offer gratitude: You didn’t make it to retirement on your own, and it’s essential to recognize the people who played a role in your journey. Be sure to thank them accordingly.
Keep it short: Keep your speech under ten minutes if possible, as this will keep your audience attentive and engaged. If any sentences don’t add value to the story, remove them. It should be easy to read out loud and follow along.
Identify key takeaways: What is one thing that everyone should leave with? What lessons have you learned in your time there that can help shape the future of the organization?
Close on an uplifting note: Your retirement speech should close with something inspiring and sincere – perhaps a quote or a personal expression of thanks. Sometimes humor is a great way to end on a high note and return to a more casual tone.

Use these pointers as a checklist that you can refer to when putting together your retirement speech.

With careful consideration, you’ll be able to deliver a heartfelt address that celebrates all the successes and memories of your time at the organization.

5 Retirement Speech Ideas with Examples

If you need help getting started with your goodbyes, here are some examples of retirement speeches by the retiree (and an employee speech) to help you craft the perfect address:

This type of speech is the most common and is often sentimental. It’s about saying goodbye while thanking everyone who helped you along the way.

It should help the audience understand what this change means for you while keeping them curious about where your next chapter will take you.

Example Farewell Retirement Speech:

It’s difficult to put into words just how much this moment means to me. After XX years of dedicated service, I’m finally ready to take on my next journey.

woman laughing in office retirement speech ideas

When I first started my career, I never imagined all the wonderful memories and relationships that would come with it. Every day has been rewarding in its own way, but today is an especially bittersweet occasion as I bid farewell to all my colleagues and look ahead to the future.

I think about all the fantastic people I’ve met who have helped me along the way – from supervisors who encouraged me through challenging times to mentors who gave wise advice when the going got tough. These relationships made coming to work each day a pleasure rather than a chore.

The biggest blessing must be my meaningful collaborations with some of my favorite coworkers over the years. We spent countless hours brainstorming ideas and building projects together, often coming up with solutions for problems we thought would never be solved. The sense of satisfaction and accomplishment was always worth it in the end!

Although I won’t be in this office anymore, there are still plenty of contributions yet to come from me and those like me who will carry this legacy forward into our respective futures. With every challenge you face, there will always be someone new at your side willing to help you move mountains if you need it.

So allow me to leave you with a few pieces of advice: Believe in yourself but never be afraid of asking questions and learning more; cherish every relationship you come across; and remember that hard work pays off even when you don’t see it right away! With that said, I will miss all of you and wish you and (name of company) continued success.

Many retirement speeches happen in spaces where we need to be brief, such as a Zoom meeting or other virtual space.

A short retirement speech will allow you to be concise and still convey your message. It can also make for an excellent written piece for a retirement card or email greeting.

Example Short Retirement Speech:

Today, I have many mixed emotions. I bid farewell to this great organization that’s played such a meaningful role in my life. And I’m saying goodbye to the most supportive and incredible colleagues.

I am thankful for the opportunities I’ve enjoyed here to make a difference by working diligently on staff development initiatives, fundraising efforts, and day-to-day operations. Our amazing team accomplished so much in the years I’ve been here, and I’m proud to have played a part in our success.

My gratitude extends beyond words as I am leaving behind something that’s defined me for over XX years. But I also look forward to embracing new challenges and experiences on my new journey ahead.

I will miss all of you tremendously and hope to stay in touch to see how everyone is doing. Thank you all for your encouragement and friendship – I will never forget it.

Written Samples

7 retirement speech samples (from the retiree).

Retirement marks a significant milestone in an individual’s life, representing decades of work, achievement, and transformation. It’s a time of reflection, celebration, and sometimes bittersweet farewells.

A well-crafted retirement speech serves not only as a personal testament to one’s career but also as a source of inspiration and guidance for colleagues, friends, and family.

Sample Retirement Speeches (from the Retiree)

The speeches outlined in this article are tailored to encapsulate various careers, personalities, and sentiments, each offering a unique perspective on the transition from a professional life to retirement. They are detailed, and imbued with a mix of emotions and anecdotes, making each one a memorable ode to the retiree’s journey.

Speech 1: The Public Servant’s Lasting Commitment

As I stand before you, I can’t help but reflect on the journey that has brought me to this moment. My career in public service was more than a job; it was a calling that I answered wholeheartedly, driven by a desire to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. I remember the day I took my oath of office, feeling a profound sense of duty and anticipation for the work that lay ahead.

Over the years, I’ve served in various capacities, each with its unique challenges and rewards. I’ve been a steward of public trust, a policymaker, and an advocate for the voiceless. I’ve witnessed the power of community, the resilience of the human spirit, and the impact of collective action. My journey has taken me from local town halls to national forums, always with the aim of serving the greater good.

The life of a public servant is often unsung, with long hours, difficult decisions, and constant scrutiny. Yet, it is also a life filled with immense satisfaction and purpose. I’ve seen policies enacted that have improved lives, initiatives that have sparked change, and moments of unity that have overcome division. These are the milestones that have marked my career and the memories that I will cherish as I move forward.

As I retire, I do so with a heart full of gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunities I’ve had to serve, for the colleagues who have journeyed alongside me, and for the community that has entrusted me with their hopes and concerns. To those who will continue in public service, I leave you with this charge: serve with integrity, lead with compassion, and never lose sight of the people you are sworn to serve.

Retirement for me does not mean the end of my commitment to public service. It merely marks a transition to a new role. I look forward to supporting causes close to my heart, volunteering in my community, and perhaps, enjoying a little more quiet time with family and friends. The path of service is never truly complete; it simply evolves.

As I close this chapter, I am overwhelmed with a sense of fulfillment and anticipation for the future. My years of service have been an honor and a privilege, and I step down with the knowledge that the work we do matters, that each of us can make a difference, and that the journey of service is one of the most rewarding paths one can take. Thank you for the opportunity to serve, for the memories, and for the journey that lies ahead.

Speech 2: The Healthcare Hero’s New Chapter

Today, as I stand before you, I am reminded of the very first day I stepped into the hospital as a young, eager healthcare professional. It was a day filled with nervous excitement and a profound commitment to the journey ahead. My career in healthcare has been nothing short of a calling—a relentless pursuit to heal, comfort, and improve lives.

Throughout the years, I’ve witnessed the spectrum of human resilience and vulnerability. I’ve held the hands of those fighting for their next breath and shared the joy of those overcoming illness. Each patient’s story has left an indelible mark on my heart, reminding me of the profound impact healthcare workers have on individual lives and the community at large.

My path has been filled with continuous learning, adapting to new medical advancements, and always striving to provide the best care possible. The long hours and emotional toll were balanced by the camaraderie among colleagues and the unwavering spirit of our patients. I’ve seen the healthcare landscape evolve, driven by innovation and a collective commitment to bettering public health.

As I retire, I carry with me a treasure trove of memories and experiences. I leave behind a legacy of care and hope that the next generation of healthcare professionals continues to carry the torch with the same passion and dedication. The journey does not end here for me; it merely shifts. I look forward to volunteering, perhaps mentoring the next generation, and taking some well-deserved time to nurture my well-being.

To those who continue in the field of healthcare, remember the profound impact you have. Your hands heal, your words comfort, and your presence brings hope. Continue to advocate for your patients, for each other, and for the health of our communities. The world needs you more than ever.

Thank you for the honor of serving alongside you, for the lessons learned, and for the countless lives we’ve touched together. As I step into this new chapter, I do so with a heart full of gratitude and eyes looking forward to the horizon of possibilities that retirement brings.

Speech 3: The Journey of a Lifelong Educator

As I stand here today, I am filled with a multitude of emotions. After 35 years of waking up at dawn, preparing lessons, grading papers, and most importantly, nurturing young minds, the halls of education will surely miss my footsteps. My career began as a bright-eyed teacher in a small town, armed with nothing but a passion for literature and a desire to make a difference. Over the years, I witnessed thousands of students cross the threshold of my classroom, each leaving a mark on my heart.

I remember the countless school plays, the science fairs, and the joy of seeing a struggling student finally grasp a difficult concept. These moments were not just the milestones of my career but the building blocks of the community we created together. However, this journey was not without its challenges. Budget cuts, policy changes, and the ever-evolving landscape of education meant constant adaptation. Yet, these hurdles only strengthened my resolve to provide the best education possible.

As I retire, I carry with me not just memories but lessons learned and friendships forged. To my colleagues, I leave behind a legacy of dedication and hope you continue to inspire as I have been inspired. To the students, past and present, remember that education is a lifelong journey, and you are its navigators. I look forward to the next chapter, knowing that the impact we’ve made together is indelible.

Speech 4: A Financier’s Farewell

Today marks not an end but a culmination of a three-decade-long adventure in the world of finance. From the bustling floors of the stock exchange to the intense boardroom negotiations, my career has been nothing short of a thrilling ride. I started as a junior analyst, fueled by ambition and an insatiable curiosity about the markets. Each fiscal year brought new challenges and opportunities, from navigating economic downturns to celebrating record-breaking profits.

My journey was underscored by the relationships I built. To my clients, I was not just a financial advisor but a trusted partner in their aspirations. We celebrated successes and weathered storms together, always looking forward to the next opportunity. To my team, your dedication and ingenuity have been the driving force behind our success. Your resilience and commitment have not only shaped our company’s legacy but also defined my career.

As I step into retirement, I am excited for the future. The world of finance is ever-changing, and I have full confidence that the next generation will continue to innovate and lead with integrity. I look forward to watching from the sidelines, perhaps over morning coffee rather than market reports. Thank you for an incredible journey.

Speech 5: The Architect’s Blueprint for the Future

After years of drawing lines and envisioning spaces, the time has come for me to put down my pencil and step back from the drafting table. Architecture has been more than a career; it has been a passion that shaped my worldview and allowed me to leave a tangible mark on the world. From the first sketch to the final brick, each project was a story, a challenge, and an achievement.

My career took me to different cities and countries, each project reflecting the culture and community it was built for. I have had the honor of designing homes, institutions, and public spaces, each with its own story and significance. The late nights, the client meetings, and even the occasional setbacks were all part of a fulfilling narrative.

To the young architects just beginning their journey, I leave you with this advice: never stop dreaming and drawing. Architecture is not just about buildings; it’s about the lives that unfold within them. As I step into retirement, I look forward to seeing the skyline continue to change, knowing that I had a hand in shaping it.

Speech 6: The Scientist’s Last Experiment

As I hang up my lab coat for the last time, I am struck by a sense of accomplishment and anticipation. My career as a scientist has been driven by an insatiable curiosity and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. The laboratory has been my home, where hypotheses were tested, discoveries made, and sometimes, the impossible made possible.

From my early days as a doctoral candidate to leading groundbreaking research, the thrill of discovery never waned. I’ve seen the power of science to change lives, from developing new treatments to understanding the mysteries of the universe. My journey was not a solitary one; it was filled with collaboration, debate, and the shared joy of discovery.

To the next generation of scientists, keep questioning, exploring, and pushing the boundaries of what we know. The world is full of mysteries waiting to be solved, and now it’s your turn to lead the charge. As for me, retirement doesn’t mean the end of discovery; it’s simply a new chapter with unbounded possibilities.

Speech 7: The Entrepreneur’s Next Venture

Standing here today, I am reminded of the day I started my first business. It was more than just a venture; it was a leap of faith into a world of unknowns. Entrepreneurship is not just a career; it’s a lifestyle characterized by risk, innovation, and perseverance. I’ve had the pleasure of starting businesses, seeing them grow, and sometimes, letting them go.

Each business was a chapter in a larger story, filled with its own set of characters, challenges, and triumphs. I’ve learned that success is not just about profit but about impact and legacy. It’s about the jobs created, the communities supported, and the innovations that push society forward.

As I step into retirement, I do so with the knowledge that the entrepreneurial spirit never retires. I look forward to mentoring the next generation, investing in new ideas, and perhaps even starting a new venture or two. The future is bright, and I can’t wait to see what it holds.

Each speech reflects the essence of a career filled with dedication, challenges, and achievements. They serve as a farewell but also as a beacon for those who continue the journey. Retirement is not an end but a transition, an opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and look forward to new beginnings.

Retirement Speech Examples and Ideas That Get It Right

As a fomer educator and mom blogger who's a mother of four, Kristin shares helpful tips and advice on a variety of topics.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

It is customary for a person retiring to give a speech, either at a retirement celebration or at a final meeting in the workplace. If writing a retirement speech isn't really in your wheelhouse, don't worry! It's easy to write a retirement speech when you create some focus for your words.

Original Sample Speeches for Retirees

If you need a little more guidance on writing your retirement speech, check out these original sample speeches. They might help inspire your own speech or might be appropriate to use with a little customizing. For help with downloading or printing these sample speeches, refer to the Guide for Adobe Printables .

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A Grateful Retirement Speech

Over the last few decades, you have probably spent more time with your co-workers than you have with your own family! For better and sometimes for worse, your co-workers have been a huge part of your career and your life. They have celebrated weddings, babies, and promotions with you. They likely comforted you in times of loss and were there when you hit a rough patch on the job. Use your retirement speech to pay homage to the people you worked with and the family and friends who supported you throughout your working years. This speech format focuses on gratitude and acknowledges the speaker's coworkers and family.

A Serious Retirement Speech

Some workplaces are fun and relaxed environments to spend your days, and others have a far more serious tone to them. If your workplace does not appreciate humor, or if you feel more reflective than funny about this milestone, a serious speech can be a good way to close this chapter of your life. As long as a serious speech is heartfelt and doesn't feel cold or removed, it will surely do the trick.

A Funny Retirement Speech

Some retirees want to go out with a bang! These people need to nail a speech that engages the audience with humor and brings smiles to faces surrounding him/her. During the final moments of your career, remind your colleagues, superiors, friends, and family why you were so much to be around for all those years and how much they will miss your banter around the watercooler. This speech is meant to prompt laughter while poking a little fun at the people who must return to work on the next workday. When creating a humorous speech, be sure to balance jokes and jests with grace and class. Humor speeches should never tread into the waters of offensive.

Related: Funny Retirement Quotes for a Hilarious Send-Off

Giving a Retirement Speech for an Employee

If you are the head honcho at work and you have an employee retiring, you will want to send him/her off with a well-thought-out, carefully planned speech.

Tailor the Speech to the Employee

The person who is retiring has given the company you both work for decades of his/her life. Show the retiree respect by handcrafting a speech specific to them. If they are full of personality, jokes and have a fun-loving spirit, then write up a funny speech full of hilarious memories and inside jokes. If they are better known for their serious side and hard work ethic, play on those qualities, incorporating them into a more serious speech.

Retirement Speech Etiquette

When you're writing your retirement speech, keep in mind the culture of your workplace. While you want to inject your own personality into it, you don't want to deliver a speech that will make other people uncomfortable. Follow a few key etiquette tips to ensure that you stay in your lane and don't veer too far off course during your speech.

Stay Positive

A retirement speech is not the appropriate opportunity in which to air your grievances. Even if you're leaving a workplace that you largely considered toxic, filled with co-workers who might benefit from anger management training , you should focus on the positive. Do your best to drum up the good and steer clear of the bad. Thank your co-workers for their passion or comment on the promptness that the company functions under.

Time the Speech Accordingly

How long your speech runs largely depends on the venue and tone of the event. If you're standing up in a meeting to say farewell, you should take less time than if you're giving your speech at a formal celebration intended only to celebrate your retirement. Ask the event coordinator how much time they set aside for your speech and stick to the time allotted. If no guidance is given otherwise, for a formal celebration, aim for a speech lasting under 10 minutes. For a quick stand up in a meeting, you should not exceed three minutes.

Read the Room

Consider your audience. Your now-former colleagues are likely comprised of older and younger people who are now all sitting in the venue awaiting your words. When you deliver your speech, regardless of the speech style and tone, be sure to address those who have been with you for many years, as well as newcomers to the workplace. Pay homage to everyone surrounding you and make sure all feel like a part of your journey.

Be Grateful

Thank all the people who helped you along the way in your career, including those outside the workplace such as mentors, family, and close friends. It's important to thank the people within your workplace responsible for pulling together your retirement celebration. Before drafting a retirement speech, draft a list of must-mention people. If you have many people to include in your tribute, consider grouping some folks into a department. For example, you could say, "I could not have made it through my days without the dedication and assistance of the ______ department."

There is nothing wrong with asking a trusted person to review your speech before you finalize it. They may come up with ideas or insights you didn't think of. Allow a few people to read through your speech or listen to you read through a draft of your speech before finalizing it. Take their thoughts into consideration. You don't have to change up your whole speech on account of others, but ponder their suggestions in the very least.

Delivery Tips

Speaking in public can be difficult for people unaccustomed to it, but there are steps you can take to ease your anxiety.

Dress and Dazzle

Put on something clean and pressed, give yourself a shave or freshen up your nails and makeup. You don't have to look like a supermodel, but you do want to put a bit of thought and consideration into your look on your retirement day. For many in the audience, this is the last time they will see you, so give them a bit of a show. Sometimes when people put on their best, they feel more confident and ready to take on challenges that lie ahead.

Practice Beforehand

Nobody expects you to memorize your speech, but you should familiarize yourself with your completed speech before you try to deliver it to a crowd. Reading it aloud beforehand may reveal portions that will make you emotional, and you don't want to get caught off-guard by getting choked up. Knowing that you are not going into a cold read can help reduce your anxiety levels on your big day.

Breathe Deeply to Calm Down

As you wait to deliver your speech, take slow, deep breaths to help relieve your nervousness. Envision your lungs and balloons and fill them with air, then forcefully exhale. This type of breathing can help calm you.

Have Water Handy

The body reacts to stress in different ways. If you feel anxious about delivering a speech in front of people, your throat might tighten up. A cup of water by your side allows you to take a moment, clear your throat, and continue with the speech. Additionally, it's a good idea to have tissues or a handkerchief nearby in case you tear up.

Choose a Go-To Focal Point

Find a spot on the furthest wall of the room and make that your go-to focal point. It might be an exit sign or a clock but look at your focal point when you have trouble looking at your audience - especially if the people close to you are getting emotional and you're afraid you might become emotional too. The other benefit to the focal point being at the furthest wall is that it will appear to your audience as though you're simply looking at the back row instead of staring at an exit sign or clock.

Remember: The Speech Won't Last Forever

This speech, daunting as it may seem, is only 3-10 minutes of your entire life. You WILL get through it, and then it is over, tucked away to memories for the rest of your days. Remind yourself that you will only be standing and speaking for a short span of time, and then you will be done. Even if you envision a million things going wrong, the reality is that none of it likely will. Our concerns are always worse than the reality.

Enjoy the Moment

You worked hard to get to the point of retirement . Nobody expects an Emmy award-winning performance from you, so try to enjoy this one final work task of thanking the people who helped make your retirement possible.

How To Deliver An Unforgettable Retirement Speech For A Colleague (With Examples)

Hrideep barot.

Speech Writing

Do you want to deliver a heartfelt speech for a colleague who’s leaving work but are unsure how to do it?

Don’t worry. You’re not alone.

For many people, retirement from a place of work can be a very emotional experience. Especially if they’ve been at a place of work for a long time, leaving it–and the people they’ve worked with–can be quite tough. After all, with retirement, an employee is going to be leaving his or her employment permanently.

And this emotional roller-coaster is not exclusive to a the person retiring.

Their co-workers, too, can land a seat at it. Especially if they were close to the person retiring or are quite close to retiring themselves.

But even if you’re not at the front seat of the rollercoaster and simply wish to deliver a nice speech to a friendly co-worker finally leaving the company, finding the right words for the speech can be a confusing task.

Writing and delivering a speech is a tough job.

A good retirement speech needs to factor in many elements. Farewell speeches are important as they express to the person leaving the place of work gratitude for the effort, time, and experiences they’ve provided to the company. They usually include a person’s past history, achievements, services, etc. And are an essential element of a good place of work.

Don’t worry.

We’re there to help you.

What Is A Retirement Speech?

A retirement or farewell address is a speech that is delivered by or for an individual leaving a work position or workplace. They are often used by public figures like politicians, actors, etc. as a capstone to their career, or as statements from persons giving reasons for their leaving.

In a workplace, a farewell speech is often given by a junior member of the organization. A friend, colleague, or junior member are a few common choices for delivering a farewell speech. Sometimes, if a person has done remarkable work or has left an imprint on the organization, the speech might be given by a senior member of the company.

As mentioned above, retirement speeches are delivered to thank an employee leaving a workplace for all the time, effort, and experience that was offered by them to the company throughout their tenure, and is a necessary element of a good and progressive place of work that values its employees.

What Do I Need To Include In A Retirement Speech?

1. Talk About Their Achievements

Who doesn’t like reminded about the good stuff they’ve achieved in life, right? This can be especially important during a farewell speech, as a way of thanking the collegue for the positive elements that they’ve added to the company over the years.

While it’s a good idea to add big achievements, you can also make it more special for the collegue by mentioning something small that they might have done that got overshadowed by all the other big stuff. The leaving person might not even be aware of doing it!

For example, if the collegue was someone who could always make people’s Mondays feel like Fridays, then that’s a pretty big achievement too, right? Make sure to include it in your speech!

2. Narrate Anecdotes and Stories

What’s an emotional speech without a story or two, eh?

Anecdotes and stories are not just a great way of making a speech lively and interesting, but they can also make the speech more personal both; for the person leaving and the ones staying behind.

So, try to include at least 2-3 anecdotes in your speech.

If you don’t know the co-worker that well or are simply unsure of what to include, you can reach out to someone who was close to the person retiring and ask for their input.

Regardless, stories have the power to really captivate an audience as long as we use the 3 core elements of

Characterisation
Final Takeaway

We’ve elaborated on these storytelling tactics in great detail in this video which I HIGHLY recommend you check out if you have a retirement speech coming up:

3. Don’t Forget The Jokes

Humor is a great way to level up any speech, and a retirement speech is no exception to it’s charm. Humor works to lighten the overall mood, which can be quite heavy for a day like this.

So, try to sprinkle a couple of jokes throughout your speech. You can even combine jokes and anecdotes and tell a funny story –maybe a memorable incident that happened with the retiring co-worker in the past!

For more information on how to make your speech funny, check out our article on A Guide To Using Humor In Your Speech.

4. Add A Personal Touch

Don’t just copy paste a random speech from Google. Instead, take your time with the speech. Remember that retirement is a cornerstone in most people’s life, and treat it as such.

Adding little personal details here and there–little quirks that your colleague had, or memorable moments they had at the workplace–goes a great way to make the person in question feel important, liked, and most importantly: appreciated for their efforts.

5. Talk About Their Personality

What was the colleague like? What made them different from other people in the workplace? If there was one word that you could describe their personality, what would it be?

Talking about their personal qualities makes the person retiring more real. It reminds them–and the people listening–that they were not just another part in a corporate machine, but a human being. That is someone with feelings, memories, good days, and bad days–just like you.

6. Don’t Neglect Speaking About The Future

While it’s important to give due importance to the past while delivering a retirement speech, it’s also imperative to not neglect talking about what’s ahead i.e the future. Often, people can get so fixated on the good stuff in the past that they don’t notice the amazing stuff coming up ahead.

Is there something the person leaving always wanted to do, but couldn’t because they were so busy with work?

Say, did they always want to go to a nature retreat, spend more time with their spouse, or work at that bar at the end of the street?

Well, now would be the time to bring that up!

Don’t just ramble on about stuff that’s already done. Talk about the opportunities coming upz too!

7. Include mementos and gifts

If a colleague is leaving work–especially if they’re someone who’s contributed a lot to a place–chances are, they’re going to be given a small memento for their work all these years. This can be given by anyone–another co-worker, you, or even higher-ups.

So, make sure to check in with your co-workers about the status of a memento. If it’s going to be included, you can include a small introduction leading up to the handing of the gift right into your speech end.

8. When In Doubt, Ask

This piece of advice can come especially in handy if you didn’t know the former co-worker that well. If you’re unsure whether to include a personal detail or not–or are simply in a dearth of personal information–go ahead and ask someone else for their input. This someone else can be anyone: a close friend of the colleague, a family member, your boss, or even the colleague themself!

Don’t be shy to ask questions.

Sample Retirement Speech

Dear Hannah,

Today is the day you retire from St.Mary’s Public School after over twenty years of teaching English to high-schoolers—most of whom had no interest in learning anything in the first place!

In spite of this hindrance, you never ceased delivering the best you possibly could. When you first started working with us, you were simply a substitute teacher that the students saw occasionally. Remember your first day and the prank that the students played on you?

The entire class banded together and attacked you with a string of questions—none of which had anything to do with English, by the way. But instead of waiting for you to answer, the moment you opened your mouth, the student pretended to fall asleep!

