Write from the heart: Funerals and Memorials

Writing a speech or employee broadcast related to the death of an employee can be an intimidating assignment for any communicator. In the spirit of Memorial Day in the US, I thought I would offer my thoughts on how to handle a potentially difficult assignment.

Working as the speech writer for the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, it was my sad duty and professional privilege to eulogize fallen police officers on several occasions. Over time I learned that finding the right tone and having a sound structure to your product are equally crucial. You want to honor your subject sincerely and appropriately. To do that, your words have to come from the heart.

You can't fake sincerity. What you have to do, then, is make friends with the deceased: find out all you can about the person being eulogized, including family life, upbringing, work stories and the circumstances surrounding the person's death.

Was the person a sports fanatic? Did she have some involvement with a particular cause or organization? What kind of music did he listen to? Without going overboard, you should acknowledge some personal characteristics or idiosyncrasies that will make the subject real for people who didn't know him at all, and will pass muster with those who knew him best.

Was there a spouse or child left behind? What about a favorite pet? Put yourself in the place of the subject's friends and loved ones and imagine what they would be feeling during this difficult time.

Acknowledge what happened. If the individual died violently or as a result of an accident, talk about what is happening now and what will happen next to address the cause of the incident. If it was a long illness, express how she handed her illness and seek comforting words for those who were with her during her struggle.

What about those co-workers who must not only carry on with their own work, but might also be conducting an investigation or picking up the files the deceased was working on? Don't forget to acknowledge their loss.

Finally, you need to find something that will inspire everybody to keep moving forward. When I had to announce the shooting death of two officers in a remote community, our message mentioned the man who was wanted in the shootings and how pursuing justice was the finest tribute we could pay to our fallen colleagues.

Finally, thank all those employees who are left behind to carry on. They need to know that their work is valued, and that their friend and co-worker did not die in vain.

At the start of this post I called it a professional privilege to eulogize a valued colleague. It's not something you can treat like just another assignment; your subject deserves better than that. I've tried to give some advice about how to approach an assignment like this, but there's no magic formula, and there shouldn't be. The important thing to remember is that this person deserves your best effort.