Archives for Planning a Sabbatical
How to Create High Return on Your Sabbatical
A sabbatical is an extraordinary adventure with the potential to be a return on investment like no other. Time, energy and money all converge to create a possible life-changing event. We know individuals who improve their leadership game, careers, lifestyles, approach to conflict, work/life balance and relationships after they return. But in the planning stages […]
The Single Best Practice for a Company Sabbatical Policy that Rocks
Let’s say the company announces a new program to allow time out from work – a sabbatical program. Immediately after a shock and awe moment, employees have a few questions. Do you know what they are? They want to know: Do I get to go? For how long? Will I be paid? Can I do […]
Dear Company, Your Sabbatical Program Makes Employees Worry. Please Fix This.
Ron leaves his workplace at the end of next week for a six-week paid sabbatical provided by his company. The opportunity to live in Germany with his wife and young son in the small town of Bonn has been well planned. He’ll attend language classes, travel and also call on a couple of prospective clients. […]
You Want Me to Do Your Work AND Mine?: Guiding Questions for Pre-Sabbatical Work Transfer
Let’s face it. When you are away from the workplace on your sabbatical, people will talk about you. It’s nice to think they are wishing you well on your extraordinary experience and smiling as they tackle their job and part of yours. But in the preparation for leaving your work behind, a myriad of details […]
Who Covers Your Work While You’re on Sabbatical? First Steps to Extraordinary Success.
Planning a sabbatical is fraught with challenges. How do I find the cheapest airfare to Bhutan? What is the most valuable professional experience for my time away? Can I fit my family into a small Airstream? When you decide to take a sabbatical offered by the company or negotiate your own six-weeks away, the most […]
CBS Segment, “More Professionals Taking Sabbatical,” Features yourSABBATICAL.com
A recent survey found 16-percent of companies now allow unpaid sabbatical leave. Human resource consultant Dan Ryan says sabbaticals are growing in popularity, partly because expectations on the job have intensified. The pace of work now, especially after the economic downturn, is very frantic and the sabbatical is a very innovative way for companies to hang […]
Secrets of Confident and Smart Long-Term Travel
Endings are powerful experiences. As the season of shopping, glittering lights and cookies gains momentum, we are letting go of the final days of 2012. How was it for you? Living the life you want? Too busy for much of anything? Cat got your tongue? Soon we’ll all receive the greatest gift of all – […]
Oh the Things You’ll Learn! Three Notable Sabbatical Books
We can learn a lot from the story line, “sabbatical idea to departure.” But, the story of what happens next provides the best information to help us to look closer at our own ideas about taking time out from work Who doesn’t want answers to these questions: Just how did those teenage daughters like being […]
Five Ways Sabbatical-Goers Can Guard Against Identity Theft
This is a guest post from Allie Blankenship, a freelance writer and consulting analyst who is fascinated by business and finance. In her free time, she is teaching herself to code. In today’s world of electronic communications and banking, identity theft is a real threat. Even more so if you are traveling. So those who […]
Where the Spirit Leads, Feet Follow: Walk, Baby, Walk
While extreme sports fuel many, the rest of us are not, nor do we aspire, to be in the club. For a lot of different reasons, we don’t want to go “peak bagging.” We’re not fit enough, strong enough or brave enough. Still we’d like to “live bold” and “dare to do more.” The urge […]
The Purpose-Driven Sabbatical: New Approach to Achieve the Happy Factor
Without purpose, a sabbatical won’t make you happy. I’ve interviewed many individuals who thought all they needed to do was negotiate the time away, arrange for their work to get done, and instruct the tech department to dissolve temporary access to their email. Then, totally disconnected from work life, the grand experience of their sabbatical […]
Think Small (very small) to Uncover Optimism for Work, a Future Sabbatical and Life
Our local food pantry executive director, Timothy Evans, wrote an eloquent essay, “Who Are You Gonna Listen To?” for the June Manna Food Bank-Pensacola’s newsletter. Evans ponders the obscure economic indicators celebrity economists use to discern the message of the economic recovery he keeps hearing about on broadcast news. He says he’s hardly encouraged since the message of […]
Get Where You Live Right, You’ll Get Life Right. R-e-a-l-l-y?
A good friend is packing up to move six states to the east - closer to the ocean where it won’t snow. Without a job for over a year, she figures her spirit will get a boost in new surroundings where the sun shines more days than in Cincinnati. In no time she’ll be inspired to tackle a future […]
When Too Much Thinking about a Sabbatical Bogs You Down
Faced with the decision of moving toward a break in your career involves many moving parts. The negotiation with your boss, the planning and execution, and assuring positive outcomes for you and your company – all deserve to be well thought-out. But spinning wheels over and over ideas are what some of us are really […]
Adventure Philanthropy: The Sabbatical to Challenge You and Do for Others
You’re thinking of negotiating a sabbatical and what you really want to do with your time away is satisfy your need for a first-rate outdoor adventure and physical challenge. But you’re in virgin territory, in a company where no one has ever asked for a sabbatical before …. and not everyone can appreciate your idea […]
Stand-Out Sabbatical Applications: Key Factors for Success
As more and more organizations investigate the best design for sabbatical programs, the sabbatical-by-application option could be the design that stands out. Already used in many universities, the by-application program means you will be in competition with your peers for the number of sabbatical slots available. In a competition for a sabbatical, how can you […]
The Coolest Email Signature Line Ever
I received an email from Brendan McGovern, CFO of Meetup, and here’s what was below his name: **SABBATICAL NOTICE** — From Feb 4 - May 16, I will be out of the office enjoying Meetup’s sabbatical program. I will be traveling around the world, and per Meetup sabbatical policy, will not be checking email & not […]
Boot Camp: Kick-Start Your Sabbatical Planning
Planning a year sabbatical can be an exciting time, but it can also be a daunting task, especially for a business owner like Karen Bloom. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of her company, as well as her 60th birthday, Karen plans to take a sabbatical in the year 2012. In order to make sure the […]
Sacrificing Your Life for the Kids? Forever?
I believe in being the best mom or dad you can be, just not at the expense of living the life you want for yourself. Asked when one plans to accomplish some of the things that he/she has identified on the “dream list,” here are familiar responses: Just as soon as the kids get a […]