I'm the boss, and I have to say something at our company Christmas party.

A three-minute example, with the timing

This is the example request above, written out. It runs about 280 words, just over two minutes at 130 words a minute, which leaves room for laughter and applause inside a three-minute slot. Names and numbers are made up.

“Good evening, everyone. I'll keep this short, because the dessert is coming and I've seen it.

First, thank you to Tom and Leila, who organized tonight on top of their actual jobs. They booked this place in August, which is apparently what you have to do now.

I want to talk about three moments from this year.

The first is March, when we moved into the new building. For eight months the heating had two settings, off and Sahara. In November it finally worked. Thank you to everyone who brought a sweater and did not complain to me. Much.

The second is the week before Black Friday. The delivery team did 1,900 drops in six days. I checked the complaints inbox every night that week and it was empty. I have never been so happy to see an empty inbox.

The third is smaller, and it is my favorite. In October Grace from accounts decided we should do a bake sale for the food bank. I thought we'd raise a couple of hundred dollars. We raised $2,300. Grace, thank you. I'm told the lemon bars were the reason.

Not everyone could be here. Darren, Sofia, Mike and Ana are driving tonight so our customers get their orders tomorrow. We'll save you some cake, and there is a lunch on us next week.

To the partners and families here: thank you for lending them to us, and for the late nights you heard about over dinner.

So please raise your glass. To a year we got through together, to the people who aren't in the room, and to Tom and Leila for a great night. Cheers.”

The opening line gets attention, the thanks to the organizers come early, each moment has one number or name, and the toast is the last thing people hear.

When to speak, and how to handle the room

Timing matters more than wording at a party. The usual sweet spot is after the main course and before dessert or dancing, when people are seated and the room is still listening. Speak too early and half the staff are still in the coat line; too late and you are competing with the DJ and the open bar.

Three minutes is plenty for the main speech. If more than one person speaks, agree on who says what, so the room does not hear the same thanks twice. If you have a raffle, awards or practical notes such as taxis, do them separately, before or after, so the speech ends on the toast.

Use the microphone, even in a small room. People at the back, and anyone with hearing loss, will miss half of what you say otherwise. Stand where people can see you, wait for quiet, and do not start by tapping a glass with a knife.

If partners or families are invited, give them one line. They are hearing about these people's work, often for the first time, and a sentence of thanks to them goes a long way.

What to leave out of a party speech

A holiday party speech is the one time a year when people expect their boss to be brief and human. Keep these out:

- Revenue, targets and next year's plan. Save them for the January kickoff. - A roll call of every team and every name. Pick moments that cover most people, and thank the organizers by name. - Jokes about individual employees, their drinking, their love life or anything that happened at last year's party. - Anything about layoffs or restructuring, unless leaving it out would be glaring; if so, one sincere sentence, then move on. - Religious content beyond a simple greeting, if your staff are mixed. “Happy holidays” or “Merry Christmas and happy holidays” covers the room. - Speaking for longer because people are laughing. End while they are still enjoying it.

If you are not the boss but were asked to speak, for instance as the organizer or the longest-serving employee, the same rules apply, and you can tease the boss gently, once.