Saying goodbye to a well-liked colleague is difficult, but a permanent memento like a plaque is a way to communicate your feelings to the departing individual. A plaque either in the workplace or in a location where the person used to spend a lot of time also serves as a reminder of that person. A plaque can show someone just how highly he is regarded by family, friends or colleagues.

Members of the military leaving their unit after years of loyal service often are honored with a plaque. Often, these plaques include the badge of the unit or regiment and are engraved with the name of the long-serving recipient. A more personalized idea would be to make the plaque in the shape of the home state of the recipient and include that person' name, a military symbol and a kind message.

If it is a long-serving colleague who is leaving, it is better to give the plaque to the recipient as a token of the esteem she was held in while employed there. She can take the plaque home and display it prominently. Workplace plaques typically summarize the duties the colleague undertook while with the company. A standard plaque would bear the wording "In appreciation of your service and dedication for the past [ ] years," preceded by the person's name and followed by the company name and date.

The impact of a going away plaque is heightened by including a carefully selected and thoughtfully placed quote. The generations of writers, thinkers and authors who have ruminated on the subject have left us with a wealth of quotations appropriate to a going-away plaque. The key is to make the most of the limited space on your plaque and to choose as concise an utterance as possible.

If possible, it is best to keep your plaque secret from the recipient for as long as possible. This will increase the impact of the plaque and give the loved one the memory of a fitting sendoff. Set up a small curtain to cover the plaque and unveil it at a going away party.