Finishing Well: Conan O’brien Goodbye Speech

August 27, 2010 – 12:48 pm

Ending is by far the most difficult part of any relationship.

Many of us are great at beginning–we nail the interview, impress our colleagues, woo the gal or guy.
We are stars when filling a role–we break the records, trail blaze, impress our friends and employers.

However, we are TERRIBLE when it comes to ending.

–Romantic relationships don’t end well–words (and sometimes belongings) are thrown around violently.

–Employment doesn’t end well–we talk about how we hate our boss, and we make sure they really “get it” on our way out of the office.

–We fight with our landlords and or roommates at the end of the lease–we lose friends over toilet paper, and lose deposits when we refuse to repaint the bedroom back to its original color.

–We have falling outs with business partners that end up with threatening attorney letters, or court proceedings.

And the list goes on.

Ending may be the most difficult part of any relationship. But ending well is important, for both your ongoing reputation, and peace of mind.

I recently came across this video of Conan O’brien, talking to his audience during his last night on the Tonight Show (many of you might have seen this already, if so–sorry).

I was really impressed with the classy way he spoke about NBC, choosing to focus on the positive aspects of his relationship with the company–and not harping on the differences that led to him being let go from (ahem, kicked off) the Tonight Show.