Once you got the hang of it, you turned into a prankster yourself! You played along with the class by listening to a student begin a question but then acted like you’d fallen asleep—just like they had when you were trying to answer—before they finished it.

It was the first time a teacher had chosen to not only indulge their silly pranks but also pranked them right back! Instead of punishing them, you tried to understand them, to relate to them. And you continued trying to do so for the rest of the week.

The students fell in love with you that day, and their admiration for you only grew over the next week. I know this because a few days later when I showed up for class, nobody wanted to learn anything about Shakespeare!

And yet, you not only managed to befriend the students, but you also became friends with the teachers!

You were the only topic of discussion—both, in the classroom and later, in the staff room. In fact, your little stunt with the students had made most of the other teachers realize that they needed to step up their game, too! We had a friendly little competition going after you joined us permanently!

And this was not an isolated incident. Over the years, you have inspired and connected with multiple generations of students and classrooms. So many children have fallen in love with the English language because you taught them to love it.

Just look around the room and you will know that I’m telling the truth—although the crowd could also be because this is probably the last time many of us will get to gobble down your famous baking concoctions!

Truly, we will miss your cookies almost as much as we will miss you!

You have spent almost your whole shaping the lives of people who would later go on to shape the world. You have given your one hundred percent to the classroom—now it’s time you give your one hundred percent to yourself!

During one of our many, many heartfelt conversations, you told me that when you finally retired, you would love to travel the world with your husband and to get to spend more time with your grandchildren.

Well, now you can!

And we can’t wait for our Facebook Feed to be spammed by all the pictures you’re certainly going to upload!

Now, we’d love you to have this little token of appreciation for all the work you’ve done for our school.

5 Ways To Make A Retirement Speech (More) Special

Now that you know all the stuff you need to include in a retirement speech and have an example of how to phrase it in hand, let’s move onto the next step: how to add that touch of uniqueness to your speech and make it truly memorable.

1. Prepare A Skit

Adding a skit is an excellent way of making a retirement speech memorable. The theme for the skit can be anything. However, make sure it’s relevant to the retiring person’s life. A good idea is to structure the skit around some memorable incident from the person’s time at the workplace.

It can be a funny incident, or an emotional one, or even an instance when they inspired you!

If you’re not sure about which incident to pick, try asking someone who’s close friends with the person. The skit doesn’t need to be over-the-top or elaborate. You don’t need to get costumes or spend hours preparing it. Everyone has work to do and deadlines to meet.

To save time, you can stick to a simple 3-5 minute skit with simple dialogues and few characters. You don’t need to dress up, either.

It’s the thought that counts, after all.

2. Make A Video!

A video is another great way of making a retirement speech memorable.

To do this, collect videos and photographs or any other material relevant to the departing employee and organize the contents into a small video that you can show either before or after your speech! Make sure the video isn’t too long, and that it has a positive note.

3. Give Them A Personalized Souvenir

While a token of appreciation is something they’re going to get from the company’s side, if a co-worker has truly touched your life, then giving them a personalized souvenir from the employee’s side is another great idea to make a retirement day unforgettable.

The souvenir doesn’t have to be something expensive or over-the-top either. Rather, something handmade or something personalized might be a better idea.

For example, you can give the employee a jar filled with little note cards that the other employees have written for them.

4. Switch Up The Format

Another way to make a retirement speech unique is by switching up the traditional speech format for something more fun!

Instead, you could write and deliver the speech like a poem–or even a short story! If you want to make things even more interesting, you can turn it into a continuous story by involving a couple of more people with you! However, make sure to check in with the management before you do so, as time constraints or following a standard speech format might be an issue.

If you want some inspiration on unique storytelling formats and approaches you can use for your retirement speech, we’ve explained a few in simple terms in this video:

5. Coordinate Your Dressing

Is there a particular way your retiring co-worker always dressed? A color or pattern they favored? Or a shirt they couldn’t seem to get rid of?

Well, now’s the time to use their personality quirks to your advantage!

Try remembering if there’s anything related to dressing sense that set your departing colleague apart, and coordinate with the rest of your colleagues to spruce up as they once did!

Remember: it’s not necessary to look like carbon copies of your departing friend. You don’t need to stress if your T-shirt is the exact color or pattern as theirs. A close-copy works just as well.

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Conclusion

To sum up, writing a retirement speech for a colleague is not as hard as it sounds. Retirement speeches are offered to commemorate a work that an employee has done for a company and are usually delivered by close friends, fellow co-workers, or sometimes even someone higher up. They usually include a person’s past history, achievements, personality quirks, memorable incidents, etc. Add a touch of uniqueness to the mix, and you’re ready to bid adieu to your colleague with a bang!

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How to Write a Retirement Speech – Samples & Ideas

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

Like other types of speech, a retirement speech takes preparation. You can dedicate one to a friend or colleague or deliver a message as the retiree. But how do you write a retirement speech?

My guide will help you give sample speeches for a retirement party. Discover the steps you need to follow, mistakes to avoid, and some tips to improve. I even included an example to follow.

What Is a Retirement Speech?

A co-worker can give a retirement speech to a retiree or a retirement speech by a retiree.

Someone who has worked with the honoree for a long time can extend their congratulations for racing this unique milestone at the end of their career. They usually share interesting information while showing respect to the person who contributed significantly to the workplace.

A retirement speech can also be given by the person retiring. They may thank their fellow employees for the beautiful years and for helping them grow in the company.

These occasions are usually informal. That means you can deliver a casually funny retirement speech that’s the opposite of typical, formal speeches. But it is always helpful to plan what you will say in the speech so that everything flows smoothly.

What Makes a Good Retirement Speech?

A speech is a critical medium for presenting information and entertainment to a group of people. Here are some qualities of an excellent retirement speech.

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Focuses on the Honoree

Whether it’s a formal or informal retirement speech, it’s essential to focus on the honoree . Do not focus on yourself but on the accomplishments and values of the retiree.

A speech should be free from ambiguity so everyone can understand it easily. Make sure to break up run-on sentences and reduce wordiness. Using the active voice also improves the clarity of the speech.

Originality

It’s okay to insert famous quotes in your speech. But it’s also important to customize your message to the person you are honoring. Do not give a generic retirement speech you copied from Google or a speech builder.

Conciseness

A person who served in your organization deserves a long speech. But avoid repetitive, cliche , and filler words. Don’t bore your audience with a 30-minute speech.

Interesting

An attention-grabbing story in the introduction is a quick way to make your speech enjoyable. Other methods include using examples, inserting quotations, and citing jokes.

Use of Body Language

An outstanding speech is not only about verbal communication but also comes with necessary body language. Use non-verbal cues with your hands, mouth, and eyes.

How Long Should a Retirement Speech Last?

The length of the retirement speech depends on the time allotted for this part of the event. It usually lasts around 5-10 minutes and comprises 600-1000 words.

Some people do not need to read from their manuscripts at this length. They may prepare and practice using only their outline. But if you’re a beginner, you can bring an entire manuscript when delivering.

Retirement Speech Writing Steps

Follow these six steps to creating a retirement speech.

Step 1: Gather information

The first step to creating a retirement speech is to gather information about the person’s life from different people. Hopefully, you can get extraordinary stories from them and a core idea of what you will put in the speech.

Gathering information will be a breeze if the retiree has been a long-time employee. You’ll find out how multi-faceted the person is. To their fellow employees, the person might be friendly and good-humored. But to their supervisor, the retiree might be intelligent and strategic.

Try gathering as much information about their personality as possible. But remember the key details. Try asking the following questions:

How long has the retiree been in the industry?
How long has the retiree worked in the company?
What were their contributions to the field or company?
What were the awards they received in the course of their career?
What were their previous positions?

Step 2: Learn All the Special Qualities of the Person

Your retirement speech should not only highlight the person’s career. It must also involve legendary stories or perhaps funny stories from their personal life.

For example, what are their personal hobbies? If the retiree likes to golf, you might try a golf-related theme for the party. If the retiree is an English teacher, try inserting English puns in your speech.

Here are some questions you can ask during interviews with people to craft a fantastic retirement speech.

What are their nicknames?
What is the name of their current spouse and kids?
What would people say is the best trait of the retiree?
How has the person made an exceptional contribution to the workplace?
What lessons did the people learn from the retiree?

However, some people want to keep their private life private. You don’t have to snoop around when gathering information about the retiree.

Step 3: Write an Outline

The entire speech writing process and public speaking stage are much easier if you start with an outline.

You have to decide how the farewell speech will sound. Do you want a heartfelt speech, a humorous speech, or a mix of both? Once you have decided, it’s time to brainstorm what to include in each part.

Introduction – This part should include an attention-grabbing story. It’s an essential part of memorable retirement speeches.
Body 1 – Name one or two traits of the person. Are they great listeners? Do they always have the most brilliant ideas in meetings? Are they approachable to everyone?
Body 2 – Discuss the person’s entire career journey. This should be easy if you’ve worked with them for a long time or gathered enough information. Make it clear what the person has attained and the differences they made to the company.
Body 3 – Share personal lessons you’ve learned from the person. A short story can be used.
Thank the person – Wish the person well in their retirement. End the speech with a memorable punchline and a “Happy retirement!”

Step 4: Write Out the Speech (Optional)

Skip this step if you’re already a skilled public speaker. Some practiced orators can even deliver humorous speeches on the spot without stuttering.

But if it’s your first time delivering a retirement speech for a boss, it’s best to write it down. Start with retirement speech starter headlines. It can include interesting daft stories, milestones, or a philosophy.

But overly preparing a speech can make it sound less heartfelt. Make sure you’re writing an authentic speech that feels natural to deliver.

You also don’t want to use the word “I” very often. Otherwise, it will give the impression of a boastful speech.

Step 5: Get Feedback

Seek people’s help before delivering a grateful retirement speech in front of a large crowd. Try asking someone who knows the retiree well to listen to your speech. Ask them about their thoughts on the fun story you shared, and make sure to consider their alternative ideas.

It also helps to ask an editor to fix any spelling or grammar issues. They can help you keep the speech more concise and engaging.

Step 6: Record a Video of Your Speech Before You Give It

The last step before offering a tribute speech to a retiree is to record yourself. Check your appearance when you’re talking. Are you smiling or not? Was your brow creased? This step is essential if you don’t always talk in front of a large audience of people.

Retirement Speech Tips

Now that you know the correct procedure for speech-writing, here are some tips you can follow.

Choose a Speaker Who Knows the Person Well

If you were chosen as the speaker, then you must have enough knowledge about the person’s entire life. One advantage of knowing the person too well is that you instantly have various content ideas for your speech.

This person can be someone other than the head of the organization. It can be their work best friend, business partner, or family member.

Focus on the Honoree

Your priority is to think about how the person will feel. Do you want to focus on their success, positive attributes, or their future success? Brainstorm some characteristics or key points you want to include in the tribute speech.

You may evoke emotion in this speech by highlighting a sense of fondness. But don’t make it too dramatic, especially when your relationship was formed in the workplace.

Mentioning memorable moments improves bonds with the honoree. Let them know what you will miss most about them.

Keep It Short—But Not Too Short

An important person in the company deserves more than three minutes of tribute. But that doesn’t mean you must include every detail of their previous career. Keep it short and sweet at around five to ten minutes to not bore the audience.

Use a Simple Framework

Keep your outline organized and simple to clarify the main message. It should serve as a blueprint to track your entire speech.

You already know the five parts of a retirement speech. However, you can still make it simpler using these parts:

Greet the audience and thank them for coming to the party.
Express why everyone is gathered.
Talk about how this person made a difference in the company and industry.
Talk about how this person made a difference in your personal life.
Extend best wishes on the next chapter of their life.

Balance the Past and Future

Refrain from assuming that the best days of the retiree are over. They are likely to be excited about their retirement. So instead of making a eulogy-like speech, deliver one that covers both the past and future.

Carefully Use Humor

You’ve probably heard hundreds of speeches with funny punchlines. But you should always plan your humor around your audience. Avoid jokes that rely on profanity and controversial topics. No one also wants to hear you put the retiree down harshly.

As with any other type of speech or presentation, preparing is always worth it. Try talking with people who have worked closely with the retiree. Look for common themes, then start crafting.

I also don’t recommend spending too much time discussing the career highlight reel. The audience might already know the honoree’s professional development in minute detail. Focus on their impact, values, and the larger lesson they taught you.

Don’t Read Your Speech

It’s okay to bring an outline or manuscript as long as your eyes stay longer on the audience. Tell the speech from the heart, take deep breaths, and know exactly what you will tell next.

Stand Up Straight

Maintain a good posture as you walk across the stage and give the speech. It shows confidence in your discussion, making the audience more interested.

Avoid These Retirement Speech Pitfalls

Overlooking.

Are you talking too much about yourself? Is your anecdote losing focus on the retirement speech’s goal? Make sure your address aims to make the retiree feel appreciated. The conclusion or final part of the speech should be direct gratitude toward the individual.

Joking Too Much

Using humor in speeches can be challenging, especially if your audience is a bunch of serious people. Although sharing a boys’ night out story is tempting, others might not appreciate it. That said, do your research on the audience to avoid awkwardness.

Becoming Out of Touch

No, retirees don’t sit on their porches all day reminiscing about their previous job. Many people continue working or start their own businesses. The correct term for this is “active retirement.” So avoid retirement cliches in your speech that will make you sound tone-deaf.

Joking about old age may have been common in earlier retirement speeches in an attempt to make a funny speech. But today, it’s considered insensitive. Avoid offensive words toward the retiree and the audience.

What Are Some Good Retirement Quotes?

Consider these thirty-five examples if you need some retirement quotes for your speech.

Inspirational Quotes for Retirement

“Retirement is not the end of the road. It is the beginning of the open highway.”
“Half of our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” – Will Rogers
“For many, retirement is a time for personal growth, which becomes the path to greater freedom.” – Robert Delamontague
“Don’t act your age in retirement. Act like the inner young person you have always been.” – J. A. West
“Retirement, a time to enjoy all the things you never had time to do when you worked.” – Catherine Pulsifer
“Retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials: much to live on and much to live for.”
“Retire from your job, but never retire your mind.”
“Age is just a number, but retirement is one of the greatest gifts to mankind.”
“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” – Vince Lombardi
“Choose a job that you love and you won’t have to work another day.” – Confucius
”Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Mark Twain
“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.” – Bill Waterson
“Retirement is a blank sheet of paper. It is a chance to redesign your life into something new and different.” – Patrick Foley

Funny Retirement Quotes

“He who laughs at the boss’ jokes probably isn’t far from retirement.”
“Congrats on being so tired that you had to retire.”
“The best time to start thinking about your retirement is before the boss does.”
“There really are two lives we live. The first life and then the second life when we realize we only have one life.”
“The best part about being retired is never having to request time off.”
“My retirement plan is to get thrown into a minimum security prison in Hawaii.” – Julius Sharpe
“I’m always announcing my retirement. I’m still not retired.” – Dick Van Dyke
“How do you know it’s time to retire? It’s when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it!”
“During your work life, you pick up a lot of bad habits… like working.”
“The world’s longest coffee break is often referred to as retirement.”
“Now Fridays aren’t the best day of the week anymore… they all are!”
“I never reveal my age, but I do let people know I’m retired. They can just guess my age from that statement.”

Retirement Wishes

“Wishing you the best retirement ever! Enjoy the new chapter of your life and enjoy being your own boss.”
“It is not easy to say goodbye. But, I will hold on to the fond memories of working with you. I hope that this retirement brings you joy and peace.”
“Enjoy your new weekends which will last 7 days!”
“We wish you the best retirement possible.”
“You have been a great boss. I appreciate the effort you put into mentoring me.”
“You have reached an incredible level of freedom.”
“I can’t believe I will be working as you nap. Enjoy your retirement!”
“Cheers to a lifetime of weekends!”
“Goodbye to the coats and ties.”
“May your dreams come true as you begin your retirement.”

Retirement Speech Sample

Here’s an example of a short but heartfelt retirement speech you can give to someone you want to pay your respects to.

I have witnessed many friends come and go to this school. But today, we have gathered to show our love and respect for Hartford Elementary School’s English teacher, Bradley McAdams. After working with him for more than 30 years, I don’t think I have the right words to say about his inspiring impact, dedication, and character.

Bradley, or, as many people call him, “Mr. Brad,” has handled over 1,000 students. That includes 10,000 essays checked, 80 English lessons taught, and 60 literary works recommended.

But beyond the schoolwork checked, Bradley has made meaningful relationships with his students over the past few years. He became a good friend to individuals who need comfort and a family to children who want to feel a sense of belonging.

We are also proud of him for publishing his dissertation in 2018 and obtaining a doctorate in 2019.

Mr. Brad, you are one of the most inspiring educators in the teaching profession. You made a lasting impression on the world through your grit. You deserve a break! We hope you get enough rest, travels, and pampering in this new stage of your life. Congratulations on your retirement!

Craft a Well-Written Speech

Hopefully, my guide helped you learn how to write a retirement speech. Whether it’s for a friend or boss, that person deserves appreciation and support on their special milestone.

Another popular category for these speeches is when it comes to friends, family, service professionals, or a college commencement speech. Learn how to create an inspiring speech for different people!

How to Write a Farewell Speech – Tips & Samples

Father of the Groom Speech – Best Tips, Ideas & Samples

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Amazing Retirement Speeches Examples & Writing Tips

Writing memorable retirement speeches: expert tips & examples.

Writing your retirement speech seems daunting? You are not alone. In this post, our professional speechwriters share techniques for writing a truly memorable speech.

People with whom you've worked for years have become an important part of your professional and personal life. You have spent more time with your coworkers than with your family members, and they witnessed your achievements as well as rough times. Thus, you'll want to craft a heartwarming retirement farewell speech to thank everyone for the good times spent together.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a good retirement speech for any situation. The duration of the speech and what to include will depend on your relationships with coworkers, how many years you have spent in the company, and the corporate culture. In this blog, we have summarized the main principles for writing a great retirement speech plus some examples for your inspiration.

If writing isn't your forte and you still want to express your co-worker with a memorable retirement speech, get professional help. On our website, you can order a custom retirement speech at a pocket-friendly price. Share what you'd like to include in your speech, and our expert will find the right words for your important event, keeping your speech professional yet powerful and emotional.

Two memorable retirement speech examples

If you are looking for sample speeches for your retirement party or the final meeting at the office, check out the examples below. You can customize them a little, or use them as an inspiration to write your own speech.

Formal retirement speech

This example of a speech of a person retiring has a formal tone and is focused on their professional achievements. It also expresses sincere gratitude towards colleagues and reiterates important professional highlights.

Funny retirement speech example

This humorous speech won an international speech contest decades ago. If you want to draft an informal speech, pay attention to the structure and tone of voice in this example.

Professional tips on what to say in your retirement speech

As you give a speech for your retirement celebration, things can easily go wrong. Some people get carried away and use unprofessional jokes and personal stories that make others feel uncomfortable. Others prepare thoroughly, but their speech lacks warmth and emotion. Here's how to compose a speech that will sound professional, appropriate, and sincere.

Keep it on a positive note

Not all companies can boast a positive working environment and strong relationships between the co-workers. Even if your boss had anger management issues and some coworkers were toxic, do not bring this up on your retirement day. Focus on the positive side of things - you can think of some good moments during your fulfilling career which are worth mentioning. If coworkers failed to become your second family, compliment them on their work ethic and mention the results you've achieved as a team.

Be grateful

As you spend time creating your speech, devote at least one paragraph to expressing gratitude. Thank your boss, people that worked next to you every day, and mention a few people you had strong relationships with. You may even share a short story about some project or achievement. If at least one family member is present, thank them for supporting you in your career as well. To make a lasting impression also mention what you've achieved with the company, what challenges you faced, and who helped you along the way.

Mind the event and the audience

You will want to adapt the content of your speech depending on where the event will take place and how many people will be present. Obviously, the text of the speech for a company-wide meeting with two hundred people and a small gathering in your office will be different. In the latter case, you can keep your speech less formal as if you were speaking to close friends, but do not forget to keep it professional. If speaking for a larger audience, you might want to leave insider jokes out and focus on things that everyone in a room will understand.

Choose the right tone

If you work for a company that encourages a laid-back environment, casual clothes, and informal team-building events, it is absolutely fine to come up with a funny retirement speech. Your colleagues will appreciate it and see it as a sign of warm, friendly working relations. On the flip side, if you work in a serious organization with a formal professional culture, such as an investment bank, law firm, or a government institution, it is best to keep your speech formal and polite.

Share your ideas for retirement

The public opinion about retirement today is different from that of twenty years ago. Now, not everyone is looking forward to receiving a gold watch and a calm time off work. Your retirement speech will look even better if you share plans for the future. Tell what you'd like to do during your next chapter of life: consult and mentor others, start a new exciting hobby, or maybe travel. Let your friends and family know that you are looking forward to something new and interesting.

Use visual aids

Another good idea for retirement speeches is supporting them with visual aids. You can prepare a presentation with pictures from corporate events or celebrations, or share a video of some memorable moments. If you launch a presentation during your speech, it will evoke a bigger emotional response and help you truly connect with an audience.

Get professional help

After you've written a draft of your speech, ask for honest feedback from a trusted person, such as a family member or a friend. They will look at the text with a fresh eye and recommend what to add and remove. If you truly care about the success of your speech, consult a professional speechwriter. They will review your speech with a professional perspective and recommend improvements that will work better with the auidence.

Just a kind reminder: at SpeechPaths, you can order a customized speech for any special occasion, including a retirement speech. A dedicated expert will work one-on-one with you to craft the text that you'll be satisfied with. Hire an expert to write a retirement speech with a 20% discount today - chat with us to claim your code!

How to give a retirement speech for an employee?

If you aren't the one who is retiring and need to pay tribute to a retiring coworker or subordinate, you'll want to prepare thoroughly. The most important thing about such speeches is to keep them personalized. Find features specific to that person, and focus on these features as you bid farewell to them. You may not only pay homage to a retiree's work, but also mention their personality, complement their sense of humor, the ability to solve unsolvable problems, or a high-achieving spirit. Thank the person for their contribution to the company - after all, they have devoted years of their life to it, and their achievements need to be mentioned.

Preparing to give your retirement speech

Composing your speech is only a half of the journey. You also need to deliver it efficiently to impress the audience. Since public speaking is a challenge to many, take these tips from professional speech writers into account:

Prepare and practice

It is hardly possible to deliver a persuasive speech without proper preparation. Start practicing your speech days in advance: read it aloud, and work on your gestures and body language. You will have plenty of time to hear how your words actually sound, and add/paraphrase something to make the speech better. Moreover, as you practice delivering the speech to your family, you will feel more confident speaking to the audience on your big day.

Dress for success

A polished professional attire will help you feel more confident in everything you do, including public speaking. You don't need to be overdressed, but wearing a new pressed suit and freshening your nails will make you look more considerate during the official retirement day.

Master techniques to stay calm

Many people find speaking to a large crowd intimidating. You may feel anxious, have sweaty palms, and other symptoms of stress. To calm down before the speech, try breathing exercises - the simplest one is counting to four as you breathe in and out. Other methods to beat anxiety include meditation - give yourself a few minutes before getting on stage - and visualization techniques. Imagine the room and the audience, and plan every move in advance. Keep a glass of water at hand in case you have a sore throat - you can also take a sip or two when you need to pause.

Keep it brief

Whether delivering the speech is an exciting perspective for you or you are anxious about it, remember to keep it short. As a rule, you need to keep it between 5 to 10 minutes. No need to pay tribute to every person you worked with and recollect every workplace situation. Mention only the most important milestones and people who played a key role in your professional life. Time yourself as you practice speaking at home to keep your speech at optimal length and not to bore the audience.

Choose a point you will look at

If you don't deliver speeches frequently, your eyes may start to wander as you speak, and you can get distracted or simply feel uncomfortable. Here's the solution: find a point that you will look at as you speak. This can be a clock or a poster on the opposite wall. The audience will think that you are looking at the back row, and you'll be able to concentrate on your speech entirely.

As you write and deliver your retirement speech, do not forget about the main thing: have fun during the process! Speeches may sound stressful, but eventually your retirement party will become a memorable day that will evoke only positive emotions.

Get professional help with your speech, anytime

At SpeechPaths, we deliver insightful and memorable speeches for every professional and personal occasion. If you lack inspiration to draft your retirement speech, let us know and our expert will prepare a speech tailored to your requirements in as little as 12 hours. We offer amazing prices for first-time customers - contact us and make sure!

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How to Give a Retirement Speech: Making Your Farewell Count

The Speaker Lab
February 14, 2024

Picture this: You’re about to deliver your retirement speech. It’s more than just words; it’s the capstone of your career. But how do you wrap up years of dedication in a few minutes? You’ve got tales to tell and thanks to give—how can they all fit?

