1. tbf
  2. group leaving card
  3. Farewell speech

Farewell speech.
What to say and write.

A farewell speech has four parts: thank the person by name, say one thing they did that mattered, wish them well, and stop.

The messages below are sorted by who is signing. Pick your group and use them in the card everyone signs.

Create a cardRead a sample card

Everyone's words in one card.

Updated

A house. New house, new street. Good luck in the new place.

Leaving is the right call. We will miss you every day.

From Tom

Congratulations on whatever comes next. We mean that.

From Maya

Good people are hard to find. You were one. Best of luck.

From Dev

Pick a design

  • An office chair. Good luck. Somebody's already asked about your chair.
  • A pot plant. The office plant will miss you. It told us.
  • An envelope. Off you go. Send a postcard. A real one.
  • A teapot. Nobody makes a brew like you. Good luck.
  • Stilllife leaving card. Good luck.
  • Two-colour printed lettering. Wherever you're going, they've got a good one.
  • A sun. Go well. Keep in touch.
  • Botanical leaving card. Good luck.
  • A box on an empty desk. Good luck.
  • An open paper doorway. Good luck.

The question

Each writer gets a question.

One at a time, about Sam. They answer in their own words, or write without one.

Who they are to you
  1. Something Sam did for you that you never mentioned.
  2. The day you were glad to have Sam there.
  3. A thing Sam said that stuck.
  4. Something that will not be the same after Sam.
  5. Something the next place should know about Sam.
  6. Something you learned from watching Sam.
  1. The moment you knew you had a proper friend in Sam.
  2. Something Sam did that only a friend would.
  3. A thing you still laugh about together.
  4. The time Sam turned up when it mattered.
  5. Something Sam knew about you before you said it.
  1. Something Sam did for the family that went unsaid.
  2. A habit of Sam's that you have caught yourself copying.
  3. A memory of Sam from when you were younger.
  4. Something Sam put up with from you.
  5. Something Sam taught you, mostly by example.
  1. A small thing Sam did that you noticed and never mentioned.
  2. The moment you knew.
  3. Something Sam did this year that made things easier for you.
  4. A thing about Sam you would not change.
  5. Something Sam carried that was yours to carry.
  1. The thing you go to Sam for.
  2. Something you picked up from working beside Sam.
  3. A bad day at work that Sam turned round.
  4. Something a new starter should be told about Sam.
  5. Something Sam did that made the job feel worth doing.

Or write without one.

Farewell messages for the leaving card

Pick your group, name the person, and sign.

From a close colleague

  • Working with you was the best part of the job. Going to miss you.

  • You made this place better. That is not nothing. Good luck.

  • I learned more from you than from anyone else here. Go well.

  • Not sure how we manage without you, but I suppose we will find out. All the best.

  • Leaving is the right call. We will miss you every day.

From the team

  • The whole team is rooting for you. Go and do something great.

  • You kept this place together more than you know. Best of luck out there.

  • We are glad you are going somewhere good. Come back and tell us how it is.

  • The desk will stay empty a while. That is the right way to honour a good colleague.

  • Congratulations on whatever comes next. We mean that.

From a manager

  • You were one of the best people I have managed. I mean that, and I rarely say it.

  • Good people are hard to find. You were one. Best of luck.

  • Thank you for everything you brought to this team. It showed every day.

  • I hope the next place knows what they are getting. Go well.

Funny

  • Good luck. We have already argued about who gets your chair.

  • Leaving us for something better. Typical.

  • You were the only one who knew the printer password. This is a disaster.

  • We had a whip-round. It came to £11.40 and a button. Buy yourself something nice.

  • Gone but not forgotten, mostly because you still have the good stapler.

Short

  • Good luck. You will be missed.

  • Bye then. Stay in touch.

  • All the best. You deserve it.

  • Go well. Come back and visit.

  • Thank you for everything. Good luck.

What to leave out

Do not list every project you worked on together. Pick one thing that mattered and say it clearly. A long list sounds like a CV, not a goodbye.

Do not end with advice. They are leaving, not asking for a send-off lecture. Wish them well and sit down.

Do not make the speech about yourself. A few words about what their leaving means to you is enough. The rest is about them.

Do not say you will keep in touch if you will not. Say good luck and mean it. That is more honest and they will know the difference.

One card from the whole team

The speech is yours. The card is from everyone. One link, and it opens on their last day.

  1. 01

    Set their last day.

    The card opens that morning so they read it before they go.

  2. 02

    Share one link with the team.

    Each person signs once, in a browser, no account needed.

  3. 03

    They read it on the way out.

    Every message signed with a name. They keep it long after the speech is forgotten.

Create a card

Questions

How long should a farewell speech be?

Two minutes is enough. Thank them by name, say the one thing that stands out, wish them well, and stop. Nobody ever complained that a leaving speech was too short.

What do you say in a farewell speech for a colleague?

Name them, say one specific thing they did that the team remembers, and tell them what you hope for them next. Specific beats warm every time.

Should you give a card as well as a speech?

Yes. The speech happens once and fades. A group card from the whole team is something they keep. On tbf, everyone signs from a single link and it opens on their last day.

Part of group leaving card.

More guides

Somebody has a day coming up.

Create a card

Everyone's words in one card.