Leaving speech for colleagues

aj9648 · 14 October 2016 at 1:57PM

Hi

I'm doing a leaving speech for one of my colleagues next month. Never done one before and looking for some tips. He has been here for over 30 years and I've worked with him for the last 3. Any tips? I tried looking in google but did not find anything to crib off!!!

[Deleted User] · 14 October 2016 at 2:01PM

It depends on what he wants. Personally, I would want nothing more than a quick handshake and "thanks for all your work, good luck, here's a bottle of whiskey", and out the door. A full blown speech would have me out in the car park before you could blink.

Whereas some people will want bunting, flowers, a full review of their time at work and tears from all around.

If you don't know, I'd lean towards the first.

TELLIT01 · 14 October 2016 at 2:03PM

First step would be to get stories from those who have known or worked with him for longer. Also his history with the organisation - 'started as teaboy and now he owns the place' sort of thing.

HiToAll · 14 October 2016 at 2:05PM

make sure you get the gossip on when he was having it away with the tealady in the stationery cupboard.

sangie595 · 14 October 2016 at 2:45PM

Avoid absolutely anything that will offend, and unless you are great at telling jokes, don't go for humour - it usually offends someone!

eamon · 14 October 2016 at 4:16PM

I done the speech for a colleague who retired last Summer (he was and still is a smashing bloke and I miss him at work even a year later). In essence a short speech full of platitudes and loads of us me included holding the tears back. Followed by presenting the goodbye gifts.

Kynthia · 14 October 2016 at 7:36PM

I've done a few short speeches for people leaving on maternity leave, moving teams or leaving after just a few years of service. These aren't too bad but I once had to lead the speech for someone retiring after 30ish years.

I got HR to send me their history in the company, date of joining and departments and roles they'd had, which I used in the speech and reminded people of old names and teams. It could also be funny as in finance we made jokes about doing the ledgers before computers so your colleague may have worked in departments that are no longer needed due to changing times and technology that might be amusing now. I then got a couple of people who had known her for a long time, we're confident public speakers, and worked with her in the past to come and say a few works and reminisce. I asked others around the company for anecdotes and incorporated a couple into my speech along with lots of thanks and praise for their hard work including some specifics for things they were good at or had done. Got the big boss to give thanks and best wishes for her retirement plans and then presented gifts.

We invited her spouse and ex - colleagues from other departments to come for the presentation and then after most dissapated but there were lots of individuals who stayed to chat with her, reminisce and wish her good luck. It seemed to go okay.

xapprenticex · 14 October 2016 at 11:22PM

Deleted_User wrote: »

It depends on what he wants. Personally, I would want nothing more than a quick handshake and "thanks for all your work, good luck, here's a bottle of whiskey", and out the door. A full blown speech would have me out in the car park before you could blink.

Whereas some people will want bunting, flowers, a full review of their time at work and tears from all around.

If you don't know, I'd lean towards the first.

We all want a no fuss exit, but unfortunately, it never happens, not like you have a say in it, you will get gifts and such and a speech will be expected.

We have to do it for our birthdays, never mind leaving.

74jax · 15 October 2016 at 4:05PM

I've just left 3 weeks ago. Had everyone gather round my desk whilst someone said some nice words. Couldn't tell you what they said as I was mortified. Not my thing at all.

$nake_eye$ · 15 October 2016 at 4:07PM

Short and sweet is the key. No one wants to much attention. Just a genuine thanks and a firm hand shake will suffice

Ms_Chocaholic · 15 October 2016 at 4:13PM

When a colleague left work, a manager read from a script they got from the internet (which you can personalise with the person's name) (which they handed out). When you first read it it is so sincere, about how good they have been but the last line says you only need to read every other line which gives it a very different meaning, it was very funny. I've tried finding it but can't but I'm sure someone else will here.

Leaving speech for colleagues

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