Believe it or not, there’s a way to craft that perfect goodbye, one that leaves everyone not just listening but feeling every word. Stay tuned as we unpack how to turn memories into narratives, sprinkle in life lessons, personalize for impact, nail the delivery tone right on target, and even handle emotions that come uninvited.

Crafting the Perfect Retirement Speech

Standing at the podium, you might find your career flashing before your eyes. Crafting a retirement speech that captures years of experiences while engaging colleagues is no small feat. But fear not, we’re going to dissect how to create a memorable address that will resonate.

The Art of Storytelling in Retirement Speeches

Storytelling isn’t just for kids around a campfire. It’s the secret sauce that can turn your retirement speech from a mere summary into an epic tale that captures hearts and minds. By weaving narratives throughout your speech, you not only entertain your audience, but also connect with them on a deeper level.

When crafting these narratives , simplicity reigns supreme. A well-told story beats elaborate vocabulary any day because what sticks with people is how you made them feel, not the words you chose.

Start by selecting anecdotes that showcase challenges overcome, moments of camaraderie, or even light-hearted office blunders. Use memories that involve the listeners, so they can see their role in your journey and feel part of something larger than day-to-day work.

Let’s say there was a project that nearly went off the rails but became a triumph—a classic underdog story. Share that. Or maybe recall those little day-to-day victories with humor because everyone loves a good laugh, especially when they can nod along as they remember your references. These shared experiences forge stronger bonds than any list of achievements could.

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Key Themes to Include in a Retirement Speech

Think of your retirement speech as the capstone to a grand building you’ve been constructing over years of hard work. Let’s dig into some themes that suit such a momentous occasion.

Celebrating Milestones and Achievements

The meat and potatoes of any good retirement speech are the milestones. Reflect on what you’ve accomplished, emphasizing gratitude as you do so. Avoid bragging as you give credit where credit is due, both to yourself and those who helped along the way. Acknowledging shared successes fosters a sense of unity and could boost morale long after you leave.

The Power of Relationships

Your colleagues weren’t just coworkers but comrades-in-arms against every challenge faced together. Highlighting these relationships gives warmth to your farewell and lets others know how much their camaraderie meant. This theme also allows the opportunity for humorous stories, another great way to engage your audience.

Growth and Change over Time

You’re not leaving your job as the same person who walked through those doors however many moons ago. You’ve grown, changed, evolved. Sharing this personal journey helps others see change as positive and inevitable rather than something scary or negative.

“I started here thinking I knew everything about sales,” could be an opening line before detailing lessons learned that shaped both career and character.

Vision for the Future

Inspire confidence in your colleagues by painting vivid images of continued success. Let your words be the legacy that inspires others to climb higher, even when you’re not around. They’ll stand as a testament to the idea that progress isn’t about reaching a final destination—it’s an ongoing journey of evolution and improvement.

Tips for Personalizing Your Retirement Speech

When it’s time to hang up your hat, a retirement speech is in order. This final address should be as unique and as authentically you as possible. But how do you pour decades into minutes? Let’s look at some strategies.

Including Anecdotes in Your Retirement Speech

Your career wasn’t all spreadsheets or sales pitches—it was packed with moments unique to you. So light up your speech with anecdotes only you can tell. Maybe it was the time you turned an office blunder into a win or that company retreat that still gets laughs at reunions. These are nuggets of gold in personalizing your message.

Anecdotes work because they’re windows into who we are beyond our titles. They show vulnerability, humor, and humanity. People remember stories better than facts anyway.

Finding Your Speech’s Signature Style

A great chef has their secret sauce—what’s yours when speaking? Think about phrases or words synonymous with you. Perhaps “unconventional wisdom” rings true for your approach or “straight talk” sums up how colleagues describe those pep talks by the coffee machine?

Carve out your style within this framework, You want folks nodding along thinking “That’s so them.”

The Delicate Dance of Humor

Humor disarms an audience like nothing else but balancing professionalism while cracking jokes takes finesse. Consider working in lighthearted quips related to common experiences everyone shares at work—the never-ending quest for inbox zero or conference call woes.

Pulling off humor requires reading the room correctly—a well-timed joke lands perfectly but always be prepared to pivot if not all faces in the crowd are smiling back.

While leaving behind familiar halls may tug at heartstrings, infusing personality makes sure those listening get one last memorable glimpse of who you were within these walls—and isn’t legacy what we’re really talking about here?

The Importance of Tone and Delivery in Your Retirement Speech

Think about your favorite comedian’s delivery. They could read the phone book, and you’d still crack up, right? That’s because how you say something is often as potent as what you’re saying—especially when it comes to retirement speeches.

A speech can be full of great stories and shout-outs, but if delivered in monotone or without feeling, it might fall flat. It’s not just words that convey your message; it’s the laughter in your voice when recalling a funny moment or the slight quiver during a heartfelt thank-you. These nuances breathe life into your speech.

To truly connect with listeners, let them hear who you are through variations in pitch, strategic pauses for effect, and even appropriate silence—a powerful tool for letting important points sink in. Don’t underestimate body language either. Standing tall with open gestures invites audience engagement more than crossed arms ever will.

Mastering Vocal Variety

Vocal variety isn’t about being loud—it’s about using volume smartly to emphasize key points or to draw people back if their attention has wandered off (admit it: we’ve all been there). The ebb and flow of volume keep ears perked and minds focused on what matters most: your experience coming alive through anecdotes only you can tell.

Sometimes whispering can have more impact than shouting ever could. It has the power to draw everyone closer like they’re part of an inside joke or a secret success story from behind-the-scenes battles won together at work. And don’t forget pace; speeding up through exciting achievements builds momentum while slowing down adds gravity to moments that shaped careers—including yours.

Leveraging Pauses like a Pro

We’ve all seen speakers who never seem to take a breath between sentences, but audiences actually need those breaks just as much as lungs do. Strategic pauses give folks time to digest information before moving onto the next big idea. Whether it’s the brief pause at the end of a sentence or a longer pause given after stating your main point, they’ll appreciate this courtesy (and so will their brains).

In addition, pausing, like after a shout-out to your team, subtly emphasizes thanks in a way that words alone can’t match. It’s powerful.

Visual Aids and Props in Retirement Speeches

Picture this: you’re at a retirement party, the mood is nostalgic, and then out comes a prop that sends everyone into an uproar of laughter. That’s the power visual aids and props can have when used effectively in retirement speeches. But it’s not just about getting laughs; these tools can underscore your message with memorable impact.

Choosing the Right Visuals

Selecting visuals or props for your speech should be like picking the right spice for a meal—it must complement, not overpower. If you’ve worked decades at an architecture firm, why not show off a miniature model of your first project? It connects to your journey personally and professionally.

A wise guideline is to contemplate if it contributes worth or only empty show. Your audience will appreciate something tangible that represents your legacy—like showcasing awards or photos from significant company milestones—but they’ll see through anything that feels gimmicky.

Making Technology Work for You

In today’s digital age, technology offers endless possibilities to enhance presentations with slideshows showcasing career highlights. Imagine projecting images that span across eras while sharing anecdotes—that kind of storytelling sticks with people long after they leave.

But remember, tech snafus happen even to seasoned pros. Always have backups ready and do run-throughs beforehand so you’re comfortable no matter what happens on stage.

The Power of Simplicity

Sometimes less really is more. A single item—a first employee badge or perhaps a classic product prototype—can symbolize growth without overwhelming listeners. The beauty lies in simplicity allowing stories told during one’s farewell moment shine brighter than any elaborate setup could ever hope to achieve.

Tying everything back to heartfelt narratives ensures those memories linger well beyond the confines of the event venue—and isn’t leaving behind enduring impressions what every retiree wishes for?

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Preparing for the Unexpected During Your Speech

Even the most carefully crafted plans can still go wrong, especially when it comes to giving a presentation in public. You’ve rehearsed your retirement speech, you know it by heart, but life loves a curveball. When an unexpected moment arises during your address, stay cool and your audience will follow suit.

Navigating Emotional Surprises

Sometimes emotions catch us off guard. One minute you’re sharing a lighthearted story, the next, you’re choked up reminiscing about good times gone by. If tears or laughter come knocking unexpectedly, breathe deep and pause if needed. Remember that showing genuine emotion can be powerful; it connects you with listeners because they see themselves in your vulnerability.

Tackling Technical Troubles

A slideshow goes blank or a microphone starts giving feedback—it happens. The key here is not just having a backup plan but also being able to transition smoothly into Plan B as though it were part of the show all along.

Ditching dependency on tech means knowing which parts of your speech pack enough punch on their own—the stories and jokes that need no visual aids yet leave lasting impressions are goldmines for such occasions.

The Audience Factor

An interruption from an enthusiastic retiree-to-be? A question thrown from left field? These aren’t disruptions—they’re interactions. They offer unique chances to engage directly with individuals who share this milestone moment with you. Here’s how we suggest weaving those interactions back into the narrative flow:

Show appreciation: Thank them for contributing,
Pivot gracefully: Bridge their input back to what you were discussing,
Leverage humor: Lighten any tension while acknowledging their participation.

Examples of Memorable Retirement Speeches

Taking the stage to give a retirement speech can feel like stepping into the spotlight for one final bow. It’s your opportunity to share reflections, motivate, and leave a lasting impression on those you have worked with. One shining example is Lou Gehrig’s farewell at Yankee Stadium in 1939; his poignant words captured hearts as he called himself “the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.” The power of this statement lies not just in its optimism but also in its vulnerability during what was clearly a personal trial.

A more recent memory brings us to Steve Jobs’ address at Stanford University’s commencement in 2005. He urged graduates to stay hungry and foolish—a simple yet profound message that resonated globally because it came from someone who lived those words every day. By sharing his own story about love, loss, and redemption, Jobs left us with life lessons beyond career success or technological innovation.

The impact of such speeches often lies in their authenticity—how well they capture an individual’s essence while striking universal chords with listeners. To craft something memorable, look beyond mere accomplishments. Instead, tell stories that reveal character, share insights gleaned over years, maybe even sprinkle some humor if it suits you—and always speak straight from the heart because sincerity speaks volumes.

Rehearsing Your Retirement Speech

You know the saying, “practice makes perfect,” right? Well, it couldn’t be more true when it comes to nailing your retirement speech.

Practice your speech to perfect the delivery, just as a musician tunes their instrument before a concert. Imagine yourself as a musician tuning an instrument before a concert; every note matters for the performance of a lifetime. When rehearsing your retirement speech, pay attention not only to what you’re saying but also how you’re saying it—your pacing, pauses, and inflection can change everything.

If you get nervous just thinking about speaking in front of people, take a look at these tips on how to overcome your fears . We’ll give you effective strategies for public speaking success—even if all eyes are on you during one of life’s big moments.

FAQs on How to Give A Retirement Speech

What should a retiree say at a retirement party.

Thank the team, share highlights, and express hope for the future. Keep it heartfelt yet concise.

What do you say in a farewell speech?

Acknowledge good times, give thanks to colleagues, and wish well for everyone’s path ahead.

How do you emotionally transition to retirement?

Create new routines, pursue passions and stay connected with former coworkers to ease into this chapter.

How do you start a retirement speech for someone else?

Kick off with an anecdote or praise that captures their essence and contributions they’ve made.

Stand tall as you craft your retirement speech. Capture hearts with stories and gratitude, maintaining a personal yet professional tone throughout. Perfecting tone and delivery matters just as much as words do.

Consider visuals—they can turn a good speech into an unforgettable one—but be prepared for those unexpected technical difficulties or emotions.

For inspiration, leverage lessons from great speeches past. And practice? It’s non-negotiable for delivering with confidence.

Your farewell marks a new beginning. Let it echo with warmth, wisdom, and wit.

Last Updated: February 29, 2024

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How to write a retirement speech that wows: essential guide, how to write a retirement speech that wows: ultimate guide.

Picture this: After decades of hard work and dedication, the time has finally come. It’s your retirement, a significant milestone in your life that’s worthy of celebration. But how do you express your reflections on years of achievements, challenges, growth, and memorable moments at your workplace? You might be wondering, “How should I structure my thoughts?” or “What message would my colleagues appreciate most?” That’s where the art of crafting a retirement speech comes into play.

Writing a retirement speech can seem daunting, but it’s a great opportunity to express gratitude, share memories, and offer well-wishes for the retiree. The retirement party is a celebration of years of hard work and dedication, and the speech should reflect that. The retiree is an obvious choice to deliver the speech, but it’s also important to consider others who have shared in the journey. Whether you focus on personal anecdotes or offer advice for life after retirement, your speech should be heartfelt and sincere. Don’t forget to raise a toast to the retiree and wish them all the best in their future endeavors!

What are the key elements of a good retirement speech for the honoree?

A good retirement speech should include a heartfelt introduction, a reflection on the retiree’s accomplishments and contributions, personal anecdotes or stories, expressions of gratitude to colleagues and loved ones, a positive outlook on retirement, and a memorable conclusion that leaves a lasting impact.

In this guide, we’ll be your compass, leading you through the intricacies of writing a retirement speech that resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impression.

Writing a retirement speech can be a daunting task, but it is an opportunity to celebrate years of service and honor the retiree’s accomplishments. It’s important to start with a heartfelt introduction that acknowledges the retiree’s contributions and dedication to their work. For instance, if the retiree has served for 25 years, highlight their achievements and milestones during that time. Share anecdotes and memories of working together, and express gratitude for their service. Finally, conclude with well wishes for the retiree’s future endeavors, and offer a sincere thanks on behalf of everyone present for their years of service.

When writing a retirement speech, it is important to have stories about the retiree. These stories can help to highlight their accomplishments and impact on the workplace or community. Personal stories can also add a touch of humor and emotion to the speech, making it more memorable for the retiree and audience. It is important to choose stories that are appropriate for the occasion and reflect positively on the retiree. By sharing stories, you can give a heartfelt tribute to the retiree’s career and legacy.

When writing a retirement speech, it is important to seek honest feedback from someone you trust. This person can help you refine your speech and ensure that your message is clear and appropriate for the occasion. They can also provide feedback on your pace, time, and body language, helping you to deliver a memorable and impactful speech. By taking the time to seek feedback from others, you can be sure that your retirement speech will resonate with your audience and leave a lasting impression.

When writing a retirement speech, it is important to acknowledge the retiree’s mentorship and impact on younger colleagues. You can highlight their dedication and personal qualities that have made them stand out in the organization. It is also an opportunity to express gratitude for their contributions and assure them that their legacy will be carried forward. Remember to make the speech personal and heartfelt, sharing anecdotes and memories that truly capture the retiree’s impact on the organization and its people.

The Importance of a Well-Crafted Retirement Speech to Say Farewell

When the curtains close on a distinguished career, a well-crafted retirement speech becomes the perfect soundtrack to the final bow. But why is such a speech so essential, you may wonder? Well, it’s quite simple really. A retirement speech serves as a golden opportunity to share your journey, your experiences, your learning, to inspire others, and to say a heartfelt thank you to all who’ve been a part of this significant chapter of your life. So, let’s dive deeper into the importance of getting your retirement speech right.

A good retirement speech is reflective; it brings to life the unique narration of your professional journey. It’s your chance to showcase the synopsis of an entire career in an encapsulated, engaging format. In those few minutes, you can step back into time, share your triumphs, your initial struggles, and how you turned them into stepping-stones. Curious about why all this matter?

Every retiree is a living repository of experiences, wisdom, trials, and triumphs. Your retirement speech presents a unique platform to share these with your peers and the next generation, thereby passing on a legacy that goes beyond the mere professional achievements.

Moreover, this is your moment, your spot under the lime-light. It’s one last formal chance to express your gratitude, to pay tribute to the support, guidance, and even the challenges that have shaped who you’ve become. A little embracement coming your way? Well, trust me, it’s vital to acknowledge the roles others have played in our life and a retirement speech affords a prime chance to do just that.

But let’s not forget — we are all social beings, aren’t we? We strive to make connections, to feel valued, and make others feel appreciated. Your retirement speech is not just about you; it’s also an opportunity to make your colleagues, mentors, friends, and juniors feel valued and respected. That’s indeed something to consider, right?

A well-crafted retirement speech not only strikes the right chords of emotions but also instils a sense of pride and accomplishment. So, there you have it! Remember, a retirement speech might mark an end, but it also signals the onset of new beginnings. So, shall we begin crafting the script of your farewell symphony?

Researching and Gathering Information

Just like any good speech, creating a retirement speech begins with gathering information. You may ask, “Where do I start?” Here’s the answer: Start with yourself. Reflect on your career, dig into old memories, and explore your growth and achievements over the years. This isn’t an exercise in ego, it’s simply a way to accurately and honestly portray your journey, sharing insights and lessons that can help others.

Before you can educate, inspire, or connect, you need to remember, and this is where research comes into play. Here are some practical steps you can take:

Conduct a thorough and meticulous review of your professional journey, sifting through old reports, projects, and emails. These documents often jog your memory, leading you to cherished moments you’ve possibly forgotten. Isn’t it amazing how a simple piece of paper can carry so much emotion and meaning?

Interviews are also a great resource for collecting information about your career. You could have conversations with long-time colleagues, managers, or subordinates. Don’t you think it’s fascinating to see yourself from their perspective?

And don’t forget to tap into the power of photographs. They have this unique ability to transport us back in time, don’t they? Scan through old photographs; they’ll remind you of people, places, events, and stories that you might want to include in your speech.

The goal here isn’t to dredge up every single detail, but to spark memories and stories that celebrate your career journey, shared experiences, and the bonds you’ve formed. Remember, it’s your career’s highlight reel we’re trying to create, not a documentary.

Taking Notes and Identifying Key Points

As you proceed with your research, it’s essential to keep a record of the facts, achievements, incidents, and individuals you want to mention in your speech.

Note down people and events that significantly influenced your career.
Jot down impactful projects or milestones that you’re particularly proud of.
Recall roles and responsibilities that challenged you and fostered your growth.

In essence, you are not only quantity-gathering, but quality-filtering your content. After all, you’d like your speech to resonate with your audience and create a lasting impression, wouldn’t you?

Considering Length and Time Constraints

You may be thinking, “How long should my retirement speech be?” Well, here’s the thing – while there’s no hard and fast rule, the general guideline is to keep it under 10-15 minutes. People’s attention spans tend to wane after that. A retirement speech isn’t about giving an exhaustive account of your career. Rather, it’s about encapsulating the key moments in a concise and engaging manner.

When writing your speech, being conscious of time constraints is essential. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re sharing stories from your long and vibrant career. However, remember that your audience will appreciate a speech that is succinct yet meaningful.

Stay focused on your key points and essentials stories. A helpful way to manage this is by timing yourself while practicing your speech. If you find yourself running over, revisit your speech and trim it down. It can be hard to decide what to keep and what to remove, but consider which pieces truly add value and capture the essence of your journey.

Simultaneously, respect the event’s timeline itself. If the event organizers have given you a specific time slot, make sure you’re prepared to fit within that window. It respects the audience’s time and keeps the overall event running smoothly.

Now, you might be asking, “But what if I have too much to share and too little time?” Here’s where the art of summarization comes in. Use visuals to share larger stories. For instance, a slide presentation with pictures from key milestones can be a powerful way to share your journey without eating up too much time. It also gives the audience something to connect with visually, making your speech even more memorable.

Time management skills extend beyond the workplace, don’t they? They even come in handy when writing and delivering a retirement speech!

Highlighting Personal and Professional Growth

Now, it’s time to cover your transformative journey, isn’t it? It’s your moment to reflect and share your personal and professional growth over the years. Aim to strike a balance—too much of one can make your speech feel unbalanced.

You’ve probably asked yourself, how has this experience changed me? Well, here’s your chance to delve into the changes you’ve seen within yourself since joining the organization. Perhaps you’ve developed resilience, gained critical skills, or discovered a passion you never knew you had. Don’t be reticent—these are the moments that sculpted you into the person you are today!

Here’s a pro tip: use concrete examples to demonstrate your growth. Instead of simply stating, “I have matured,” why not illustrate it with a story about a particular challenge you surmounted? After all, the evidence is always more powerful than mere assertions, isn’t it?

If I’m being honest, when I first started here, I was as green as they come. I recall receiving my first project and feeling completely overwhelmed. But with the support of my incredible team, I not only completed the project, I ended up leading more than I thought possible.

Turning our focus toward professional growth now, this is the moment to shine a light on any key achievements or milestones during your tenure. Maybe you led an award-winning project, orchestrated growth in the company, or invented something innovative? Celebrate these accomplishments with humility and grace.

Just remember, discussing professional growth is not just about listing successes. It’s also recognising the moments of struggle, failure, and the valuable lessons they taught you. Demonstrate how these moments led to your growth as a professional, shaping you into a more competent, self-assured, and wise leader.

Finally, wrap up this section by reflecting on how your personal and professional growth intertwined. How did experiences in the workplace shape your personal life, and vice versa? Through sharing these insights, your colleagues are not only getting to know ‘work you’, but ‘real you’—creating a deeper and more authentic connection.

Sharing Memorable Anecdotes and Stories

Sharing stories and recalling anecdotes adds life to your retirement speech, making it more engaging and relatable. As you embark on this endeavor, you’re not just creating a farewell speech — you’re creating a narrative that encapsulates your career journey. So what does it mean to share memorable anecdotes and stories in your speech, and how can you go about it? Let’s explore.

Your retirement speech is a gateway to your past. Through stories, you invite everyone present into your professional world, giving them a chance to see your career through your eyes. Start by brainstorming memorable events from your career. Was there a time when a spectacular failure became an unforeseen learning experience? Or perhaps there was a moment of teamwork that resulted in a project success against all odds? These are the crystals that add sparkle to your narrative diamond.

Rhetorical questions may arise here. For instance, “How can you weave these anecdotes into your speech without losing flow?” or “How many stories should you tell?”, and these are important to consider. The answers to these questions depend largely on your speech’s overall tone and length. But remember, balance is vital. Your stories and anecdotes should spice up your speech, not overpower it. They’re a part of the conversation and not the dominating element.

As you share these stories, strong emotions might surface – be it laughter, tears, or a heartwarming feeling – and that’s okay. Simply let these emotions flow. They make your speech human, authentic, and engaging. But, keep in mind to avoid any negative anecdotes that could hurt someone’s feelings or reputations. Your aim here is to leave a lasting positive impression.

Lastly, remember to connect these anecdotes to your overall message. Are you emphasizing resilience and growth in your career? Tie it back to the story where you learned from a setback. Highlighting the importance of teamwork? Refer back to an anecdote where your team accomplished the impossible. By doing so, not only do you enrich your speech with heartfelt stories, but you also reinforce your main messages in a vivid and impacting way.

Expressing Gratitude and Appreciation

A retirement speech, as you might agree, isn’t just a moment to shine a light on your journey; it’s also a golden opportunity to convey heartfelt gratitude and express sincere appreciation. And what’s the best place to start? Well, the beginning, of course!

Think back over your career. Consider the opportunities that have come your way. Remember the tasks you’ve carried out, the roles you’ve filled, and the growth you’ve experienced, all of which have contributed to the person and professional you are today. Who played a significant role in that process?

You might find it was a mentor who guided you, a team that believed in you, or a manager who challenged you ultimately driving you towards success. A kind soul in the canteen who made you smile every morning? Don’t forget them. It could also be the organization itself, providing an environment conducive to professional and personal growth.

When expressing gratitude, specificity is key. Saying “thank you” is good, but mentioning what you are grateful for precisely makes it even more impactful.

“I am grateful for being given the opportunity to lead the ABC project team. It was a challenging, yet profoundly rewarding experience which made me a better professional.”

Be wary of making the list too long though. Aim to touch on a few key people and experiences that had the most significant influence on your career.

Structuring Your Retirement Speech

You’ve done your research, you’ve gathered your notes, compiled your stories, and you’re ready to share your journey. The next step? Crafting the actual structure of your speech – a fundamental aspect that can determine how well your message resonates with your audience.

So, where should you begin? It’s often effective to adhere to the standard structure – initiate with an attention-grabbing introduction, follow up with a body containing your key points, and conclude with your farewell message, summarising your sentiments.

But how can you make sure you’ve got the right structure for your content? Let’s guide you through this step-by-step.

Creating an Impactful Introduction: Remember, first impressions matter. Your opening lines should draw your audience in, set the tone of your speech, and give a brief preview of what’s to come. Perhaps you could start with a light-hearted joke, or a profound quote, or a brief intriguing anecdote? Or how about an unexpected fact related to your workplace or industry? The goal is to captivate your audience right from the get-go.

