Many businessmen and women find themselves in a position of having to thank a long standing PA on their retirement. This doesn’t have to be difficult or embarrassing. With a bit of preparation you can sail through it.
When making a speech, especially one to a group of people you know and who might interrupt you and disturb your flow, you need to be organised. Unless you organize your thoughts somehow, it will seem disorganized and not make much sense to your audience. The way to success is in the planning. Going into a presentation well prepared, will reduce your nervousness and increase your own enjoyment of it.
Know your audience
In your case this is the easy bit, as you’ve known your PA for a long time. The only other thing you have to consider is if it is just work colleagues, or will your PAs friends and family be there as well? It may effect how “risque” or friendly you are in the speech
Design an opening that will lead on smoothly to the rest
Firstly tell your audience what the speech is about. Address it to your PA herself, rather than to everybody .
You can keep it quite formal eg “<..name here...>, we will all be sad to see you go, and I’d like to take a few minutes to say just what you’ve meant to me/done for me/done for the business over the past X years.”
Or you could start with a joke or funny incident, as in “I remember the time… possibly slipping in a self-depreciating joke against yourself that your PA was involved in (that always gets a laugh). Then lead in to the first paragraph as above.
Follow with the main items
I’d suggest keeping your speech to 3 or 4 main points - in these cases people want the boss to say something nice, then they want him to shut up so that they can get on with the party. 
- Start with how you met, and maybe a few anecdotes about the early days.
- Move on to how much help she has been over the years and talk a bit about how she knows you and your job so well that she could probably do it better than you. (That always gets a laugh as well.)
- Make special reference to her computer skills, or anything else you know she is especially proud of.
- Ponder about how you’re going to cope without her.
Ending the speech
- Close with a reference as to how she can now organise her grandchildren’s life for them, rather than organising yours
- Does she have a favourite writer/TV show/movie? If so, maybe you could work in a closing remark that contains a quote or allusion to it? That usually gets a good response as well.
- And finally, thank her, and get on to presenting any gifts or collections. It is usual for the office to give a gift, but in the case of a PA that’s been with you so long, it is customary for you to also give a gift from yourself. If there are drinks involved, propose a toast to her.
If you are very nervous, try writing it all down in advance and practice reading in front of a mirror, or in front of someone else you trust. Make a short list of the bullet points below on a file-card or similar small piece of paper for the speech itself.
But try not to read from the paper. Remember this is a gathering of friends of your PA, and they’re not expecting a formal presentation from you. Relax and be yourself. You might even enjoy it
Here are the bullet points to remember
OPENING
- what the speech is about. Address it to your PA herself, rather than to everybody . Maybe lead in with a joke against yourself
THE MAIN ITEMS
- the early days.
- how much help she has been over the years
- Make special reference to her skills, or anything she is especially proud of.
- how you’re going to cope without her.
ENDING
- reference to her grandchildren
- possible joke or allusion to a favourite book/TV show/movie/song.
- Thank her
- Gifts etc
William Meikle is a Scottish writer, with seven novels published in the States. He is available for all freelance writing work. Contact him and read some free fiction at his web site http://www.williammeikle.com
Tags: advice, help, PA, public speaking, retirement, speech writing, tips, writing