Emotion control in a retirement speech.

Delivering a speech to an audience, as simple as it may seem, can evoke a strong emotional state in us. Controlling nerves is essential during this type of presentation, especially when the act itself responds to an intimate and trusting environment.

The retirement speech is one of the communicative acts where the speaker works with an audience, identified in a personal way with the central motive of the event. This leads to a relaxed audience and a feeling of trust among those present. Any emotional state on our part, which is not consistent with the atmosphere of the ceremony, will be noticed as an element that undermines the normal development of the same.

Having said this, it is important that we educate ourselves in the control of emotions before facing this type of speeches. To this end, we will be analyzing in this session, some basic recommendations to keep our nerves under control during the presentation of a retirement speech.

Relate to the honoree: One of the main problems that can affect our emotional state during the presentation of a retirement speech is our degree of relationship with the honoree. When interacting with an audience that is intimate to the retiree, we place ourselves at a disadvantage, as we are perceived as an outsider in the room.

It is complex to highlight the values and results of someone we do not even know. This works against us at a subconscious level, causing nerves to surface and thus affecting the quality of our presentation.

An effective way to solve this problem is to take the time to get to know the retiree beforehand. Exchange with this person before presenting your speech.

Take an honest interest in learning about what their work has been like over the years, what impressions they have of their co-workers, and what they will miss most about them once they are no longer working. All this information, in addition to being useful in shaping your speech, will give you a certain calmness and self-confidence during the presentation.

The previous idea applies to colleagues and people closest to the honoree. If you manage to gain access to this circle of trust, even if only superficially and with basic elements, you will feel more at ease when presenting your speech and exchanging with them during the presentation.

Express yourself naturally: One of the greatest advantages of presenting in this type of celebrations is that the audience we are addressing is not looking for a presentation full of boring formalities or not very close to the general feeling.

That said, there is an opportunity for us to express ourselves with a body and verbal language that denotes naturalness and tranquility. Try to blend in with the environment and be aware of the emotions of those present in the room. If you can perceive this emotional state honestly, it will be easier for you to express yourself naturally and convey a message that will have an effective impact on your audience.

Regarding body language, it is important that our face denotes joy and enthusiasm, thus being coherent with the reason for the celebration. Likewise, we will take care that our movements on stage are precise and confident. Think that there is no reason to feel nervous, since you are celebrating the culmination of the work period of a person loved by his or her colleagues. If you empathize and identify with those present, you will feel like a member of the audience.