Building a Strong Body: Aim to create a clear narrative that your audience can easily follow. Each of your key points should ideally flow from one to the next. Mix facts and figures with anecdotes and reflections, allowing your audience to engage both rationally and emotionally. Include the high points of your career, the growth you’ve experienced and the contributions you’ve made, as well as the challenges you’ve overcome – all of which underscore your journey. Let your personality and your experiences breathe life into your speech.

A Thoughtful Conclusion: This is your last impression, so make it count. Present your farewell sentiments along with words of appreciation, friendship, and hope. Reflect on the collective journey, and consider sharing your plans or hopes for the future. Make your concluding remarks memorable and uplifting, leaving your coworkers with feelings of camaraderie and inspiration.

Remember, the structure of your retirement speech isn’t a rigid framework but a flexible guideline that enables you to tell your story in an organized and engaging manner. No two retirement speeches are identical, and yours should authentically represent your unique journey.

And at the end of the day, what’s most important in retirement speech writing? It’s about connecting heart-to-heart, rekindling memories, leaving a meaningful impression, and saying goodbye with a touch of grace. Isn’t that worth striving for?

Crafting a Captivating Introduction

Let’s start with the beginning – the introduction. It’s your first few lines that set the tone for the rest of your retirement speech. So how do you make it captivating? It’s all about piquing interest and establishing an emotional connection right away.

One technique is to dive right into a story. It’s an age-old truth that people love stories, and launching your speech with a personal anecdote or inspiring moment from your career can immediately draw in your audience. Remember, though, to keep the narrative related to the theme of your speech.

Maybe, you’re more comfortable with humor? If so, consider kicking things off with a funny quip or joke. Injecting humor into your speech not only lightens the atmosphere, but lets your personality shine through. Be cautious, however – make sure your humor will be appreciated and understood by all in attendance.

Capturing attention right from the start requires a touch of creativity and authenticity. It could be a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact about your career, or even a heartfelt expression of feeling. You could say something like, “Can you imagine spending more than three decades in this fantastic company?” or, “I remember walking into this office for the first time like it was yesterday.”

While crafting the introduction, remember to introduce yourself – even if everyone already knows you. It’s a formal need, sure, but it’s also an opportunity to offer up a reflection of yourself from when you first began, compared to now. Trust me, it’ll lend more weight to the transformations discussed in your speech.

Your opening remarks should also hint at the theme of your speech. This guides your audience on what to expect and builds anticipation for the rest of your speech. The trick, my friends, is to keep it intriguing without giving too much away – like a movie trailer.

In conclusion, a captivating introduction is a blend of storytelling, humor, personal insights, and, above all, sincerity. It sets the stage for an engaging and memorable retirement speech. Remember, you’ve earned this moment, and your introduction is your first step to enjoying it.

Building a strong body to your retirement speech

After setting the stage with an engaging introduction, it’s time to fortify the heart of your speech – the body. This is where the magic truly happens, where stories unfold, and gratitude is expressed. But how do you construct it in a way that makes your retirement speech both memorable and impactful?

Start with outlining. Much like a road trip, you want to plan the route you’ll take from one point to another, and which interesting stops you’d like to make along the way. Identifying these different segments helps to structure your talk, ensuring a thorough and thoughtful journey.

Reflect on Your Journey: This is the prime opportunity to look back and share how your career evolved over time. What were your key milestones? What obstacles did you overcome? How did you grow as a professional and an individual?
Share Life Lessons & Learning: Being in the profession for many years, surely, you’ve accumulated a wealth of knowledge and insights. You can share the most valuable lessons you’ve learned with your co-workers, which can serve as words of wisdom and life advice.
Recognize the Contributions of Others: Acknowledge the people who have impacted your career positively. This can be colleagues, managers, or even family members who supported you through your journey.

Remember, this isn’t a sprint, but a reflective walk down memory lane. Connect the dots for your listeners, guiding them through your career narrative with sincere emotions and evocative details. While this is about your journey, it’s also a chance to instill lessons and strengthen bonds.

When explaining these touchpoints, consider utilizing storytelling techniques. Stories aren’t just entertaining, they’re familiar and relatable structures that help people comprehend and remember information. They tap into emotions, making them a powerful and captivating element to embed in your retirement speech body.

How do you recount your story? You might want to anchor it in a specific event and then expand, providing the what, why, and how. Create vivid images by using adjectives, verbs, and analogies, sparking the imagination of your listeners. Inject some humor, if it feels on-brand for you and comfortably aligns with the situation.

“Make them laugh, make them cry, but most importantly, make them remember you.”

In conclusion, building a strong body for your retirement speech is all about structuring it well, recounting your journey, sharing your wisdom, acknowledging the contributions of others, and tying it all together with storytelling. That’s the key to delivering a retirement speech that is equally enlightening as it is moving.

Looking ready to jot down those thoughts, are you? Great, because up next, we’ll learn how to end your retirement speech with pow.

Writing a strong conclusion to your retirement speech

The conclusion is where your retirement speech comes to its inevitable close – but that doesn’t mean it should end with a whimper. Remember, the best conclusions don’t just wrap things up in a neat bow; they leave an impact, giving your colleagues something to think about even after you’ve walked off the stage. It’s the cherry on top—the final memory your audience takes with them.

So, how do you end your speech with a bang, rather than an exhausted sigh? Here are a few tips:

Summarize the key points: You can briefly revisit the main points you’ve made in your speech. It helps to reinstate the central ideas, presenting them in a fresh light.
Call to action: No, you’re not selling anything, but you can surely inspire your colleagues to take some positive action or change their perspective on something. After all, with so many years of experience, you’re in a great position to inspire!
Use a quote: Be it from a classic book, a movie, or even a song—use it to add weight to your message. Quotes are familiar, and using them gives your speech a universal appeal.
Express your hopes for the future: As you conclude, you might also share your hopes and dreams both for yourself and your colleagues. It can include aspirations for the organization, team members, or wider industry trends.

Let’s be clear, the perfect closing is one that suits your style and message. You might end with a humorous quip or a heartfelt line that encapsulates your years at the company. And don’t forget—the end of the speech often marks the start of your farewell party, so closing on an upbeat note is always a good idea!

If you’re finding it hard to articulate your feelings as you conclude, it’s okay. I remember my own struggle to find the right words. In the end, I chose simplicity; I chose to speak from the heart. That’s where your colleagues will connect with you the most. After all, it is not every day that they get to see their colleague stepping into the liberating world of retirement.

So, don’t stress over crafting a speech that’s too sophisticated or rehearsed. Your retirement speech is all about authenticity—it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to express your joy, nostalgia, and gratitude. Make the most of it!

Adding Personal Touches and Customizations

Want to inject your unique personality into your retirement speech and make it truly represent who you are? Adding personal touches and customizations can help you achieve that. Let’s embark on this journey together, shall we?

You see, your retirement speech is more than a formal address; it’s a reflection of your journey, your personality, and your growth. With that in mind, it’s essential to ensure your speech includes those little quirks, anecdotes, and catchphrases that best capture your identity.

Use Your Unique Voice: You don’t have to make your speech formal and stale. If you’re known for your humor, weave in jokes. If you always offer words of wisdom, share some in your speech. Be yourself and just let your personality shine through.
Mention Significant Milestones: What were the highlights of your career? The ups, the downs, the turns of events that shaped you, or that one project that mattered a lot – don’t shy away from sharing these.
Share Personal Facts: Sharing some personal information can make your speech more relatable and interesting. Are you a science fiction fan? A garden enthusiast? Do you love to bake? Anything that adds a personal touch would work perfectly.

With these customizations, your speech would echo with authenticity. But be careful, you wouldn’t want to overshare, would you? Keep personal information to a minimum and keep the focus primarily on your journey and the company. Your speech after all, is still a professional one.

Another way to customize your speech is to tailor your content for your audience. Who will be listening to your speech? What do they need to hear? Paying attention to your audience’s needs and expectations can enhance the impact of your speech. You could ask, for instance, “What would my team find the most interesting or helpful?”

In the end, remember that this speech is your final curtain call in your professional journey, and you get to decide how it looks and sounds. So, why not add personal touches and customizations that will make your speech as unique as you are?

Retirement Speech Templates and Outline Samples for Retirees

Visual learners, rejoice! Nothing aids understanding like a well-structured example. Let’s delve into sample templates you can use as a starting point for your retirement speech. But remember, your speech should reflect you, so don’t hesitate to modify and customize these to your heart’s content. Feel free to add, edit, or discard parts based on what resonates with you the most.

“I once heard someone say, the art of writing is rewriting. Well, with retirement speeches, you could argue the art is in personalizing.”

Template 1: The Thankful Retiree

Introduction: Lighthearted joke or anecdote to connect with your audience
Gratitude: Expressing deep appreciation towards colleagues, superiors, or employees
Acknowledgment: Recognizing the shared experiences and growth
Memory Lane: Sharing a memorable story or event
Conclusion: Warm wishes for the company’s future, and expressing your excitement for the next phase of your life

Template 2: The Reflective Retiree

Introduction: Sharing your initial years or first impressions of the organization
Journey: Recounting your professional journey, touching upon ups and downs, successes and failures
Lessons Learnt: Discussing the valuable lessons you’ve acquired over the years
Acknowledgment: Thanking specific individuals who’ve made a significant impact on your career
Conclusion: Reflecting on your time spent, and looking forward to the freedom and possibilities retirement brings

As you can see, you’ve got the building blocks right here, but how you assemble them—that’s where the fun really begins! The key is to make it yours. Use your own words, your own style. Include what’s important, and leave out what isn’t. If the process seems a bit overwhelming at first, no worries. Take your time. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and I dare say a good retirement speech isn’t either!

Are you tempted to just stick to the script? Surely it’s easier and less time-consuming. However, I’d encourage you to resist that pull. The beauty, and real power of a retirement speech, is in its authenticity and sincerity. Your speech can echo the uniqueness of your journey, and the emotional resonance of your experience. Who wouldn’t want that?

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Guide On How To Write An Amazing Retirement Speech With Examples

While some may view a farewell or retirement speech as optional, it’s far more than a mere formality. It offers a powerful opportunity for both the retiree and their colleagues, friends, and family to experience closure, reflection, and connection.

For the retiree, it’s a chance to share their story, reconnect with those they’ve touched, and express gratitude. For colleagues, friends, and family, it’s a moment to appreciate, learn, and be inspired. This speech can even be a cathartic release for the retiree, allowing them to share words they’ve held close.

In this guide, I’ll provide you with ideas and tips on crafting a memorable and impactful retirement speech, whether for yourself or on behalf of another retiree. The latter half will offer some curated examples to inspire your own unique message. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

How To Write A Farewell Speech: Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting a memorable and impactful farewell speech, packed with practical writing and public speaking tips. Follow these steps to create a speech that resonates and leaves a lasting impression.

Note : This guide primarily assumes you’re the retiree, but the steps and tips are equally applicable if you’re writing on someone’s behalf or honoring a retiree. Just adapt the language as needed.

1. Plan Ahead

Before diving into your farewell retirement speech, ensure you have ample time to plan and prepare. Create a rough outline beforehand, jotting down key points you want to cover.

Some crucial points you may want to prioritize in your draft outline:

The beginning : Reflect on your early days in the company. How did your journey start?
The middle : Share significant experiences and anecdotes from your time here. What shaped your journey?
The end : Discuss your retirement plans and the emotions surrounding your departure. How are you approaching this new chapter?

Remember, these are just suggestions; choose the aspects that resonate most with you and your story.

Writing Tip: Prioritize outlining first. It allows you to visualize the flow of your speech. Work your way down to the last bullet point, and don’t hesitate to cross out anything that feels inappropriate or uninteresting.

Public Speaking Tip: Aim to internalize your outline. It will guide you seamlessly if you choose to deliver the speech without a script.

2. Consider The Audience

Once your outline is complete, it’s time to flesh out the details and craft your script. Before diving in, familiarize yourself with your audience.

Remember, tailoring your speech to your listeners is crucial. Consider their age range and interests. If children will be present, adjust your language accordingly. Similarly, for a formal event, minimize potentially offensive jokes or anecdotes, especially about colleagues or supervisors. You want to leave a positive lasting impression, not be remembered as someone who has turned hostile with retirement.

Writing Tip : Prioritize clear and relatable language, using examples that resonate with your audience’s level of understanding. While AI can be a helpful tool, carefully review its output as the tone and language it generates can sometimes be extreme or inappropriate.

Public Speaking Tip : Establish eye contact to connect with your audience. Consider encouraging participation by asking questions or inviting them to share their own stories, but be mindful of time constraints and use your judgment when deciding if interacting with individuals in the audience is feasible.

3. Set A Goal For Your Speech

Decide what you want to achieve with your speech. Do you want to express gratitude, share memories, or offer advice? While you may have each of those covered in your speech, it’s still critical to choose one of them as your speech’s main theme. Having a clear goal will help you to structure your speech and stay focused.

Writing Tip : Your farewell retirement speech is a unique chance to create a lasting impression that reflects your true essence. Think about what will resonate most with you and your audience. Also, write it as if it’s the last thing you’ll write in your life.

Public Speaking Tip : Sharing personal experiences or feelings can deeply connect with the audience. While staying within your comfort zone is important, consider injecting moments of vulnerability to add authenticity and emotional resonance.

4. Brainstorm Ideas

With a solid outline as your compass and your audience in mind, you can start enriching your script with fresh ideas and engaging content. While your retirement speech holds the potential for countless anecdotes, don’t forget to balance it with lighthearted moments and playful touches.

Begin by brainstorming all the elements you want to weave into your speech. Consider personal stories, noteworthy achievements, and pearls of wisdom you wish to share. Don’t hold back—let your imagination run wild!

Writing Tip : While it’s important to acknowledge your achievements, remember not to overemphasize them or let them overshadow the essence of your speech. Your personal journey takes center stage.

Public Speaking Tip : Watch out for overly playful or flippant tones that might undermine your message. If you become aware of sounding cheeky, playfully acknowledge it and redirect the focus to a more serious tone.

5. Do Research

As you expand your retirement speech with additional content, consider supporting your claims and stories with research. While your personal experiences are inherently credible, verifying surrounding details adds a layer of factuality and gravitas to your message.

Grounding your anecdotes in verifiable truth can significantly enhance your credibility and persuasiveness, effectively driving your points home with greater impact.

For example, if you have a remarkable story from your work, you might consider speaking to others who were present to corroborate the events. This not only strengthens your story’s credibility but can also add more nuance and richness through their perspectives.

Writing Tip : Pepper your speech with specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your achievements and the impact you’ve made on the company. These personal accounts will resonate powerfully with your audience.

Public Speaking Tip : Leverage the presence of individuals you consulted during your research. Their involvement can amplify your claims and add weight to your stories, further solidifying your credibility and speech’s impact.

6. Organize Your Ideas

At this point, your script is becoming longer and longer, filled with memory-inducing details. Now, it can become a hot mess, so you need to make sure that you organize all the thoughts and stories you’ve written.

Group your ideas by theme and decide on the order in which you want to present them. This will help you to create a clear and logical structure for your speech.

Writing Tip : Perform mind mapping. It’s a visual brainstorming technique that can help you organize your thoughts effectively, especially when crafting a complex speech. There are many apps out there that provide helpful and intuitive mind mapping.

Public Speaking Tip : When delivering your speech, remember your well-organized writing plan! But also chunk your ideas, pause between chunks, and signpost your transitions.

7. Write Your Initial Draft

With your ideas nicely organized, you’re ready to write your initial draft. Start by making a memorable introduction that grabs your audience’s attention right away. This is your chance to set the stage and show your tone, whether it’s heartfelt, funny, or a bit of both.

Follow your outline and include personal stories, sincere thanks, and well-timed humor. Remember, balance is important. Your stories should highlight your journey, your thanks should feel genuine, and your humor should bring smiles without making light of the occasion.

Also, keep it short and sweet. Aim for a speech that holds the audience’s interest for about five to 10 minutes to leave a lasting impression. And most importantly, speak from the heart. Use a conversational tone, like you’re sharing these stories with old friends, which is basically what you’re going to do during a speech.

By the way, five to 10 minutes of speech is roughly equivalent to 1,000 to 2,000 words. As you can see, you have a lot of legroom.

Writing Tip: Keep it flexible. Your outline is a guide, not a rigid framework. Be open to modifying it as you write and rehearse your speech. Also, write in a way that feels natural to you, as if you were conversing with a friend.

Public Speaking Tip: Your first draft will likely evolve as you refine your ideas and practice your delivery. Don’t get attached to it or feel pressure to memorize it right away. Meanwhile, don’t get rid of your outline. Your outline serves as a valuable roadmap later, even after you’ve written the full speech. It can help you stay on track, remember key points, and maintain logical flow.

8. Edit And Revise

Depending on the time available, you can edit and revise your initial draft until you are satisfied with it. Focus on clarity, conciseness, and sincerity. Also, make sure to eliminate inappropriate lines and language.

Writing Tip : Read it aloud. Hearing your writing can help you identify clunky sentences and areas that need improvement.

Public Speaking Tip : Prepare key phrases and responses. Anticipate questions or situations where you might need to ad-lib. Some of your listeners may take a jab at you, ask questions, or try to humor you while you speak. It’s unavoidable. So, have prepared answers or transitions ready.

9. Practice Your Delivery

Practicing your delivery is still a part of the writing process. While reading your lines out loud may help you find awkward and even grammatically erroneous sentences and paragraphs, practicing your delivery can help you identify problems with pacing, length, and impact.

Rehearse your delivery several times before the big day and edit as you go. This not only familiarizes you with the content but also helps you avoid stumbles and deliver with confidence.

To ensure comfort and confidence on the big day, practice your delivery in front of a mirror or with a friend. Remember to time your speech to avoid exceeding or falling short of the allotted duration.

Writing Tip: Imagine the questions your audience might ask, especially for complex sections that could ignite their curiosity. By seamlessly incorporating answers within your speech, you can proactively clarify any potential doubts and maintain a smooth, uninterrupted flow.

Public Speaking Tip: Practice your pacing, tone, and gestures. Record yourself and watch the playback to identify areas where you can improve.

Elements Of An Amazing Farewell Retirement Speech

Though you’ve reached the end of the steps on how to write a great farewell retirement speech, chances are you haven’t begun writing yet (that’s a good thing!). Before diving in, be sure to consider these key elements for a truly amazing speech—aspects the previous section might have missed.

1. A Strong Opening

A powerful opening to your retirement speech isn’t just a formality; it’s a strategic move with several compelling advantages:

It suggests there are more interesting things to come and immediately draws the audience in.
It establishes your voice and personality, captivating them with a memorable start even if they already know you.
It raises anticipation and curiosity, leaving them eager to hear the rest of your story and the wisdom you’ll share.

Now, how do you translate this advice into an unforgettable start?

Begin with a memorable and attention-grabbing opening that sets the tone for the rest of your speech. This could be a funny retirement joke that breaks the ice and eases any tension, a personal anecdote that reveals a glimpse into your journey, or a retirement quote that resonates with your personality or your time at the company.

2. Gratitude

As a retiree, take a moment to express gratitude and appreciation to your colleagues, managers, and mentors. Thank the people who helped you along the way, acknowledging their hard work, dedication, guidance, and support. This act not only reinforces the positive relationships you’ve built but also showcases your deep appreciation for their contributions.

3. Achievement Highlights

While highlighting your achievements is a natural part of a retirement speech, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Here’s why your speech offers so much more:

Retirement speeches offer a chance to reflect : bask in achievements, learn from challenges, and express gratitude—a rare mic drop without judgment.
Shine, but share the spotlight : Acknowledge mentors, teams, and the community you built. Focus on impactful accomplishments that inspire, not just accolades.
Balance triumphs with wisdom : Your speech becomes a testament—a farewell filled with gratitude, impact, and the enduring spirit of your career.

No need to fear self-promotion, but remember, don’t cross the line and brag about everything about yourself for more than you should.

Stories can be powerful tools for communication, helping to engage your audience. Choose stories that are relevant to your audience and effectively illustrate your points. Keep them brief and to the point, using them to highlight the impact of your work and the relationships you’ve built.

5. Memorable Moments

For a lighter touch, consider sharing a humorous anecdote that embodies your personality or your dedication to work. Choose something that resonates with you and your colleagues, allowing them to see you beyond just your professional achievements.

Some of the memorable moments you can try to include in your speech are the following:

A humorous yet relatable story : Share a light-hearted anecdote that showcases your personality and connects with the audience.
A significant challenge you overcame : Describe a moment when you faced adversity and emerged stronger, highlighting your resilience and problem-solving skills.
A touching moment of impact : Share a story where your work positively affected someone or the community, demonstrating the purpose and value you brought.

While it’s good to include a lot, remember that you don’t need to tell everything. Leave yourself and your audience some topics to discuss after the speech.

6. Well Wishes

Add heartfelt wishes to your retirement speech. They can make room for your speech to express your thanks, strengthen bonds with the audience, and provide positive closure. They can also capture your audience’s attention and inspire them.

Leave a lasting legacy of goodwill. Well-wishes, sprinkled with personalized mentions and optimism, show you value the relationships built. They warm your farewell and build camaraderie, creating a cherished memory for all.

7. Positivity

Making your speech positive allows you and others to celebrate triumphs more fully, embrace the future with optimism, and solidify bonds with the audience. It also creates a joyful atmosphere, which is something everybody would definitely appreciate.

Beyond these benefits, positivity simply feels good. It allows you to end your career on a high note, filled with joy and satisfaction. It also sets a positive precedent for your retirement, paving the way for new adventures and experiences.

8. Sincerity

Ticking off retirement speech boxes can be tempting, but it often leads to a calculated, formulaic monologue that falls flat. Authenticity, on the other hand, amplifies connections, creates a lasting impact, and sparks genuine inspiration.

Why? A heartfelt retirement or farewell speech isn’t a checklist; it’s an opportunity to express yourself honestly to celebrate your career with integrity. This unfiltered expression resonates with others, forging a genuine farewell that honors your achievements and strengthens your bonds.

Sincerity simply feels right and it can allow you to end your journey with grace and authenticity. This, more than anything, will leave a lasting impression, not just on those present, but on your own path ahead.

9. Concision

While “concision” may not be the most common word, it’s the secret ingredient for a captivating retirement speech. Avoid rambling detours and focus on the essence of your journey. It’s easy to get lost in memories, but prioritize the core moments and keep your audience enthralled.

As a rule of thumb, five minutes of speech is highly acceptable, but it’s okay to go longer than that as long as you don’t exceed 10 minutes. Remember, like a good host, leave them wanting more, not wishing for the end.

Injecting some humor into your retirement speech benefits both you and your audience. For starters, a well-timed joke can help dissolve your nervous tension, especially for those of us who aren’t seasoned public speakers. Beyond calming your nerves, humor can also forge a relatable connection with your listeners and leave a lasting positive impression.

Humor further enhances engagement by keeping the audience on their toes and invested in your message. And let’s be honest, a well-placed laugh can provide a welcome emotional release after recounting the trials and triumphs of your career.

While sharing the dramatic moments is valuable, a well-timed joke can lighten the mood and prevent tears (of boredom, of course!). Here are a few retirement speech jokes you may want to draw inspiration from:

Age-Related Humor : “Retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Turns out, ‘early bird’ doesn’t mean waking up at 5 am anymore. Now it means getting the worm discount at Denny’s!”
Work-Life Balance Shift : “My colleagues keep asking me what my retirement plans are. Well, first I’m going to sleep for a week straight, then I’m going to spend another week figuring out how to turn off my email notifications forever!”
Time For Hobbies : “Finally retired! Now I have all the time in the world to do all those things I never had time for, like cleaning the garage… again… for the third time this week.”
Travel Plans (Or Not) : “They say retirement is all about traveling the world. Honestly, the furthest I plan on going is my neighbor’s hammock—it has a built-in margarita holder, you know.”
Goodbye Office Life : “Retirement isn’t just about leaving the office; it’s about leaving the office chair-induced back pain behind. Goodbye, ergonomic nightmare! Hello, comfy recliner!”

Conclude your address with a statement that resonates. Choose a funny retirement quote or expression that embodies the essence of your career and accomplishments, delivered with the gravitas of one taking their final bow. This final message will echo long after your speech is done.

11. Visuals

Elevate your retirement speech by utilizing visuals. With projectors and widescreen televisions now being common in homes and function halls, you can expect to have the opportunity to show some relevant pictures and videos, which can help with your speech.

Photos in a slideshow can illustrate key points and add engagement. Alternatively, create a fun tribute video featuring colleagues, family, and friends. If that sounds daunting, fear not! Here are some of my articles that can help you out with retirement slideshows and tribute videos and clips .

