Will you be thanking your team for all of their hard work at your end-of-year celebrations? How does the thought of having to speak in front of your peers make you feel?

It's often a nerve-racking experience only made bearable with the consumption of alcohol. This can be entertaining for some … and embarrassing for others …

A speech, whether it's for a few minutes or 60 minutes, needs to have some time set aside to prepare and do the occasion justice.

Here are some points to consider for your end-of-year speech.

Preparing your speech

• Review the highlights of the year – choose a few to mention (hopefully there are many)
• Follow the KISS rule – keep it short and simple
• Construct an opening, body and close
• Be genuine in your praise
• Include amusing anecdotes without causing any embarrassment to individuals
• Practise the speech prior to the occasion

Delivering your speech

• Consume alcohol after you've given your speech, not before. Consider it a celebratory drink after delivering your thoughtful end-of-year comments.
• Connect with your audience through eye contact.
• Give each person or group of people (depending on the size of the audience) a few seconds of eye contact and gradually move to the next person or group.
• Breathe. Delivering a speech can be daunting for most people. When nervous, we tend to shallow breathe. Breathing deeply from the diaphragm will help to relax the body.
• Let your pride in your team shine through in your facial expressions, body language and upbeat voice.
• Enjoy the experience – after all, you're praising your team and celebrating your team's achievements!

Do you have any tips that you would like to share?