The Retirement Speech

"Have you started writing your retirement speech yet?"

That was the question my smiling sales manager asked me when I took my first job after college in 1970. He was laughing because he was looking over my orientation paperwork, and he noted a block that said "Anticipated Retirement Date: 2012" 

When I was 23 years old, 2012--and retirement--seemed like they were a lifetime away. Come to think of it, they were.

But fast forward to the 21st century, and as I write, I'm already past my 64st birthday. That retirement speech is getting closer and closer.

So, I guess it really IS about time to start thinking about what I'm going to say.

The good news is, I've heard lots of other people's retirement speeches through the years, so I have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn't. Here are some things I'll focus on when my time comes. They'll work for you too.

Walk down memory lane to the beginning

In fact, I'll probably start out by telling my audience the same story I just wrote about. People love to hear recollections about what it was like "way back when."

Something new, something new

Give an example or two of the changes through the years.

"Back then," I might say. "We used to hand write multiple-copy memos called snap-outs that would be snail-mailed to home office every day at 5 PM. Compare that to the immediacy we have today with the Internet."

Lessons that will help those who follow

What has been the key to your success? Was it persistence, dogged determination, flexibility, or help you got from some very important people (see the next point). Give examples or tell a story.

Thank everyone, but especially those who mattered most

Almost everyone has a mentor. Talk about him or her and how they made a difference in your career. In my case I might say, "I remember sitting in a greasy spoon restaurant in Florence Alabama on a rainy November night, eating fried catfish, drinking warm beer, and learning about our product line from Jim Adams..."

Find a relevant, memorable quotation or brief story to wrap things up 

I once heard a retiring insurance executive explain why he "felt like the turtle who woke up one morning and found himself perched atop a fence post. He stretched his long neck and looked around, then said to himself, 'Well, I'm not quite sure how I got here, but I know I didn't do it alone...'"

There are dozens, possibly hundreds of books and sources on the Internet where you can find similar stories or quotations. Do your research, make your choices and get ready for that big day.

Believe me, it will sneak up on you faster than you think, and you don't want to be "left speechless" when it arrives.

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