12. A Positive Note

Having a highly positive speech may not be possible. However, you should at least make sure that you end with a positive note.

Concluding your retirement speech on a positive note not only leaves everyone with a smile but also provides a profound sense of closure and satisfaction. This shared positivity extends beyond mere cheer as it serves a more profound purpose. It enables you to wrap up your career on a high note, filled with joy and contentment.

In essence, by ending on a positive and uplifting tone, you not only mark the end of one chapter but also signal the promising beginning of another, creating a seamless transition into the next phase of your life.

Farewell Retirement Speech Examples

Now that you’re familiar with the process of writing a farewell retirement speech and the crucial elements you can include, it’s time for some inspiring examples!

Please note that these examples are condensed for brevity and lack specific details. They’re meant to serve as adaptable templates, not ready-made speeches.

Without further ado, let’s explore these examples!

Retirement Speech For Retirees

Here’s a sample of a retirement speech by a retiree:

Good evening, everyone. I am truly honored to be standing here today, surrounded by my colleagues and friends, to celebrate my retirement. After many years of hard work and dedication, reflecting on my career and the many memories I’ve made along the way feels incredible. As I look back on my time with this company, I am struck by the many challenges and accomplishments that I’ve experienced. I’ve worked with some incredible people, faced some difficult obstacles, and come out on the other side as a stronger and more resilient person. I am especially grateful for the friendships and relationships that I’ve formed over the years. Working alongside such talented and committed individuals has been a privilege, and I know that the memories we’ve made together will last a lifetime. To my colleagues and managers, I want to express my deep appreciation for your guidance and support throughout my career. Your mentorship and advice have been invaluable to me, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from you. To those still working, I want to share a few words of wisdom I’ve learned throughout my career. First, never lose sight of your passion and your purpose. Your passion will keep you motivated and inspired and your purpose will guide your actions and decisions. Second, always remember the importance of teamwork and collaboration. None of us can achieve our goals alone, and only through working together can we make a real impact. Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone in attendance today. Your friendship and support have meant the world to me, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with you. I will miss you all dearly, but I am excited for the next chapter in my life. As I move on to the next phase of my journey, I feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for what’s to come. I know that retirement will bring its own set of challenges and adventures, and I am ready to embrace them with open arms. Again, thank you for your kindness, generosity, and friendship. Working alongside you has been an honor and a privilege, and I will always cherish the memories we’ve made together.

Retirement Speech For Teachers

Here’s a sample of a retirement speech by a retiring teacher:

Dear students, colleagues, and friends, I stand before you today with mixed emotions as I announce my retirement from teaching. After [insert number of years] years of being in the classroom, it’s time for me to step back and enjoy the fruits of my labor. As I reflect on my career, I’m filled with a sense of pride and gratitude. Teaching has been more than just a job for me. It has been a calling, a passion that has enriched my life in ways I never thought possible. To my students, I want to say thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey. I have learned so much from you, and I hope that I have also imparted some knowledge and wisdom to you. Watching you grow and develop into successful adults has been the most rewarding part of my job. To my colleagues, I want to express my appreciation for the support and encouragement you have given me over the years. You have been more than just co-workers; you have been my friends and confidantes. I will miss our collaborations and discussions about teaching, but I’m excited to see what the future holds for you and the students. As I begin this new chapter in my life, I look forward to spending more time with my family, traveling, and pursuing other interests. But I will always remember the memories and experiences that I have gained from my time as a teacher. Thank you all for the wonderful years I have spent here, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Retirement Speech For Colleague

Here’s a sample retirement speech from a coworker:

Dear colleagues and friends, Today is a bittersweet day for all of us as we gather to celebrate the retirement of our esteemed colleague and friend [Retiree’s Name]. We’re here to honor [Retiree’s Name] and to acknowledge the incredible contributions [they/he/she] has made to our organization. It’s hard to imagine our workplace without [Retiree’s Name]. [He/She] has been a constant presence here for [insert number of years] years and has played a pivotal role in shaping the culture and success of our team. [Retiree’s Name] has always been a person who leads by example. [He/She] is hardworking, committed, and always willing to lend a helping hand. [He/She] has inspired all of us to be better colleagues and better people. [His/Her] dedication to our team and our mission is something we will always remember. As [Retiree’s Name] begins a new chapter in [his/her] life, we want to express our deepest gratitude for all [he/she] has done for us. [His/Her] hard work, leadership, and unwavering dedication to our team will be greatly missed. [Retiree’s Name], we wish you all the best in your retirement. We hope you will take this opportunity to relax, travel, spend time with your family and friends, and pursue everything you’ve always wanted to do. Know that you leave a lasting legacy here, and you will always be a part of our team. Thank you for being such an amazing colleague, mentor, and friend. We will miss you dearly. Congratulations on your retirement!

Retirement Speech For A Retiree Given By A Friend

Here’s a sample retirement speech from a friend:

Dear [Retiree’s Name], As I stand before you today, I feel both joy and sadness. Joy, because I’m so happy for you as you embark on your retirement journey, and sadness because I know our time together will be more limited. But today is about celebrating you, my friend, and I’m honored to have this opportunity to do so. You have been my true friend over the years, and I’m grateful for the memories we’ve shared. We’ve been through a lot from our college days to our careers. And now, as you retire, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride in all that you’ve accomplished. Your work has always been a source of inspiration to me. I have watched you dedicate yourself to your profession, and your passion and commitment have always been evident. Your work has touched so many lives, and you leave a legacy of excellence that will be hard to match. But as much as I admire your professional accomplishments, what I treasure most about our friendship is the person you are. You have always been a kind, caring, and loyal friend. Your wit, humor, and wisdom have enriched my life countless times. As you move into this new phase of your life, I hope you’ll take some time to reflect on all that you’ve achieved. But more importantly, I hope you’ll savor the simple pleasures of life—time with loved ones, new experiences, and the chance to pursue hobbies and interests that may have taken a back seat to work. So my dear friend, as you retire, know that you leave behind a legacy of excellence, friendship, and inspiration. You will be missed, but your impact will live on. Congratulations on your retirement, and I wish you all the happiness in the world.

Retirement Speech For Employee From A Boss Or Colleague

Here’s a sample corporate retirement speech for an employee from a boss or colleague:

Good afternoon, everyone. Today, we’re here to celebrate the retirement of one of our most dedicated and hardworking employees, [Retiree’s Name]. [He/She] has been an integral part of our team for [insert number of years] years, and we’re all sad to see [him/her] go. [Retiree’s Name] has been a true asset to our company. [His/Her] hard work, leadership, and innovative thinking have helped us achieve some of our most important goals. [His/Her] contributions to our team and our mission will be missed. As [Retiree’s Name] moves into retirement, we want to express our deep gratitude for all that [he/she] has done for our company. [He/She] has played a key role in making us the successful organization we are today, and [his/her] influence will be felt for years to come. But beyond [Retiree’s Name]’s professional achievements, [he/she] has been a valued colleague and friend to many of us. [His/Her] kindness, generosity, and willingness to help others have left a lasting impression on all of us. [Retiree’s Name], thank you for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to our company. You leave behind a legacy of excellence that will inspire us for years to come. We wish you all the best as you move into this new chapter of your life. We hope you will take this opportunity to relax, spend time with your loved ones, and pursue everything you’ve always wanted to do. We will miss you dearly, but we’re excited to see what the future holds for you. Congratulations on your retirement, and have fun!

Retirement Speech For Boss From An Employee Or Another Boss

Here’s a sample of a retirement speech for a boss:

Good afternoon, everyone. Today, we are gathered here to celebrate the retirement of one of the most esteemed leaders in our organization, [Retiree’s Name]. [He/She] has been an integral part of our team for [insert number of years] years, and [he/she] will be greatly missed. [Retiree’s Name] has been an outstanding boss and mentor to all of us. [His/Her] vision, leadership, and passion have helped us achieve some of our most important goals. [His/Her] contributions to our team and our mission have been immeasurable. As a boss, [Retiree’s Name] has inspired us all to improve. [His/Her] ability to lead by example, challenge us to achieve our full potential, and create a culture of excellence has been remarkable. [His/Her] wisdom, guidance, and unwavering support have left a lasting impact on our organization and every one of us. But beyond [Retiree’s Name]’s professional accomplishments, [he/she] has been a valued colleague and friend to many of us. [His/Her] kindness, generosity, and willingness to help others have left a lasting impression on all of us. [Retiree’s Name], thank you for your tireless work and unwavering commitment to our organization. You have left an indelible mark on our company and our lives, and we are forever grateful for all that you have done for us. As you move into retirement, we hope you will take this opportunity to relax, spend time with your loved ones, and pursue all the things you’ve always wanted to do. We know that you will continue to inspire and lead in whatever you do next, and we wish you all the best in this next chapter of your life. Congratulations on your retirement, and thank you for everything.

Retirement Speech For Principals From Teachers Or School Staff

Here’s a sample retirement speech for a principal from teachers or school staff:

Good afternoon, everyone. Today, we gather to celebrate the retirement of one of the most distinguished and accomplished principals to ever lead our school, [Retiree’s Name]. [He/She] has been an integral part of our school community for [insert number of years] years, and [he/she] will be greatly missed. As a principal, [Retiree’s Name] has been more than just a leader. [He/She] has been a mentor, a role model, and a champion for our students, faculty, and staff. [His/Her] unwavering commitment to excellence, [his/her] tireless work ethic, and [his/her] dedication to our school have left an indelible mark on our community. Under [Retiree’s Name]’s leadership, our school has thrived. [He/She] has implemented innovative programs, embraced new technologies, and fostered a culture of learning and growth that has inspired us all. [His/Her] ability to connect with students and staff on a personal level, to listen to their concerns, and to provide guidance and support has made [him/her] one of the most beloved leaders in our school. But [Retiree’s Name]’s impact goes far beyond our school walls. [He/She] has been an active member of our community, serving on boards, volunteering, and always striving to make our city a better place. [His/Her] leadership and vision have profoundly impacted our entire community, and [he/she] will be remembered as one of the most outstanding educators and leaders of our time. [Retiree’s Name], we want to thank you for your dedication, your passion, and your unwavering commitment to our school and our community. You have left a lasting legacy of excellence that will continue to inspire future generations of students, faculty, and staff . As you embark on this next phase of your life, we hope you will take some time to reflect on all that you’ve accomplished. You have touched so many lives, and your impact will be felt for years to come. Congratulations on your retirement, and have a happy, healthy, and joyful retired life.

Retirement Speech For Father From Children

Here’s a retirement speech example for your father:

Good evening, everyone. Today, we come together to celebrate a very special man—my father—[Retiree’s Name]. After [insert number of years] years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, my father has decided to retire. For as long as I can remember, my father has been the hardest-working man I know. He has always put his family first, and he has sacrificed so much to provide for us. Through his tireless work and unwavering commitment, my father has built a legacy of strength, determination, and love that will live on for generations. As a father, my dad has been my rock. He has been there for me through thick and thin, always providing a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, and a guiding hand. His wisdom, compassion, and selflessness have helped shape me into the person I am today, and I am forever grateful for his love and support. Now that my father is retiring, I know that he will finally have the chance to relax and enjoy his well-deserved retirement. I am excited to see him explore new hobbies, travel the world, and spend more time with his us. Dad, on behalf of our family, I want to thank you for all that you have done for us. You have been an amazing father, provider, and role model, and we are so proud of all that you have accomplished. You have left an indelible mark on our lives, and we will always cherish the memories we’ve shared and the memories to come. As you enter this next phase of your life, know that we are here for you and support you. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you, and we know that you will continue to inspire and lead in whatever you do next. Congratulations on your retirement, Dad, and thank you for everything.

Retirement Speech For Mom From Children

Here’s a sample retirement speech for a mother from her children:

Welcome, everyone. Today, we gather to celebrate a remarkable woman who has dedicated her life to her family and her career—my mother—[Retiree’s Name]. After [insert number of years] years of hard work, sacrifice, and devotion, my mother has decided to retire. As a mother, my mom has been an inspiration to us all. She has always put her family first, sacrificing so much to provide for us, support us, and love us unconditionally. Through her unwavering commitment and dedication, my mother has built a legacy of strength, resilience, and compassion that will live on for generations. As a professional, my mother has been a true leader. She has dedicated her career to [insert profession], making a profound impact on the lives of so many people. Her expertise, innovation, and passion have inspired colleagues, mentees, and students alike, and she will be remembered as one of the most outstanding professionals in her field. Now that my mother is retiring, I know that she will finally have the chance to relax and enjoy [her/his] well-deserved retirement. I am excited to see her explore new hobbies, travel the world, and spend more time with her loved ones. Mom, on behalf of our family, I want to thank you for all that you have done for us. You have been an amazing mother, provider, and role model, and we are so proud of all that you have accomplished. You have left an indelible mark on our lives, and we will always cherish the memories we’ve shared. As you enter this next phase of your life, know that we are here for you and support you. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. Make sure to kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Congratulations Mom. You deserve a happy, healthy, and joyful retirement.

Retirement Speech For Retired Military Personnel

Here’s an example of a military retirement speech by a retiree:

Good afternoon, everyone. As I stand here today, I am filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I am excited for the next chapter in my life, but on the other hand, I am sad to be leaving behind the military family that has become such a big part of my life. After [number] years of service, it is time for me to hang up my uniform and retire. When I first joined the military, I could never have imagined the incredible experiences that were in store for me. I have had the privilege of serving alongside some of the finest men and women this country has to offer. Together, we have faced countless challenges, from training exercises to deployments to combat missions. Through it all, I have learned the true meaning of teamwork and the importance of trust, loyalty, and dedication. I would like to take a moment to thank my fellow service members for their unwavering support and camaraderie. You have made my time in the military unforgettable, and I am honored to have served alongside every one of you. I would also like to thank my family for their constant love and encouragement. Your sacrifices and support have made it possible for me to pursue my dreams and proudly serve my country. Without you, I would not be where I am today. As I prepare to transition to civilian life, I am excited about what the future holds. I look forward to spending more time with my loved ones, pursuing new interests and hobbies, and positively impacting my community. I want to express my gratitude to the military for allowing me to serve my country and make a difference in the world. Working alongside you has been an honor and a privilege, and I will always cherish the memories we’ve made together. Thank you, and goodbye!

Retirement Speech For Retired Military Personnel From Another Personnel

Here’s a sample military retirement speech for a retiree:

Dear [Retiree’s name], Today, we gather to honor and celebrate your years of dedicated service to our country. You have served with distinction, and we are grateful for your unwavering commitment to our mission. Throughout your career, you have demonstrated the qualities that define the best of the military: loyalty, honor, and selflessness. You have sacrificed much, spent long hours away from your loved ones, and faced danger with courage and resolve. Your service has made a real difference, and we are proud to have served alongside you. But now, as you enter this new phase of your life, we know you will continue to impact the world. You will apply the lessons you learned in the military to whatever path you choose next. You will inspire others with your example, just as you have inspired us. As you leave the service, we want you to know that you will always be a part of our military family. We will remember your contributions, and we will be here for you whenever you need us. On behalf of everyone here, I want to thank you for your service and wish you a happy and fulfilling retirement. May the years ahead be filled with joy, adventure, and the satisfaction of a life well-lived. Congratulations!

A farewell retirement speech is more than just a formality. It’s a meaningful moment for saying goodbye, reflecting on your journey, and connecting with your colleagues, friends, and family.

When you retire, you often get one chance to share your story, which is through your retirement speech. Take this unique opportunity to make your story known and leave a lasting impression on everyone. To do so, follow the steps and suggestions mentioned earlier. Also, feel free to use the examples provided and add your own experiences and personality to them.

If you want to learn more about retiree life and get extra insights, check out my website for more relevant content.

My wife and I quit the rat race and retired in 2021. We RV'ed around the US for a couple of years and now we're slow traveling outside the US!

How to Give a Great Retirement Speech

Retirement Wisdom · Aug 20, 2019 ·

by Joe Casey

A great retirement speech takes a little preparation. At some point in your life, you may be asked to give retirement speeches for a friend, colleague – or even your boss. Well, you’ll want to be prepared and navigate some of the unique nuances presented by this type of speech. And you’ll want to deliver a sincere retirement speech that strikes the right chord. But, a lot can go wrong if you’re not mindful.

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Focus on The Purpose of Your Retirement Speech

Start with Rule #1:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

– Maya Angelou

If you keep that top of mind, you’ll do well.

Avoid These 7 Retirement Speech Pitfalls

If you’re not careful in planning your retirement speech, you could end up doing more harm than good. Don’t be that co-worker or that Boss. Here are some real-life examples I’ve seen that you’ll want to avoid:

The Joker – Retirement speeches are tricky situations for humor. You will be likely to be speaking to an audience with different levels of familiarity with the retiree being honored. It may be tempting to revel in the legendary stories from that conference in Chicago or that Girls Night Out in Miami, but not everyone will appreciate that. It’s ok to use humor, but it’s wise to stop and consider your audience. It’s awkward for everyone when humor lands wrong. Especially for you.

The Out of Touch Well-Wisher – Retirement has changed dramatically in recent years. It is a much longer period of time than it used to be. Today, retirement often spans twenty to thirty years – or more. But, our beliefs and quotes about retirement haven’t caught up yet. It’s easy to use sentiments that simply don’t fit retirement today. Anecdotes about retiring to the rocking chair, the front porch, and the gold watch have all themselves been retired. For example, according to several surveys, the majority of people today (as high as 70%) expect to continue to work in some way during retirement. The odds are high that the person you’re speaking about may not be completely done with work. If they are, they’re probably planning an active retirement that’s very different than those of retirees a generation ago. Using well-worn retirement clichés risk making you look tone-deaf.

The Ageist – Ageism is prevalent in our society today. Many people aren’t aware that some of their statements are considered ageist. Some comments you may have heard in earlier retirement speeches are now considered insensitive. Be careful not to offend your honoree or others in the audience.

The Overlooker – You don’t want your retiree to leave feeling underappreciated. If you’re not well-prepared, you may forget to express a genuine appreciation for the person and what they’ve contributed to the organization.

The Truth Stretcher – On the other hand, it’s a mistake to puff up a person’s accomplishments in a retirement speech. A tell-tale sign is that co-workers start exchanging knowing glances ( “Bob certainly didn’t do that!” ). Worse yet, the honoree will know if you’re stretching it too.

The Rambling Wreck – You’ve probably been in an audience when speakers didn’t fully prepare. Their anxiety was palpable. They didn’t seem to have a sense of where they are going. What did most of them do? They kept talking … and talking. They meandered down paths that they conjured up on the fly and went go on and on. Winging it showed that they didn’t think this was important enough to prepare for in advance. That’s definitely not the right message.

The Robot – On the other hand, you’ve also probably heard speakers who are so well-prepared, so well organized and efficient that everything ran like clockwork. They hit all their marks – except for one thing. They forget to express any emotion. They left the guest of honor and the audience feeling flat, and let down.

7 Steps to a Great Retirement Speech

Think about how you want the person to feel – always remember rule #1 (above)., use a simple framework.

It can be as simple as:

A. Thank Your Audience

B. Express Why You’re All Here

C. Talk About How This Person Made a Difference

D. Extend Best Wishes on Their Next Chapter

Review Your Remarks with Someone You Trust

Balance the past and the future.

Be Sincere – Keep it real. Offer your genuine sentiments and well wishes on the future. Make your new retiree feel honored, respected, and valued.

A retirement speech is one of the last experiences someone will go through in a career. By taking the time to prepare, you can make yours a sincere retirement speech and a memorable gift.

Joe Casey is a former senior HR executive at Merrill Lynch, who’s created a second career as a retirement coach. He holds a Masters in Gerontology from the University of Southern California and, as a retirement coach and Designing Your Life coach, he helps people discover What’s Next after their primary career.

You May Also Be Interested In:

How to Give a Retirement Gift That’s Meaningful

Find the Volunteer Opportunity That’s Right for You

Tap into access to free tools on our website to assist with your retirement planning, including retirement calculators, a longevity calculator and an Am I Ready to Retire? quiz at retirementwisdom.com

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Retirement Speech Examples To Send You Off In Style

Your retirement day speech is an opportunity to say goodbye to those you have worked with over the years. While it may not be a long speech, it typically includes thanks, stories about the past, what you are looking forward to, and motivation for other workers. Here are some retirement speech examples.

Your retirement represents a significant milestone in your life – it’s a time to bid farewell to a long and fulfilling career and embark on a new chapter of well-deserved relaxation and exploration. Delivering a retirement or farewell speech is a poignant and cherished tradition, offering an opportunity to reflect on the past and share simple messages of gratitude with colleagues, friends, and family.

This article presents a collection of inspiring retirement speech examples designed to help retirees craft their own memorable farewell addresses. Whether you’re seeking a touch of humor, heartfelt appreciation, or words of wisdom, these speeches will provide you with valuable guidance to create a lasting impression at your retirement celebration.

Table of Contents

What Is The Purpose Of A Retirement Speech?

The purpose of a retirement farewell speech is multi-faceted and holds significant meaning for the retiree and their audience. Here are a few key purposes:

It provides an opportunity for the retiree to reflect on their career journey, accomplishments, and experiences throughout their working years. It also serves as a celebration of their contributions, highlighting milestones, successes, and the impact they have had on their profession.
They are a platform to express sincere appreciation and gratitude to colleagues, mentors, friends, and family members who have supported and influenced the retiree through their career. The retiree can acknowledge the individuals who have positively impacted their career and express heartfelt thanks for their guidance, collaboration, and friendship.
A retirement speech often includes valuable insights, life lessons, and wisdom gained over the course of a career. Retirees can share their experiences, offering advice and inspiration to those still working or embarking on their own professional journeys.
Retirement speeches mark the transition from work to retirement . They allow retirees to say goodbye to their colleagues and wish them good luck in the future.

What Do You Say When Retiring From A Job?

Retirement speech example for work to retirement

When retiring from a job, here are five examples of what you can say to make your retirement speech memorable:

Expressing Gratitude: “Today, as I bid farewell to this incredible chapter of my life, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. Working alongside such talented and dedicated individuals has been an absolute privilege.”
Reflecting on Accomplishments : “As I reflect on my career, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude. Together, we have achieved great milestones and overcome numerous challenges. From groundbreaking projects to moments of triumph, each accomplishment has been a testament to our collective work ethic, dedication, and passion.”
Sharing Personal Growth: “During my years of service here, I have grown not only professionally but also personally. This organization has provided invaluable opportunities to learn and develop my skills. I am forever grateful for the mentorship, guidance, and encouragement I have received.”
Offering Words of Wisdom : “As I step into retirement, I would like to share a few words of wisdom I have gathered along the way. Cherish the relationships you build; they are the true wealth of any career. Embrace change with an open mind, as it often leads to new and exciting possibilities.”
Looking to the Future: “While this is a bittersweet moment, it also marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Retirement is not the end but rather a fresh start filled with endless possibilities. I wish each of you continued success and fulfillment in your journeys.

What Do You Say At An Employee Retirement Party?

An employee retirement party provides a more relaxed and celebratory atmosphere than a formal work setting. While the overall tone may be casual, you should still deliver a thoughtful and meaningful speech containing the right words.

Here are some points to consider for your speech at an employee retirement party:

Begin by warmly welcoming everyone to the retirement party and expressing gratitude for their presence. Acknowledge the retiree and highlight their significant contributions and achievements throughout their career.
Take a moment to reflect on the retiree’s career journey and milestones. Share anecdotes, stories, and memorable moments that showcase their impact on the organization, colleagues, and the broader work community.
Express your appreciation to the retiree for their dedication, hard work, and positive influence on others. Recognize their accomplishments, leadership, and contribution to the company’s success.
Invite colleagues and friends to share their own memories and well wishes for the retiree. Create an open and supportive environment where attendees can express their gratitude, share funny or heartwarming stories, and extend personal messages of appreciation.
End the speech by inspiring the retiree for the next chapter of their life. Encourage them to embrace their new beginning with excitement, explore new passions, and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation.

What Should You Thank Your Boss For In Your Retirement Speech?

When expressing gratitude to your boss in your retirement speech, consider thanking them for the following:

Express appreciation for your boss’s guidance and mentorship throughout your career. Acknowledge their role in your professional development, whether through their advice, expertise, or willingness to share knowledge.
Thank your boss for providing opportunities to grow and advance in your career. Recognize their trust in your abilities and their support in challenging assignments or promotions.
Express gratitude for the support and encouragement your boss provided during your tenure. Recognize their role in boosting your morale, providing constructive feedback, and offering a nurturing work environment.
Acknowledge your boss’s advocacy for your achievements and recognition. Thank them for their efforts in highlighting your contributions, whether it was through promotions, awards, or public acknowledgment.
Thank your boss for their leadership and the positive example they set throughout your career. Express appreciation for their dedication, vision, and commitment to fostering a productive and thriving work environment.

What To Say At A Retirement Speech For Someone Else?

Here’s how to craft a heartfelt speech to honor a retiring colleague:

Start Strong:

Grab attention : “Good morning/afternoon everyone! Can I have your attention please?”
Celebrate the milestone: “Today, we celebrate [colleague’s name]’s well-deserved retirement!”

Highlight Contributions:

Mention their tenure: “[Colleague’s name] has been a valuable member of our team for [number] years.”
Focus on key skills: “[He/She] brought expertise in [mention specific skills]…”
Emphasize positive traits: “…and a [positive personality trait] attitude that always brightened our days.”

Personalize it (Optional):

Share a specific anecdote: Briefly tell a story about your colleague showcasing a positive quality or achievement.

Express Gratitude:

Thank them for their impact: “[Colleague’s Name], your dedication has left a lasting mark.”
Acknowledge you’ll miss them: “We’ll miss your presence, but…”

End with Well Wishes:

Express excitement for their future: “…we’re thrilled for you as you embark on this new chapter!”
Wish them well in retirement: “We wish you all the best, filled with [mention things they might enjoy].”

Conclude and Make a Toast:

“Let’s raise a toast to [colleague’s name]!”
“Please join me in wishing [him/her] a happy and healthy retirement!”

Remember: Keep it heartfelt, focus on their contributions, and express your best wishes for a fulfilling retirement.

What Do You Say In Your Retirement Speech?

Here is a template you can use as a reference for your retirement speech:

Get things underway with a warm greeting and express gratitude to the audience for their presence.
Share your excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to address everyone on this special occasion.
Set the tone for the speech by mentioning the significance of the moment and your emotions surrounding retirement.
Reflect on your career journey – from the early days to the present.
Share key milestones, achievements, and memorable moments that shaped your professional life.
Highlight the growth, challenges, and lessons learned along the way.
Extend your heartfelt gratitude to colleagues, superiors, mentors, and team members for their support and contributions.
Acknowledge the friendships, camaraderie, and collaborative spirit that made your career enjoyable and fulfilling.
Express gratitude for the trust, opportunities, and guidance you received throughout your career.
Share personal anecdotes, stories, or lessons learned from your professional experiences.
Offer words of wisdom or advice to colleagues and future generations in your field.
Reflect on the impact your career has had on your personal growth and development.
Extend well wishes to colleagues, the organization, and the industry as a whole.
Express optimism for the future and excitement for the next chapter of your personal life.
Share your retirement plans, whether pursuing new hobbies, spending time with loved ones, or embarking on new adventures.
Conclude the speech by expressing gratitude once again and reiterating your appreciation for the support and memories created.
Offer a final heartfelt message of thanks, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
End with a positive and inspiring note, encouraging others to cherish their careers and make the most of their professional journeys.

Retirement Speech Examples

Here are a few great retirement speech examples that you can use as inspiration for crafting your own farewell address:

Example 1: Humorous and Appreciative

“Good morning, everyone! Today is the day I officially join the ranks of the retired. First and foremost, I want to thank my colleagues for tolerating my questionable jokes and putting up with my endless requests for office supplies.

Your laughter and patience made the journey worthwhile. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to my wonderful team. Your dedication and hard work have been the driving force behind our successes. You’ve made this rollercoaster ride of a career incredibly fulfilling.”

Example 2: Reflective and Inspirational

“Dear friends and colleagues, as I stand before you on this momentous day, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared. It has been an extraordinary adventure from the early days of uncertainty to the triumphs we celebrated together. I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned, the friendships I’ve formed, and the growth I’ve experienced.

Remember, every challenge is an opportunity in disguise. Embrace change, take risks, and keep pushing the boundaries. Your potential knows no limits.”

Example 3: Heartfelt and Appreciative

“Today, I am filled with immense gratitude and a bittersweet mix of emotions. I want to express my deepest thanks to my colleagues, who have become my second family. The unwavering support, encouragement, and friendship we shared are truly priceless. I am indebted to you for making this workplace feel like home.

Thank you to my mentors and superiors for believing in me and helping me realize my potential. Your guidance has shaped my career and instilled a desire for excellence.”

Example 4: Wisdom and Advice

“As I bid farewell to this remarkable chapter, I would like to share a few nuggets of wisdom I’ve gathered along the way. First, remember that success is not measured solely by professional accomplishments but by how you influence others. Be kind, compassionate, and empathetic in all your interactions.

Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks and embrace new opportunities. It’s in these moments of uncertainty that we truly grow. Cherish the relationships you build along the way – they are the true treasures of a fulfilling career.”

Adam Howarth

Adam covers the topic of Public Speaking for Digital Authority. From his first experience of oratory with his school debating society to his more recent experiences of promoting the local business scene in Wrexham, Wales, he has always been involved in public speaking.

How to write a retirement speech

Content ideas for a great retirement speech.

By: Susan Dugdale

The prospect of writing a retirement speech either for yourself or for someone else might seem daunting.

The reality is, fortunately, that it's not as hard as it first appears to be. ☺

Follow the steps outlined below and you'll finish with a speech you'll be happy to give, and listeners will be happy to hear.

What you'll find on this page:

how to collect up material for the speech - content prompts to use to brainstorm *
an example of a completed brainstorm
notes on tone, theme and speech length
how to write and test the speech
links to an example retirement speech and a collection of suitable quotations you may like to use

* brainstorm - the name given to an invaluable prewriting technique used to generate lots of potential ideas about a topic

Beginning the process of writing

Before you even attempt to write you need to collect your ideas together.

The most efficient way I know to do this is to do a brainstorm. (Scroll down to see an example.)

First grab yourself a large sheet of paper or open a new document.

Give yourself a time limit

Before you begin set yourself a time limit - say 30 minutes.

Then use the retirement speech starter headlines and the content suggestions * next to each one to kick start your creative juices.

Put down as much as you can under each heading. Do NOT self edit. Nothing is too trivial! You don't have to spell properly, or write complete sentences. All you have to do is allow your ideas to flow.

You will rearrange, expand, trim or delete them later but for now it's important you put whatever thought occurs down, to capture it before it disappears.

* You can see these headlines and content suggestions in action in my sample brainstorm.

Retirement speech starter headlines

I remember ... Suggestions: starting out 'x' years ago, what was most important to the company, what I looked like back then, what the pinnacle of technological sophistication was ...

Colleagues ... Suggestions: those who've been influential, friends, major campaigns/accounts worked on together ... What special qualities will you miss about these people?

Tributes ... Suggestions: Who have you admired and why? Who has inspired you? Name and thank them. Especially those who contributed majorly in either little or large ways, making your work life easier or more pleasant; from the cook in the canteen who regularly kept back a sandwich just for you, or the lift operator who always held the door for you up.

Milestones ... Suggestions: significant personal achievements, the firm's major achievements ...

Anecdotes ... Suggestions: amusing daft stories about either yourself or perhaps the people you worked with. (But mostly featuring you, because people appreciate a person who is self-aware and secure enough to make fun of themselves, one who doesn't need to call out blips in behavior, or lapses in logic in others in order to make themselves look good.)

The future ... Suggestions: Personal future: what I'm looking forward to, where I'll be, what I'll be doing ... The firm's future: where do you see it going? What challenges does it face?

Philosophy ... Suggestions: the values that have been important over the years, still are and why

Image: retirement speech brainstorm - notes for writing a retirement speech

Getting it together

Now that you have the raw material you're ready to shape it. But before you begin to write the speech you have three more important elements to consider. What you decide will have an impact on the final outcome.

1. What tone do you want your speech to have?

Because many retirement speeches are delivered over a dinner or at a party, most people strive for a balance of light-hearted self-deprecating humor, sincerity and respect. Put yourself in your colleagues' shoes and ask yourself what you would appreciate and enjoy listening to.

Do you want to hear a diatribe about the opportunities the company missed through bureaucratic bungling over the last humpteen years?
Is a detailed personal brag sheet charting your meteoric rise appropriate?
What about a breakdown of the company's culture?
Or talk of in-group events, or people, that nobody, aside from a small section of the audience, either understands or knows?
Or worst of all, an embittered harangue citing the numerous instances (large and small) when your contributions were maligned, and your leadership potential was overlooked by varying nincompoops, but principally the halfwits who comprise the senior management team?

By all means keep the speech real. However make it more about the positive aspects of the business and the people who work there rather than yourself.

2. Consider using a theme

A theme is useful to tie all the segments of your speech together. It's a core idea uniting them, and giving them cohesion.

Here are some ideas you could make work well: team effort (through uniting one achieves more), friendship, loyalty, the value of ongoing education, that youth is wasted on the young, humor, the importance of believing in one's dreams ...

3. How long are you going to speak for?

How long you are expected to speak for governs how many words you write.

A relatively informal retirement speech to be given at a social gathering is usually 3 - 5 minutes long. That's between 625 - 750 words depending how fast you speak. * Much more and you run the risk of losing people's attention.

In a formal setting you may be expected to speak for 10 minutes, and then some.

If you are unsure of what's being asked of you, find out. Whatever the time limit, its good practice to finish within it. In the words of Franklin D Roosevelt, USA's 32nd President - March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945: " Be sincere; be brief; be seated."

* (Most people speak at a rate of between 120 - 150 words per minute. See my page on speech rate if you want more information.)

Read an example of a retirement speech

Image: definition of the word leave, with a list of its synonyms

Sometimes it's incredibly helpful to read a sample leaving speech before starting to prepare one of your own. This example is an example retirement speech for a teacher . It was written using the guidelines on this page.

And now write

Go back through your notes, select what you want, put it in order and write exactly as if you were talking out loud to a respected friend.

You'll need an opening, middle and conclusion.

Remember the time allowance. You are better to make a few points well rather than try to cram your speech full to fit everything in, and then rush gabbling through in order to meet the time constraints.

If it worries you that you've had to leave out either people or events, say so. Your audience will understand.

Borrow the words of others - use a quotation

Look through this large selection of retirement quotations . You'll find sharply witty, warmly funny, inspiring, as well as some sad thoughts about retiring. Take any that appeal to weave through your own words. Maybe you'll find just the opening or ending you want!

If you're writing about a colleague retiring

If you are writing a farewell or retirement speech about a colleague remember: "Do unto others as you would have done to you".

Your job is make the person feel valued and appreciated for who they are and what they've brought to the workplace. If you're the only speaker remember you're talking on behalf of your workmates too.

Pull one or two of them in on the brainstorming process. If you don't know, find out what they're intending to do once they've left work. Dig around to give yourself a great collection of information to pick and mix the best from.

Test your speech on colleagues

To gauge whether or not what you've written will be well received or has covered all the most important points, firstly put yourself in their shoes and secondly, read the speech through to several colleagues whose judgement you respect.

Be very aware of revealing personal or sensitive information. The person retiring because of ill-health or for special family considerations may not want it made public. Ask before speaking. If you don't feel you can ask, then you probably shouldn't be saying anything about it.

Other useful reference pages:

h ow to write speeches : step-by-step detailed instructions with examples
how to rehearse your speech : absolutely necessary if you want to give a polished presentation
tips on using humor effectively : avoid the traps that trip the unwary

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How to Write a Retirement Speech

An Idea (by Ingenious Piece)

Intro: Speech Writing | How to write a thank you speech for retirement

This guide will help you write a retirement speech for yourself or for someone else that is retiring. The principles of both speeches are the same: Honor the person, and honor the event.

The goal of this guide is to help you first generate ideas of what you want to say, to look at examples of retirement speeches, and to create a structure you can use to make it easier to write the content for the speech.

This guide will also address retirement speeches for specific people like bosses, coworkers, and teachers, along with specific occasions such as military retirements or when the retirement wasn’t your choice. It may be helpful to have a Word doc or Google doc open during this blog post to jot down ideas for your retirement speech or the one you’ll give to another person.

Example Retirement Speech

Let’s first look at an example retirement speech that hits every note. You can find the text over at the Retirement Manifesto blog.

This speech excels in that it…

Focuses on lessons learned during a lifetime from work and family
Each lesson headlines its short sections
The speech has a mix of practical and emotional advice–”saving early” vs. “finding someone to love unconditionally”
It uses stories in parts but doesn’t shy away from quoting a cool fact or statistic; we get insight into his career and his family
When necessary, the author, Fritz Gilbert, quotes others as he did with Jim Collins
It focuses on gratitude for the lessons learned–but it’s not a speech that looks backward but instead provides advice for the future,

“ What I do care about, however, is that each of you does all that you can, while you’re still working, to ensure that your retirement will be the best retirement you can build. If there’s nothing else you remember from my retirement speech, it’s my hope that you remember the importance of designing your own retirement, and that you never accept anything less than the best life has to offer, whatever that means to you.”

What should I say for my speech?

Using the lessons above from Fritz’s speech, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions in this section such as:

What to say at my retirement speech?
How to thank my wife or husband during the retirement speech?
How to thank your family in a retirement speech?
I am retiring after 40 years, speech ideas?

Let’s break the answers down by the two goals stated earlier: Honor the Person and Honor the Event

Many speakers, especially humble leaders, do not like talking about themselves. They feel that it comes off as boastful and bragging. Instead, you can still talk about yourself but in a way that demonstrates how people in your life have contributed to your success–make it about those who helped you along the way.

Honor the Person: Use the following questions to brainstorm what to say in your retirement speech:

What lessons have you learned over the years?
Who or what experiences taught you those lessons?
To whom are you grateful for being in your life? How have they made you happier?

Honor the Event:

The second set of questions concerns the event itself–the speech and the meaning of retirement.

What does this event signify with so many of the people in the room (or on Zoom) attended? Why are you grateful for the people who attended?
What does retirement mean to you? What’s next in your life?
What advice can you give to the generation that follows after you? If it’s a work-related event, who is taking over in your place? What do you want them to know?

What to say for a retirement speech for someone else?

You might not be ready to retire but people in your life are and you want to say something that shows your appreciation. For this section, we’ll focus on what to say at a retirement party for someone else that you love. it’s also how you would write a testimonial speech for a retiring person.

The secret is that the questions are similar to the ones you’d give at your own retirement speech but instead you want to focus on what the person you’re honoring means to your life.

Here are some questions to help brainstorm some thoughts for a speech for someone who is retiring:

Honor the Person:

What lessons has the retiree taught you? They can be small and funny or large and meaningful.
Why are you grateful that the person was in your life?
What actions has this person done that others should know about? When were they really there for you?
How is the world a better place because of this person?
How can all of us lead better lives because of the example set by the person retiring?
What does retirement mean to you? Why is this particular occasion so special?
Given who is in the audience, why is it important that certain people are present? What do they mean in the life of the person retiring?

Do Now: Retirement speech brainstorming:

If you haven’t already, choose a section above and write down the answers to the questions as they come to you. Don’t worry about structure yet, we’ll talk about that later. The idea is to do a brain dump so that you can have pages full of ideas from which to choose. All of them might not make it in, but it’s better to write first and edit later.

Speeches for Specific People:

Many people ask for specific advice for different types of people in their lives when it comes to retirement speeches. The most commonly asked for include bosses, family members, teachers, and leaders, that the person giving the retirement speech looks up to. We’ll also handle a few scenarios where it’s tough to write the speech such as when you don’t particularly like the person or don’t know them all too well.

Bosses: How to give retirement speech for boss | How to organize speech for boss’s retirement

Bosses can be a tough group to give a speech to–you want to impress them, their boss, and others in the company. Use the guidelines above from “writing a retirement speech for someone else,” to guide you.

Some additional questions could be:

How has the boss shaped you professionally?
What professional lessons have the boss taught you? Which personal lessons have the boss taught you?
How is your company better off for having this person work for them?
What hobbies do they have that you hope they’ll do more of in their spare time?

But what if you don’t like your boss?

Not everyone does and that’s one of the questions I’ve fielded as people have asked, “How to write a retirement speech for a boss retiring that you don’t like?”

Use the strategy that many job seekers use in interviews when asked, “What is your greatest weakness?” The trick is to take something negative and turn it into a positive, e.g., “Sometimes, I can be too dedicated to my work” or “I’m too much of a perfectionist.”

You can do the same thing with your boss–imagine they were in an interview and had to answer, “What is your greatest weakness?” but chose to spin it like a crafty job interviewee.

“The boss is too demanding,” becomes, “They have high standards.”

“The boss doesn’t deal well with other people,” becomes, “They are all business.”

“The boss doesn’t have anything else going for them except work,” becomes, “They put the job before everything else.”

If you find it too hard to write the speech, opt to not give one at all or keep it as short as possible. You may even want to look up short toasts (like a few lines long) that you might see at a wedding and use one of those instead. Here are some Irish Toasts that could be adapted or used straight-out if you have to say something .

Colleagues and Coworkers:

The same advice for your boss can be applied to speeches for your coworkers such as when a sales guy is retiring or the retirement speech is for a coworker or colleague. In these instances, if you know the person well, you can be more casual in what you discuss and talk about.

Ideas for a retirement speech for a coworker or colleague:

Are there funny stories that you can tell about the person?
What was their first day on the job like?
How have they changed over time?
Why will the company miss them so much?
How have they changed the company for the better?
How have they made your life better? What will you miss about them?

Friends and Family:

Another common category for retirement speeches is when it comes to friends and family–often the people invited to the retirement party.

People ask:

How to write a retirement speech for a friend
how to write a retirement speech for a best friend
How to give a retirement speech for your aunt or other members of your family?
How do I give a short speech about my dad’s retirement party?
What about a wife’s retirement speech for a husband or any spouse for another spouse?

For retirement speeches for friends and family, much of the same advice applies but you can get more emotional and don’t have to worry about being “all business.”

For ideas relating to giving a retirement speech for friends and family members:

What has this person meant to you over the years?
What personal lessons have they taught you?
How are you looking forward to how they spend their retirement or next job opportunity?
What stories can you tell about this person (good ones!) that others don’t know?
Why are you grateful that this person is in your life?

Service Professions:

For teachers, firefighters, nurses, police, and the military, these professions seem to get an extra notice during retirement speeches due to how long the people in them serve and the nature of their work. Follow the retirement speech advice given previously but also think about the following questions:

Retirement speech ideas for teachers, nurses, military, police officers, firefighters, and all service professions:

How are the citizens and students this person serves safer, smarter, more well protected, because of their efforts?
What are your favorite serious and funny moments that this person has had?
Why is their profession so important? If this person hadn’t entered this profession, how would the world be a worse place?
What have you learned from watching this person work? How can we take the lessons from their work ethic and apply them to our own lives?

Retirement speech examples

Before we get to the speech’s structure and flow, let’s look at a few examples for more inspiration. The following examples are all quite famous people but ones we can learn a great deal from how to do a retirement speech. You might not feel as though your life is similar to that of a Senator or Pro Football player but the idea is to look for which aspects of their life they chose to focus on when giving their speech. Not all of the speeches will be upbeat–some were given at moments when the person didn’t want to retire or felt like they had unfinished business. You might be facing a similar situation and that’s OK–it’s still worth it to tell others how you feel.

Two other speeches might not seem like “retirement speeches” but they are in a sense: Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture and Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Speech. Both were given near the end of their lives and contain the same type of advice you might hear in a retirement speech.

For the Youtube videos, there is often a transcript–look for the three dots below the right bottom corner of each video and choose “Open transcript.” This is helpful if you want to see YouTube’s best attempt at machine transcription (which is often quite good) and if you’re like me and can read much faster than listening.

Retirement speech example videos:

Peyton Manning

Watch it for: Gratitude towards those that came before him

Andrew Luck

Watch it for: How to talk about a difficult decision

Kat Renaker

Watch it for: Honoring someone else–a former student honoring a teacher

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Michael Mullen

Watch it for: How to honor family members and to mix humor and advice

Professor Patricia Cleary Miller

Watch it for: Brevity and humor

Jeff Flake retirement speech

Watch it for: How to tie what he did to a larger purpose (Democracy)

Kobe Bryant

Watch it for: Mix of gratitude, motivation, and looking towards the future of the next generation

Judy Middeler

Watch it for: Relaxed delivery, great stories of time in teaching

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

Watch it for: Great storytelling and bringing out examples

Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech

Watch it for: Great structure, three stories that are all connected

How to make a retirement speech: Writing the Retirement Speech

This final section will deal with tips and ideas on how to write your retirement speech. The examples above all carry some of the same themes and ideas on how to write a great retirement speech.

Qualities of the Best Retirement Speeches

First, they use stories to honor the people that helped them and to motivate their audience.

Second, they draw lessons from those stories.

Third, they use those lessons to give advice to the next generation.

Fourth, they balance out practical and emotional advice–often erring on the emotional side.

Fifth, they focus on the positive as much as possible–it’s not a time to reopen old wounds.

Retirement Speech Length:

Often people ask, “How long should a retirement speech be?” I would put the answer around 10 minutes for most speeches but if it’s a large event honoring you, go no longer than 18 minutes. Consider it similar to a college commencement speech. No one was ever accused of giving a speech that was “too short.”

Humor in a Retirement Speech:

To add humor to a speech, rather than try to tell a joke that might fall flat (how not to start a retirement speech), tell funny stories. Even if the story doesn’t come off as humorous, it will still have a point. Some people look for good one-liners or tired jokes about retirement–we’ve heard them all before.

Retirement Speech Structure, Opening, and Closing:

In this last part, we’ll talk about structure and in turn, how to start a retirement speech and how to end a retirement speech.

One of the easiest structures to adopt is the “story and lesson” structure. Each section is a short story with the lesson either at the beginning (like Fritz and Randy Pausch did) or at the end (like Steve Jobs).

You can include 3 medium-length to longer stories or multiple short stories 5 or more. It’s up to you. The goal is to use each story to tell a lesson to the audience.

Another structure is to build your speech around thanking specific people or groups of people. This can get tricky if you leave someone out–so be sure that everyone who needs to gets a mention.

You can also mix the various structures to have parts where you thank a person and other times where you tell stories. It can be fluid.

To start a retirement speech, it’s usually best to welcome people to the event. You can acknowledge a few important guests (like your spouse and family) but don’t fill the beginning with all thank-yous as it will tend to get boring.

To end a retirement speech, one easy way to do it is with a short toast or a quote from someone else as the toast. Short toasts can be found here as a starting point.

To hold the speech together, you may also want to include a theme–some large idea that everything relates back to. Brainstorm a title for your speech and that should be your theme.

Retirement Speech Guide Conclusion:

Now it’s your turn to put the advice together into a speech. Use the questions in each section to brainstorm what you want to say. Look for common themes and use stories to get your point across. Draw lessons from what you’ve learned and talk about the people along the way to whom you are grateful. Draw a larger lesson by talking about the meaning of retirement and its connection to the organization that the person is leaving. Finally, use the example speeches as your own source of inspiration where you can model what you want to say off their structure and format.

Eddie Rice is a speechwriter and public speaking coach. He helps leaders amplify their messages through any medium. This post is an excerpt from his upcoming book “Toast: Short Speeches, Big Impact.” Find out more about him and the book at www.ricespeechwriting.com

Written by Eddie Rice

I help speakers and writers get to the point | Speechwriter | Author of Toast: Short Speeches, Big Impact | Writer at Eloquent Mind.co

Text to speech

Giving Your Perfect Retirement Speech

senior retired woman celebrating with a balloon and a party hat

You’re about to retire and your employer just announced your retirement party date.

It’s official — it’s time to start planning your retirement party — from ideas to invitations — and celebrate!

Except… you feel a pang of anxiety creep in as you realize:

You need to give a retirement speech…

Before you start to panic, we’re here to help – this guide walks you through everything you need to know about giving a retirement speech that will leave your audience laughing, crying, and remembering.

After all, a retirement speech is more than just a farewell.

It’s a celebration of years of hard work, a reflection of the journey you’ve been through, and an exciting hello to the new adventures that await.

Not to mention, it’s also your chance to express gratitude , share memories, and maybe even inspire someone else in their career journey.

So, let’s head into the first step on how to give your perfect retirement speech.

#1 Do a Creative Brainstorm Session

As cheesy as it sounds, having a solid brainstorm session before you begin writing your milestone retirement speech is worth the dedicated effort.

Retirement is a momentous occasion that deserves a proper sendoff — and that means having a speech prepared that really captures the essence of your time with the company. But where do you even begin?

With so many memories and experiences to draw from, it can be overwhelming to try and encapsulate it all. That’s why brainstorming first is the way to go.

If you’re looking for brainstorming techniques that spark creativity , try some of these ideas (popularized by organizations yet relevant and effective for any topic):

Starbursting or mind mapping – to give your ideas some structure and central theme
The idea napkin – to simplify a central theme and build from there
Figure storming – to put yourself in another’s shoes and ask your version of “what would Abe do?”
Rapid ideation – to throw in a range of ideas without judgment

Either way, consider the milestones you’ve achieved, the people who have supported you, and the memories that have shaped you.

Think about the future, too — what do you hope to accomplish in your retirement? Who do you want to become?

Take some time to think about what new adventures you want to embark on and what kind of legacy you want to leave behind.

Once you’ve brainstormed all the wonderful memories you want to share in your retirement speech, the next step is to prepare an outline.

#2 Prepare an Outline

An outline is like a roadmap that helps you stay on track and organized as you share your thoughts.

After you’ve poured out all of your ideas from the creative brainstorm session, use an outline to break down your thoughts into sections, making it easier to organize and deliver your message cohesively.

Plus, when you write things down on paper, it’s so much easier to sift through your ideas and memorize them later on.

You can break your retirement speech ideas into sections like:

The starting point — this is where you share the beginning of your career journey. It’s a chance to reflect on where it all began, maybe even share a funny or inspiring story about your first day or job.
The milestones — here, you highlight the significant turning points in your career. These could be promotions, challenging projects, or even hardships that shaped your professional growth.
The relationships — acknowledge the people who made your career meaningful. From mentors to colleagues, clients to friends, share anecdotes that showcase the bonds you’ve formed.
The lessons learned — share some wisdom you’ve gained over the years. These could be professional lessons or personal growth insights, which could inspire others at their own career crossroads.
The farewell — this isn’t just a goodbye; it’s a celebration of what’s yet to come. Go over your retirement plans and your dreams for the future.

brainstorm your retirement speech by thinking about the starting point, the milestones, the people, the lessons learned and your farewell

And this is just an example of an outline that’s based on chronological happenings. There’s no right or wrong way to do this; it’s your story, told your way. Just organize it into a nice outline flow.

#3 Include Personal Anecdotes

As you prepare to bid farewell to the workforce and embrace retirement, it’s only natural to feel nostalgic and reflect on all the memorable moments you’ve experienced throughout your work life.

Perhaps there was a project that presented a seemingly insurmountable challenge, but you and your team persisted and eventually conquered it.

Or maybe there was a hilarious incident that still makes you chuckle to this day, even though it happened years ago.

And who could forget the nervous excitement that comes with starting a new job?

Regardless of the topic, your personal storytelling is not just a way to entertain your listeners, but it’s also a way to showcase the good times, the bad times, and everything that came in between.

Carmine Gallo researched some of the most popular TED Talks and found that personal stories accounted for 65% of their content.

The best TED Talks are made of 65% personal stories, 25% data, facts and figures, and 10% resume builders to reinforce credibility

So it’s worth showcasing personal storytelling in your retirement speech. Your stories can have a similar effect on your audience, reminding them of the ups and downs of being in the workforce, and how it all comes full circle in the end.

#4 Express Gratitude

On top of your personal storytelling, writing a retirement speech is the perfect opportunity to express your gratitude and appreciation for those who have made a difference in your life.

Whether it’s your team who has stood by you through thick and thin, mentors who have offered guidance and support, family who has provided a listening ear, or even the organization itself that has given you opportunities to grow, take the time to express your heartfelt thanks.

This is especially important if you want to maintain ties to some of your colleagues and coworkers after retiring from the workforce. In fact, one study about gratitude, reciprocity, and relationships , suggests that gratitude promotes relationship formation and maintenance.

Either way, a retirement speech without gratitude is simply incomplete. So, let your appreciation shine through.

#5 Inject Humor

Before you get too sentimental, remember that humor can go a long way in making your farewell speech a memorable one.

Don’t be afraid to delve into your treasure trove of funny stories or throw in some witty remarks — it’s sure to have the crowd giggling and smiling in no time.

And don’t worry if you’re not a stand-up comedian, the best jokes are often the simplest ones . Research has shown that people respond well to humor that’s easy to follow and relatable.

people respond best to humor that's easy to follow & relatable

So, keep it light, keep it funny, and channel your inner comedian.

#6 Conclude with Positive Impact

As the last words of your retirement speech echo through the room, you may find yourself feeling a swirl of emotions. It’s understandable to feel bittersweet as you close a chapter in your life that has shaped much of who you are.

But this isn’t a time to give in to overwhelming sentimentality.

Instead, take a deep breath and focus on the positive moments that have defined your career. Remember the joy and fulfillment that you experienced over the years, and let those feelings of hope and satisfaction guide your final message.

As the University of Minnesota reminds us, a strong conclusion is essential to signal the end of the speech and help the audience remember the main ideas. So, take this chance to really explain the importance of your message and inspire those around you with a positive closing theme.

It’s the perfect ending to a stellar career and the perfect start to your next adventure .

Retirement Speech Ideas & Examples

Crafting a memorable retirement speech is an art form that’s unique to you . It’s about striking the perfect balance between professional reflections and personal anecdotes.

Here are some examples that can serve as inspiration for your own speech:

#1 Funny Retirement Speech

If you want to add some humor to your speech, then we’ve got you covered with this example:

“I stand before you today with a heart full of mixed emotions. Part of me is saying, “Finally! I can sleep in on Mondays!” while another part is wondering, “What on earth will I do with all this free time?” You know, they say, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” That’s a quote from A. A. Milne, better known for his creation Winnie-the-Pooh. And it rings true today. Working with all of you was a real pleasure. We’ve had our share of ups and downs, haven’t we? Like the time I accidentally sent that confidential email to the whole department instead of just my boss. Or when I spilled coffee all over the new carpet on its very first day. But hey, who’s counting? [personal storytelling] To wrap up, I’m too happy to be profound, too relieved to bestow any life advice upon you, and too old and tired to stand here for long, making a speech. I’ll think of you all every time I roll over and go back to sleep at 7:30 a.m. on a Monday. Thank you for all the memories, and remember, I’ve retired from work, not from life. So, don’t be strangers!”

#2 Sentimental Retirement Speech

For a more heartfelt version, check out this retirement speech example:

“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most extraordinary people I’ve ever met. Firstly, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. You have not only been my coworkers but also my mentors, my guides, and my pillars of support. You have been my second family, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Whether it was late nights working on projects or celebrating our successes, each moment has left an indelible mark on me. And each one of you has enriched my life in so many ways, and I hope that in some way, I’ve been able to do the same for you. [personal storytelling] As I step into this new chapter, I carry with me the lessons I’ve learned here, the friendships I’ve made, and the memories we’ve created. I want to leave you with this thought: The beauty of life lies not in its length, but in the love and respect we share with those around us. So, thank you for sharing this journey with me, for your wisdom, your guidance, and your friendship. Remember, this is not goodbye. It’s just a see you later. So, until we meet again, take care of yourselves and each other.”

#3 Formal Retirement Speech

And if you’re looking for a more formal approach:

“ Thank you for joining me today as I announce my retirement. Over the past three decades, we have achieved milestones that were once distant dreams. It has been an honor to work with such dedicated individuals. I am filled with gratitude for the countless opportunities I have been given, the invaluable lessons I have learned, and the unforgettable memories I have created. Each one of you has contributed to my journey in your own unique way, and for that, I will always be thankful. [personal storytelling] I want to express my deepest appreciation to all of you. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence have not only made this organization the success that it is today, but also made my journey an incredibly rewarding one. As I step into the future, I am excited about the opportunities that await me. However, I know that I will always carry a piece of this wonderful journey with me. Thank you for the privilege of working with you, for the camaraderie, and for making this chapter of my life such a memorable one. I look forward to seeing all the remarkable things you will undoubtedly continue to achieve.”

Leaving on a High Note

Everyone’s retirement speech is going to be unique and special to them.

But there are some common elements that you should keep in mind when preparing your own:

#1 Have a creative brainstorm session — let those memories, thoughts, and emotions pour out onto the page – there’s no right or wrong here, just your unique journey
#2 Prepare an outline — think of it as your roadmap, guiding you from one milestone to the next
#3 Include personal anecdotes — sprinkle in storytelling of your personal anecdotes, share those behind-the-scenes moments that brought laughter, tears, and everything in between
#4 Express gratitude — it’s your chance to acknowledge those who’ve walked this journey with you, to let them know how much their support has meant, and to say thank you from the bottom of your heart
#5 Inject humor — lighten the mood, share that funny story, let your audience laugh with you
#6 Conclude with positive impact — leave your listeners with something positive to remember you by

Whether you choose to end your career with a funny toast, an emotional thank you, or a formal goodbye — your words can leave an indelible mark on those who are lucky enough to hear them and remember you by.

Retirement Speech FAQ

What to say at a retirement speech for someone else.

When delivering a retirement speech for someone else, try to focus on their achievements, dedication, and contributions. Use personal anecdotes that highlight their individual character and work ethic. Keep it positive, motivational, and heartfelt. For example:

“John, your tireless dedication and exceptional leadership have been an inspiration to us all. Your journey has, not just been about milestones, but also about the lives you’ve touched along the way.”

How long should a retirement speech be?

A retirement speech should ideally be between 5-10 minutes long. This duration allows enough time to cover all the important points without dragging on.

How to start a retirement speech?

Starting a retirement speech can be as simple as a warm greeting followed by an introduction. You might even want to begin with a light-hearted joke or an inspiring quote. Either way, make it feel authentic. For example:

“Good evening everyone, I’d like to start by saying, retirement is when you stop living at work and start working at living!”

How to end a retirement speech?

Ending a retirement speech should come with a strong positive close, and include a blend of gratitude, reflection, and anticipation for the future. Here’s an example:

“As I close this chapter and open a new one, I want to express my deep gratitude for the journey we’ve shared. We’ve laughed together, faced challenges together, and celebrated victories together. I’m proud of the work we’ve done and the impact we’ve made. Thank you for being a part of my journey. Here’s to new beginnings and the exciting adventures that lie ahead!”

What's Your Retirement Purpose?

Retirement Life Coach

As a certified retirement life coach since 2018, Cyn has helped thousands of older adults turn their retirement years into remarkable years full of growth, purpose, and passion. Through her signature program Rewire My Retirement, she helps people achieve their best life across the 5 Rings of Retirement, which covers topics Growth, Community, Health, Giving Back, and Finance.

Cyn combines specific life coaching tools, neuroscience, and her extensive background in marketing (spanning 17 years) to make a powerful impact with Second Wind Movement – an organization dedicated to providing educational resources and coaching for seniors.

With meticulous research, insight, and passion, Cyn’s mission is to usher in a new wave of positive experiences for generations of retirees.

As a certified retirement life coach since 2018, Cyn has helped thousands of older adults turn their retirement years into remarkable years full of growth, purpose, and passion (beyond the stereotypical financial planning side of retirement).

She combines specific life coaching tools, neuroscience, and her extensive background in marketing (spanning 17 years) to make a powerful impact with Second Wind Movement – an organization dedicated to providing educational resources and coaching for seniors.

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Farewell Speech for Boss, Colleagues, Seniors and More

Quick Summary

A farewell speech in the office is essential for maintaining positive relationships and marking significant transitions.
Sincerity, specificity, positive focus, well wishes, and professionalism are the key elements of different farewell scenarios.
Farewell speech leaves a lasting positive impression, highlighting the value of individuals and fostering a culture of respect and appreciation. Thus, it is important to have a strong opening, add personal anecdotes, and a memorable closing during a farewell speech.

Afarewell speech helps promote emotional connections and strengthen the bonds between individuals. This enables you to make positive relationships with colleagues to focus on a collaborative future. You can also uplift spirits, create a sense of unity, and encourage an optimistic outlook. This ultimately helps you maintain a positive and productive workplace culture during times of change.

A farewell speech in office leaves a lasting emotional and professional impact while promoting goodwill and respect. It also helps you enhance professional relationships and boosts team morale. In this guide, we will discuss how to give farewell speeches for various office scenarios, tips to improve them, and other relevant details.

Farewell Speech for a Colleague

It is important to have a well-written speech scenario for celebrating the contribution of a particular employee to the organisation. Your farewell speech for colleagues should always cover that person’s achievement at the same company.

Here are some tips to follow to make your speech more personal and heartfelt:

Share specific anecdotes that highlight the colleague’s achievements and character.
Express appreciation for their unique qualities and contributions.
Use a conversational tone to make the speech feel personal.
End with heartfelt well-wishes and hopes for their future success.

Here is an example of thebest farewell speech to colleagues:

“Good morning to everyone present here. Today, we have gathered to bid farewell to our colleague, Ramesh. For the last 5 years, he worked for the company and gave his best. He was always creative when working or promoting our campaigns.

Ramesh is also a good husband, a father, and a son. He has never allowed his personal life to interfere with his professional work. Such a hardworking professional is rare to find.

It is sad to see that you are leaving this organisation, but the moments we shared will always be remembered and cherished. On behalf of everyone, I wish you the best of luck at your new job. Thank you for your service at the office.

Farewell Speech for a Boss

Your leader’s retirement hints at the beginning of a new episode in their life. The goal of your farewell speech for a boss is to commemorate this milestone. It will also help your former leader get inspired for what’s new to come. Use the speech to bid them farewell, and display your appreciation for their cooperation and commitment by following these tips:

Reflect on their career accomplishments and the impact they made on the organisation.
Recall memorable moments or milestones achieved under their leadership.
Express gratitude for their guidance, support, and leadership in the organisation.
Inspire them with optimism and excitement for the future ahead.

Here is an example farewell speech for your understanding:

“Good Evening everyone,

I am happy to welcome you all to Arjun’s farewell party. We are all here to bid a reluctant goodbye to our manager, an outstanding leader who is moving on to new opportunities and challenges in his career journey.

The experiences and other positive attributes that Arjun has instilled in us through examples of doing excellent sales have helped us improve our careers. I see myself and my colleagues as remarkably lucky to have worked under your caring leadership. I cannot help but thank you for your immense contribution towards the Birla sales project that we took over a year ago. Thanks to you, our organisation’s sales increased by up to 30% over the past year.

Words are inadequate to express how much we are going to miss you. Thank you for your contributions once again, and all the best for your future endeavours.”

Farewell Speech for Retiring Boss

You can include things that are relevant and relatable to both the manager and the team members during the retirement speech for your boss. Providing examples can make your speech more authentic, rather than just making simple statements. Here are some things that you can include in your farewell speech for the retiring boss:

Highlight specific achievements and milestones that showcase your boss’s impact and legacy.
Share personal anecdotes that highlight their leadership style.
Express heartfelt gratitude for their guidance, support, and dedication throughout their career.
Offer genuine wishes for a fulfilling and joyful retirement.
Invite team members to share their memories to create a collective farewell experience.

Take a look at this example to understand the instructions better.

“Good evening, everyone!

It is with a heavy heart that I stand here to bid farewell to a stalwart of our organisation. Mr. Richard has been a driving force behind our company’s success. His innovative thinking and approachable demeanour have earned him respect from all departments. He has always been a willing mentor and a firm believer in continuous learning. His leadership style and humility have been an inspiration for all of us. We hope to carry forward his legacy and uphold the company’s reputation. As we gather here today to bid him farewell, we promise to remember the values he has instilled in us. Dear Richard, your guidance will be missed, and we wish you a happy and fulfilling retirement!”

Farewell Speech for an Employee

A proper goodbye message to your departing employee is a way of showing appreciation and gratitude towards them. It shows that you are grateful for their hard work, time, and dedication to the company.

Follow these tips to give the most effectivefarewell speech for employees.

The start of a speech is crucial ; begin by sincerely thanking the employee for their contributions and dedication.
Mention specific accomplishments and how they positively impacted the team and company.
Include a memorable story or experience shared with the departing employee.
Offer your best wishes for their future endeavours and express confidence in their continued success.
Invite them to stay in touch and remind them they will always be part of the company’s family.

Here is an example of a farewell speechdirected towards employees.

“Ladies and Gentleman,

Today, we gather here to bid farewell and celebrate the journey of an exceptional individual among us – Anuradha. She has been more than just an employee but a cherished member of our family. Hence, I am honoured to deliver this farewell speech on her behalf.

From the very first day, Anuradha brought to our office a warmth and spirit along with professionalism. Her willingness to collaborate and pursuit of growth have left indelible marks on our team and organisation.

Under her leadership, Anuradha led several projects to success by fighting against all odds. She was the person we could lean on in challenging times. Today, as Anuradha embarks on a new chapter, we bid her goodbye with a mix of sadness and pride.

Thank you for your contributions, Anuradha. As you step into new ventures, remember that you carry with you our best wishes and a piece of our hearts.”

Let us raise our glasses to Anuradha for her journey ahead.

Farewell Speech for Seniors in Office

Farewell speeches are parting formal words for office seniors who are ready to bid goodbye to the workplace. There is an event or ceremony that involves these special speeches. It would help if you considered this to be an expression of gratitude, well wishes, and sentiments towards your senior. Hence, follow these tips to make your farewell speech for seniors stand out:

Begin by thanking the seniors for their leadership, guidance, and contributions to the company.
Mention their significant achievements and the lasting impact made on the team and organisation.
Include memorable moments that highlight their character and contributions.
Convey your best wishes for their future and invite them to stay connected.

Here is an example of a farewell speech for seniors for your understanding:

“Hello everyone,

I welcome you to this bitter-sweet occasion where we are gathered here to give a farewell party to Sumit. He is one of our senior managers who has been working with the company for 10 years. His valuable contributions to this workplace are not hidden from us.

I give full credit to Sumit for providing the office roaster with routine shape and managing HR management with perfection. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that he was like a pillar in this organisation who always helped us with his strategic suggestions.

I am grateful to admire Sumit for his activeness and high energy level in meetings at such an old age. Although today we are saying goodbye to him, I believe we will cross paths soon.

Lastly, I would like to wish him all the very best for the rest of his life.

Thank You.”

Farewell Speech at Work: General Tips

A farewell speech is a sign of gratitude and respect towards the person leaving their job. That is why you must follow some tips before proceeding with it. These include:

Take some time to reflect on the person’s accomplishments, experiences, and memories. Consider their time with the group, organization, or community.
Determine the messages you want to convey in the farewell speech.
Structure your speech into sections to ensure a flow of ideas.
Personalise your speech by including anecdotes, jokes, stories, or specific examples.
Practice delivering your speech multiple times. This helps ensure you are comfortable with the content and delivery.

Deliver the Perfect Farewell Speech

A farewell speechis important because it allows you to express appreciation, celebrate accomplishments, and bid goodbye to a departing member of your organisation. However, giving speeches is not everyone’s cup of tea. It would help if you were well-prepared before going forward and kept certain notes to ensure not miss out on anything during the speech.

Moreover, you must also understand the differences between giving a farewell speech to a boss,colleagues, or senior members. This guide already discusses some examples to help you understand the format better. So, get ready, prepare your farewell speech, and deliver it with sincerity and grace.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the key elements of a good farewell speech.

There are several elements of a good farewell speech. The major ones include: Tone: Aim for sincerity by getting nostalgic about some good memories. Structure: Start with something interesting or a question and end with optimism. Anecdotes: Include jokes, funny personal stories, or touching memories that highlight relationships. Appreciation and Thanks: Recognize individuals for the value they added with stories and examples.

How do I handle nerves when giving a farewell speech?

It is common to get nervous when giving a farewell speech in an office or any other place. However, you can avoid such situations by following some important tips. Know your topic well and be organised with notes to ensure you do not miss out on anything during your speech. Do some deep breathing, and do not fear moments of silence.

Can humour be included in a farewell speech?

Yes, you can always add humour to a farewell speech. This involves sharing some fond memories, personal experiences, or inside jokes in the form of anecdotes that you may have shared with your colleague or boss. This makes them feel appreciated and realise that they are an important part of the organisation.

How long should a farewell speech be?

A farewell speech should be around five minutes long. Ten minutes is also acceptable in certain circumstances. However, you may choose to give a longer speech in extremely special circumstances, such as when a CEO or senior manager resigns from your organisation.

What are common mistakes to avoid in farewell speeches?

You must make sure not to commit certain mistakes when giving a farewell speech at work or any other place. Avoid twisting or leaning on the podium, table, or computer console. Do not stand in the light from the office projector. Make eye contact with everyone before you start to speak, as you normally do to begin a conversation. Do not start with terms like “um” or “okay.”

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FactChecking Vice President Kamala Harris

By Eugene Kiely

Posted on July 23, 2024 | Clarification on July 25, 2024

In about 48 hours, Vice President Kamala Harris went from No. 2 on the Democratic presidential ticket to the presumptive presidential nominee, after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her. Here, we fact-check some of Harris’ recent speeches — before and after Biden dropped out:

Harris repeated the claim that former President Donald Trump “intends to cut Social Security and Medicare,” even though he did not attempt to cut either retirement program when he was president, and he has said that he will not cut them in a second term.
She referred to Project 2025 — a conservative plan for deeply cutting and overhauling the federal government — as Trump’s “extreme Project 2025 agenda.” Trump has disavowed the project, which he described as “seriously extreme.”
The vice president repeated one of her favorite talking points when she claimed “Donald Trump openly vowed, if reelected, that he will be a dictator on Day 1.” He said he was joking when he said he wouldn’t be a dictator “except for Day 1.”
Harris left the misleading impression that Trump was to blame for the loss of “tens of thousands” of manufacturing jobs. The U.S. added more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs under Trump — until the economic effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic reversed all those job gains.

A former U.S. senator from California who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, Harris seemingly overnight became the Democratic Party’s last chance to stop Trump from regaining the White House.

Biden, who never recovered from a disastrous debate performance in late June, announced on July 21 that he would not seek reelection, saying it was in the “best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President.” Shortly after, Biden gave Harris his “full support and endorsement” for president.

The party quickly coalesced around Harris, who announced at a campaign event in Milwaukee on July 23: “I’m told as of this morning that we have earned the support of enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.”

Harris needs 1,968 delegates to win the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month, and the Associated Press reported that she has the support of more than 3,000 delegates.

Project 2025, Social Security and Medicare

Since Biden dropped out and endorsed her, Harris has delivered two speeches and both times she referred to Project 2025 — a conservative plan for remaking the federal government — as Trump’s plan, even though the former president has disavowed it.

And in both speeches, she cited Project 2025 as evidence that Trump wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, even though the former president has offered no plans to do so.

Harris, Wilmington, Delaware , July 22: He and his extreme Project 2025 will weaken the middle class and bring us backward — please do note that — back to the failed trickle-down policies that gave huge tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations and made working families pay the cost; back to policies that put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block; back to policies that treat health care as only a privilege for the wealthy, instead of what we all know it should be, which is a right for every American. Harris, Milwaukee , July 23: But Donald Trump wants to take our country backward. He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously. And can you believe they put that thing in writing? Read it. It’s 900 pages. But here’s the thing. When you read it, you will see Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.

As we have said before , Trump says he has no plans to cut Social Security or Medicare.

In his four years as president, Trump did not propose cutting Social Security’s retirement benefits, and his budgets included bipartisan proposals to reduce the growth of Medicare without cutting benefits. (For more, see our February 2020 article “ Competing Claims on Trump’s Budget and Seniors ,” which details how Trump as president proposed cuts to the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs, but not to retirement benefits.)

After leaving office, Trump has pledged not to cut Social Security, most recently on July 20 in his first joint campaign appearance with his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. “We will not cut one penny from Social Security and Medicare,” Trump said in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In January 2023, when House Republicans were discussing ways to cut government spending, Trump said in a video: “Under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut a single penny from Medicare or Social Security to help pay for Joe Biden’s reckless spending spree.”

As for Project 2025, Trump described it at his Michigan rally as “seriously extreme.” He added, “I don’t know anything about it. I don’t want to know anything about it.”

Project 2025 lays out “four goals and principles” for Medicare “reform,” but there is nothing in the 900-plus page document that calls for cutting Social Security, which the authors of the project call a “ myth .”

Harris and the Democrats link the project and its agenda to Trump because, as CNN has reported , there are more than 100 people involved in the project who have worked in the Trump administration. Prominent figures such as Mark Meadows , who was Trump’s chief of staff, and Stephen Miller , a top aide who was involved in setting major immigration policy, are associated with conservative groups that advised the project.

Project 2025, which mentions Trump hundreds of times, includes concepts that Trump supports, including — as Harris alluded to — cutting business taxes and rewriting the nation’s health care laws. But it also proposes things that Trump did not do when he was president, such as setting just two individual tax brackets of 15% and 30% (down from seven) and eliminating or transforming entire government agencies.

There is no telling what parts of Project 2025 Trump would implement, if elected. But Project 2025 is not his “agenda” or “plan,” as Harris said.

Trump’s Dictator Remarks

In recent speeches this month, including in Philadelphia on July 13 , Harris repeated a popular talking point that “Donald Trump openly vowed, if reelected, that he will be a dictator on Day 1.”

Harris was referring to a comment that Trump made at a Fox News town hall in December. At the event, Sean Hannity gave Trump the chance to respond to critics who warned that Trump would be a dictator if elected to a second term. “Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody,” Hannity said . Trump responded, “Except for Day 1.”

Trump went on to say, “We’re closing the border. And we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.”

Trump later claimed he was joking with Hannity. In a Feb. 4 interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, Trump said: “It was with Sean Hannity, and we were having fun, and I said, ‘I’m going to be a dictator,’ because he asked me, ‘Are you really going to be a dictator?’ I said, ‘Absolutely, I’m going to be a dictator for one day.’ I didn’t say from Day 1.”

Trump repeated his intention to close the border and drill for oil. “That’s all. And then after that, I’m not going to be a dictator,” Trump told Bartiromo, claiming his “dictator” comment was “said in jest.”

Manufacturing Jobs

In a July 18 speech in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Harris left the misleading impression that Trump was to blame for the loss of “tens of thousands” of manufacturing jobs.

“So, Donald Trump tries to claim he brought back American manufacturing,” Harris said. “The fact is, under Donald Trump, America lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.”

The fact is, those jobs were lost during the global COVID-19 pandemic. As of February 2020, the U.S. had added 414,000 manufacturing jobs under Trump, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But then the economic effects of the pandemic took hold. In April 2020 alone, the U.S. lost 1.3 million manufacturing jobs.

Most of those jobs came back. But at the end of Trump’s four years, the U.S. had lost 178,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2017, when he took office.

Under Biden, the rest of the manufacturing jobs returned and then some. Since January 2021, the U.S. has added 762,000 manufacturing jobs .

Clarification, July 25: We have updated this story to clarify that while Trump did not propose cuts to Social Security’s retirement benefits as president, he did propose cutting the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs.

Editor’s note: FactCheck.org does not accept advertising. We rely on grants and individual donations from people like you. Please consider a donation. Credit card donations may be made through our “Donate” page . If you prefer to give by check, send to: FactCheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center, 202 S. 36th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104.

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Biden’s speech: Warnings about Trump without naming him, a hefty to-do list, and a power handoff

In a rare Oval Office address to the nation explaining why he stepped down from the 2024 presidential race, President Joe Biden said he believes the best way to unite the nation is to “pass the torch to a new generation.”

President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

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President Joe Biden pauses before addressing the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic reelection bid. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden delivered a solemn Oval Office address Wednesday that laid out in the clearest terms yet why he abandoned his reelection campaign.

He wanted to send an unmistakable warning about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump while anointing Vice President Kamala Harris as his natural successor, without invoking an overtly political tone that would have been out of step in the official setting of the White House. He was determined to show that he would not act like a lame-duck president, outlining an ambitious agenda that underscored his resolve to continue building on his legacy.

Follow AP’s live coverage of the 2024 presidential race.

Here are key takeaways from Biden’s address:

He warned about Trump — without naming him

Biden did not mention Trump, his former Republican opponent , in his 10-minute Oval Office address — but he didn’t have to. The remarks were imbued with a deep sense of urgency about what the outgoing president saw as the stakes of the election.

The early part of his address sketched the choices that faces voters in November — a contrast Biden himself had hoped to make during a reelection campaign that he ultimately decided he could not continue.

“Americans are going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division,” Biden said. “We have to decide — do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice and democracy.”

That last item — democracy — and defending it is “more important than any title,” Biden said.

Biden outlined a hefty to-do list for his final months

The president says he’s going to keep working over his final six months in office. He’s seeking to make the case for his legacy of sweeping domestic legislation and the renewal of alliances abroad.

His to-do list was full of weighty issues. He said he’d work to end the war in Gaza, bring home the hostages and try “to bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war.” Biden meets Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .

He’s going to continue to work to lower costs for families and defend personal freedoms, keep calling out “hate and extremism” and push to end gun violence.

He also said he would continue to work on his initiative to end cancer as we know it and push for Supreme Court reforms .

“I’m going to keep working,” he said.

He is willingly handing off power to a new generation

Biden finally understood what Democrats had been telling him — that it was time to hand off power to a younger generation — and he embraced it, calling for “fresh voices, yes, younger voices” in politics.

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“I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation,” he said, even as he believed his presidency was deserving of a second term.

For months, Biden insisted that only he could go up against Trump and win. But that changed following his debate with Trump on June 27, when he spoke haltingly, lost his train of thought and failed to fact-check the former president’s falsehoods. The performance raised a chorus of questions about his age and ability to do the job another four years and pushed Democrats to increasingly call for him to step aside. The standoff dragged for 24 days before Biden yielded, saying he needed to unify his party.

The tone and setting were solemn

Biden is not a stranger to the sober address, delivering remarks on weighty matters such as the fate of democracy and voting rights at historically significant landmarks across the country and around the globe.

But Biden has used the formal trappings of an Oval Office address — a tool used by presidents in times of national crisis or to capture a key moment in history — sparsely, with Wednesday’s speech marking just the fourth time that he has sat behind the Resolute Desk to speak directly to the nation.

His tone was solemn, the delivery careful and deliberate. He was surrounded by family and close aides as he gave an address willingly relinquishing power — one that no politician wants to make.

“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule — that people do,” Biden said as he closed his address. “History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”

Biden made a subtle push for his vice president

In the official setting of the Oval Office, Biden steered clear of overt political talk. But he still praised Vice President Kamala Harris as “tough” and “capable,” and gave a not-so-subtle push to voters.

“She’s been an incredible partner for her leadership, for our country,” he said. “Now the choice is up to you, the American people. ”

First lady Jill Biden posted a hand-written note after the president’s speech thanking “those who never wavered, who refused to doubt.” She thanked supporters for putting their trust in the president. “Now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.”

Biden, aides say, knows that if Harris loses, he’ll be criticized for staying in the race too long and not giving her or another Democrat time to effectively mount a campaign against Trump. If she wins, she’ll ensure his policy victories are secured and expanded, and he’ll be remembered for a decision to step aside for the next generation of leadership.

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Understanding retirement needs

How much do you need to retire comfortably?
How much to save based on age

Building your retirement savings

Adjusting for inflation, lifestyle, and healthcare costs.

General rules of thumb
Seeking professional advice

How Much Do I Need to Retire? A Complete Guide to Retirement Planning

Paid non-client promotion: Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate investing products to write unbiased product reviews.

Target savings will vary for each future retiree, depending on one's expenses and current salary.
Many advisors recommend saving 15% of your earnings annually or even more if you are getting a late start.
Multiple income streams and a conservative withdrawal rate ensure you don't run out of money.

Acquiring adequate retirement savings doesn't happen overnight. For most people, saving enough for retirement requires decades of dedication and strategic financial planning . But how much do you actually need to save to ensure a comfortable retirement?

Here are the best retirement plans , calculators, investment strategies, and tips you can use to ensure your retirement savings plan is on track.

Assessing your retirement needs

Unfortunately, there's no general number to aim for when saving toward retirement. Your target retirement savings goal will differ greatly from your siblings', neighbors', and even your coworkers' goals since the amount you'll need largely depends on personal factors.

However, one rule of thumb applies to everyone: The sooner you start saving, the less effort you'll need to put in to reach your goal, and the better-positioned you'll be later in life.

According to the 2024 MassMutual Retirement Happiness Study , the average age for retirees in the U.S. is 62. If you were to live to 85, this means you'd need enough money to cover all your expenses (and retirement goals) for at least 22 years. Economic factors like inflation will also certainly impact your savings over time.

Estimating your retirement expenses

Understanding what you expect retirement to look like will help determine how much you'll need to fund that lifestyle. If you plan to travel the world in luxury, your budget will differ from someone wanting to bird watch from the backyard each morning.

In retirement, your savings will cover many of the same expenses you had pre-retirement. This includes costs like food, housing, transportation, clothes, gifts, utilities, insurance (including a health plan), and travel.

In most cases, these expenses won't change much from pre- to post-retirement, which makes creating a budget easier. But if you have big plans for your retirement years (moving to a new state or country, buying a bigger home, increasing travel, etc.), you must calculate how much your new standard of living will cost.

How much do you need to retire comfortably?

The first step to adequately saving for retirement is to determine how much you'll need. This means analyzing current and future expenses and deciding how much you can afford to put away each month. You may also want to use a number of different savings and investment vehicles or passive income streams.

Financial advisors suggest saving around 10 times your current salary by the time you reach retirement age. Before you retire, you should aim to reduce your annual expenses as much as possible, including paying off existing debt. This can help stretch your retirement savings for even longer.

As always, it's wise to consult with a trusted financial planner to help you determine your unique needs and retirement savings strategy.

How much to save for retirement based on your age

One way to see if you're on track to reach a comfortable retirement savings is to aim for a multiple of your current annual earnings. This serves as a rough estimate so you can get a better sense of your situation. Remember that the amount of savings required to ensure a comfortable retirement varies according to your projected retirement costs and even the specific investments you choose for your retirement portfolio.

According to Fidelity , here's how much you should have saved up each decade to meet your retirement goals:


30	1-2 times your starting salary
40	3-4 times your starting salary
50	6-7 times your starting salary
60	8 times your starting salary
67	10+ times your starting salary

Financial advisors recommend dedicating 15% of your annual income toward retirement. However, depending on your retirement goals, financial obligations, and current assets, you may need to save even more.

Types of retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, etc.)

There are multiple savings vehicles and income streams to consider for building your nest egg. These can affect how much you need to save today, depending on which sources of income are available to you.

Some of the most popular types of retirement accounts include:

401(k) plans: Employer-sponsored investment vehicles with compounding power and tax advantages to help you grow your nest egg steadily over time. Money in a 401(k) can be invested in various securities, and your contributions may even be matched by your employer, amplifying your efforts. Funds can be distributed without penalty beginning at age 59 ½, or earlier with certain exceptions.
IRAs: IRAs are retirement accounts individuals open through major banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions. The best IRA accounts include traditional, Roth, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs. IRAs have the same tax advantages as 401(k)s but offer more flexibility over how your funds are allocated.
Traditional pension plans: Traditional pensions are another employer-sponsored investment vehicle certain businesses offer. With a pension, your employer is responsible for contributing and investing the funds in your account. The amount contributed is determined by employee earnings and years at the business.

Outside of savings accounts, other ways to generate income during retirement include:

Social Security benefits: Social Security is a government program that provides individuals with monthly retirement and disability benefits. You can opt-in to start receiving Social Security benefits as early as age 62, but you'll receive lower payments. Financial experts recommend delaying Social Security until you reach full retirement age (age 70).
Annuities: Annuities are another retirement income source to consider. They're offered by insurance companies and act as a long-term investment vehicle. After purchasing an annuity — either with a lump sum or periodic purchase payments — you will receive regular payments over the course of your retirement.

Planning for inflation in retirement

Remember to consider inflation and its impact on your savings. For instance, in 2024, there have been inflation rates of 3%, following the 3.3% increase in 2023 and the high 6.5% rate in 2022. Generally, you should account for inflation of approximately 2% per year.

However, certain economic, political, or natural disasters can cause unexpected spikes in inflation. In those cases, you may experience significant financial losses that require you to permanently or temporarily adjust your lifestyle and budget. One of the best ways to hedge against inflation and market downturns is by continuing to invest after retirement .

Healthcare costs and long-term care planning

Try to account for potential unexpected expenses, such as medical care for you and your spouse or even financially helping a child or grandchild.

"The most common expense that a retiree can ignore (or forget to budget for) is end-of-life expectancy expenses," says Jim Ludwick, a CFP and member at Garrett Planning Network . "This includes caregivers coming to your house, going into assisted living, or skilled nursing. Those are very expensive parts of people's lives. And a lot of times that can eat up quite a bit of savings if it goes on for an extended period of time."

Downsizing and lifestyle adjustments

When planning your retirement lifestyle, consider where you want to live. You may want to downsize depending on your preferred lifestyle, savings amount, and priorities. That said, your priorities may be buying your dream retirement home or moving to a certain location. In this case, be sure that you factor those larger expenses into your budget.

Retirement planning general rules of thumb

While everyone's situation and needs will differ, there are a few primary rules of thumb that most financial advisors follow, which you should consider when determining how much to save for retirement.

Retirement income as a percentage of pre-retirement income

Many financial professionals recommend that you account for between 70% and 80% of your pre-retirement income each year in retirement. This means that if you currently earn $60,000 per year, you should plan to spend between $42,000 to $48,000 annually once you retire.

This isn't a set rule for everyone, and you may need to even account for more savings. "Many people need to have income streams (or savings and investments) cover 80%, 90%, or even 100% of their pre-retirement budget," Ludwick says. It all depends on your specific expenses now and in retirement.

Saving 15% of your earnings every year

If you start saving for retirement early enough, an annual savings rate of 15% may be sufficient to meet your goals. If you're off to a late start, you may need to save a lot more each year to catch up.

"As you get older, the amount needed for savings to reach the same end goal roughly doubles every 10 years," says Tolen Teigen, chief investment officer for FinDec . "So, if someone waits ten years to start saving, instead of 30, they are now 40. Instead of 8% to 10% annually, they are now looking at 16% to 20% saved to reach the same end number."

Saving 10 times your income by retirement age

As mentioned above, many financial advisors and firms like Fidelity recommend having approximately 10 times your annual salary saved by the time you reach retirement age. While this may not be exactly what you need, it's a good target to keep in mind as you go. You can always adjust it depending on your projected needs in retirement.

The 4% withdrawal rule

Many retirees are concerned about running out of money once they reach retirement. The 4% rule may be a good guideline to avoid this. While many factors can affect the actual drawdown process, the 4% rule can be a good place to start if you want to avoid running out of money.

This rule states that retirees can withdraw up to 4% of their retirement savings in year one of retirement. So, if you have $2,000,000 in retirement savings, you would withdraw $80,000 that first year. In year two, you would adjust that $80,000 for inflation and withdraw that amount from your savings.

Keep in mind that while the 4% rule is standard, some financial advisors say your actual withdrawal percentage could be anywhere from 3% to 5%.

Seeking professional advice when retirement planning

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to saving for retirement. Everyone's needs will be different, and so will their approach to saving, including when they start and how much they can set aside each year. Consulting with a certified financial planner or other retirement expert is the best way to understand your unique needs.

"Planning ahead and checking in on your efforts" is key to saving enough for the retirement years, Ludwick says."It's dangerous when you're 75 and realize you're running out of money and you have to move in with a younger sibling or something."

His advice? "If you want to stay independent, do your homework ahead of time. Think about all those things that could possibly happen. If they don't happen, you're lucky … and your kids and grandkids can have a nice gift that you leave behind."

You can calculate how much you need to retire by assessing your expected expenses, considering your desired lifestyle, current expenses, projected inflation, and healthcare costs. Business Insider's free retirement calculator can help you see if you're on track to secure a comfortable retirement. You can also use other rules of thumb, such as having an annual savings rate of 15%.

The 4% rule in retirement planning suggests withdrawing 4% of your retirement savings each year to prevent you from prematurely running out of money for at least 30 years. It's a general guideline to help estimate how much you need to save. However, some advisors recommend more or less than that rate.

You can maximize your retirement savings by regularly contributing to tax-advantaged retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs to maximize employer matching contributions, investment opportunities, and compound interest. Generally, it's best practice to max out your retirement accounts first. Also, adopt a diversified investment strategy for greater portfolio growth and risk management.

The sooner you start planning for retirement, the easier it will be to compound your savings and reach your goals. Starting in your 20s and 30s allows more time for your investments to grow. It's still possible to catch up if you start in your 40s or 50s by saving more aggressively and adjusting your strategy, but it will be generally more stressful.

Common mistakes to avoid in retirement planning include underestimating expenses, waiting to start saving, relying too heavily on Social Security, failing to diversify investments, spending too quickly, and not accounting for healthcare costs and inflation. The best way to avoid these common mistakes is by creating a thorough financial plan and consulting a financial advisor.

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How to Write a Memorable Retirement Speech + Examples
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Sample Retirement Speech to Retiree honouring a co-worker
How To Give The Best Retirement Speech
Retirement Speech: Insanely Easy 3 Step Structure

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How to Write a Memorable Retirement Speech + Examples
Tips for Writing a Retirement Speech; Short Retirement Speech Examples; If this is your debut into the world of retirement speeches, you don't have to fret too much. Think of it as giving a wedding toast but with fewer embarrassing stories and more career highlights. Even if you've mastered the art of public speaking, a retirement speech is ...
5 Retirement Speech Ideas with Examples
4. Heartfelt/Serious Retirement Speech. A heartfelt or serious retirement speech is perfect for those who have put their life and heart into their career. This type of retirement speech allows for more time as you pour your heart out and express how the people around you have positively impacted your life over the years.
7 Retirement Speech Samples (from the Retiree)
Speech 4: A Financier's Farewell. Today marks not an end but a culmination of a three-decade-long adventure in the world of finance. From the bustling floors of the stock exchange to the intense boardroom negotiations, my career has been nothing short of a thrilling ride.
Retirement Speech Examples and Ideas That Get It Right
If you feel anxious about delivering a speech in front of people, your throat might tighten up. A cup of water by your side allows you to take a moment, clear your throat, and continue with the speech. Additionally, it's a good idea to have tissues or a handkerchief nearby in case you tear up.
How To Deliver An Unforgettable Retirement Speech For A Colleague (With
1. Prepare A Skit. Adding a skit is an excellent way of making a retirement speech memorable. The theme for the skit can be anything. However, make sure it's relevant to the retiring person's life. A good idea is to structure the skit around some memorable incident from the person's time at the workplace.
How To Write A Memorable Retirement Speech: A Complete Guide
Organizing notes and structuring the speech effectively. Organize your notes and structure the speech effectively to ensure a smooth and coherent delivery. Start with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention and establishes a connection. Arrange your thoughts logically, transitioning smoothly from one point to the next.
How to Write a Retirement Speech
Step 1: Gather information. The first step to creating a retirement speech is to gather information about the person's life from different people. Hopefully, you can get extraordinary stories from them and a core idea of what you will put in the speech.
Amazing Retirement Speeches Examples & Writing Tips
Funny retirement speech example. This humorous speech won an international speech contest decades ago. If you want to draft an informal speech, pay attention to the structure and tone of voice in this example. Professional tips on what to say in your retirement speech. As you give a speech for your retirement celebration, things can easily go ...
How to Give a Retirement Speech: Making Your Farewell Count
Key Themes to Include in a Retirement Speech. Think of your retirement speech as the capstone to a grand building you've been constructing over years of hard work. Let's dig into some themes that suit such a momentous occasion. Celebrating Milestones and Achievements. The meat and potatoes of any good retirement speech are the milestones.
How to Write a Retirement Speech That Wows: Essential Guide
A good retirement speech should include a heartfelt introduction, a reflection on the retiree's accomplishments and contributions, personal anecdotes or stories, expressions of gratitude to colleagues and loved ones, a positive outlook on retirement, and a memorable conclusion that leaves a lasting impact. In this guide, we'll be your ...
Guide On How To Write An Amazing Retirement Speech With Examples
1. Plan Ahead. Before diving into your farewell retirement speech, ensure you have ample time to plan and prepare. Create a rough outline beforehand, jotting down key points you want to cover. Some crucial points you may want to prioritize in your draft outline: The beginning: Reflect on your early days in the company.
How to Give a Great Retirement Speech
Focus on The Purpose of Your Retirement Speech. Start with Rule #1: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget howyou made them feel.". - Maya Angelou. If you keep that top of mind, you'll do well.
Retirement Speech Examples To Send You Off In Style
Conclude and Make a Toast: "Let's raise a toast to [colleague's name]!". "Please join me in wishing [him/her] a happy and healthy retirement!". Remember: Keep it heartfelt, focus on their contributions, and express your best wishes for a fulfilling retirement.
Retirement Speech Ideas (And Samples To Inspire You)
Retirement speech example 1. Greetings to all. As I stand here today to say goodbye to my coworkers and the company, I find myself experiencing a wide range of emotions. To begin, I would like to express my gratitude to my employer and coworkers for the privilege of working with such a fantastic bunch of individuals.
How to write a retirement speech
Give yourself a time limit. Before you begin set yourself a time limit - say 30 minutes. Then use the retirement speech starter headlines and the content suggestions * next to each one to kick start your creative juices. Put down as much as you can under each heading. Do NOT self edit. Nothing is too trivial!
How to Give a Great Retirement Speech: 8 Ideas and Tips
5. Include Humor. Retirement speeches can be serious. Humor can help to lighten the mood, ease any tension, and engage the audience. It also shows your personality and helps you connect with your audience in a more relaxed and personal way. However, it is important to strike a balance between humor and sincerity.
How to Write a Retirement Speech
This guide will help you write a retirement speech for yourself or for someone else that is retiring. The principles of both speeches are the same: Honor the person, and honor the event. The goal ...
Giving Your Perfect Retirement Speech
So, let's head into the first step on how to give your perfect retirement speech. Table of Contents hide. 1 #1 Do a Creative Brainstorm Session. 2 #2 Prepare an Outline. 3 #3 Include Personal Anecdotes. 4 #4 Express Gratitude. 5 #5 Inject Humor. 6 #6 Conclude with Positive Impact. 7 Retirement Speech Ideas & Examples.
farewell speech
Here is an example of a farewell speech for seniors for your understanding: "Hello everyone, I welcome you to this bitter-sweet occasion where we are gathered here to give a farewell party to Sumit. He is one of our senior managers who has been working with the company for 10 years. His valuable contributions to this workplace are not hidden ...
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At one point near the end of her remarks, Harris talked about how the initiative's work would be focused on young people, but it should also take into account the needs of their families, teachers ...
Key takeaways from Biden's Oval Office speech on exiting 2024
Biden's speech: Warnings about Trump without naming him, a hefty to-do list, and a power handoff In a rare Oval Office address to the nation explaining why he stepped down from the 2024 presidential race, President Joe Biden said he believes the best way to unite the nation is to "pass the torch to a new generation."
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Recorded in Chicago, with host Peter Sagal, Not My Job guest Kathleen Hanna and panelists Peter Grosz, Mo Rocca, and Meredith Scardino
How Much Do I Need to Retire?
"Many people need to have income streams (or savings and investments) cover 80%, 90%, or even 100% of their pre-retirement budget," Ludwick says. It all depends on your specific expenses now and ...

How to Write a Memorable Retirement Speech + Examples

Belinda McLeod, BA in Secondary Education

Jump ahead to these sections:

Retirement Speech Etiquette

Who Gives a Retirement Speech?

The retiree

A boss or manager

Dress appropriately

Use humor wisely

Be positive

Time the speech correctly

Be grateful

General tips

Choose a speaker who knows the person well

Focus on the honoree

Keep it short — but not too short

Carefully use humor

As the retiree

As a trusted coworker or superior

For a friend

For your retirement

For a coworker

For a subordinate

For a teacher

For a family member

Funny retirement speech

Retirement: The Next Stage in Life

Categories:

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Written Samples

Sample Retirement Speeches (from the Retiree)

Speech 1: The Public Servant’s Lasting Commitment

Speech 2: The Healthcare Hero’s New Chapter

Speech 3: The Journey of a Lifelong Educator

Speech 4: A Financier’s Farewell

Speech 5: The Architect’s Blueprint for the Future

Speech 6: The Scientist’s Last Experiment

Speech 7: The Entrepreneur’s Next Venture

Retirement Speech Examples and Ideas That Get It Right

Original Sample Speeches for Retirees

A Grateful Retirement Speech

A Serious Retirement Speech

A Funny Retirement Speech

Giving a Retirement Speech for an Employee

Tailor the Speech to the Employee

Retirement Speech Etiquette

Stay Positive

Time the Speech Accordingly

Read the Room

Be Grateful

Delivery Tips

Dress and Dazzle

Practice Beforehand

Breathe Deeply to Calm Down

Have Water Handy

Choose a Go-To Focal Point

Remember: The Speech Won't Last Forever

Enjoy the Moment

How To Deliver An Unforgettable Retirement Speech For A Colleague (With Examples)

What Is A Retirement Speech?

What Do I Need To Include In A Retirement Speech?

1. Talk About Their Achievements

2. Narrate Anecdotes and Stories

3. Don’t Forget The Jokes

4. Add A Personal Touch

5. Talk About Their Personality

6. Don’t Neglect Speaking About The Future

7. Include mementos and gifts

8. When In Doubt, Ask

Sample Retirement Speech

5 Ways To Make A Retirement Speech (More) Special

1. Prepare A Skit