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The Secret of Sabbaticals
by Mark Sincevich

“What should I do?” he asked. His arms were at his sides, palms opened upward, conveying vulnerability. He had closely-cropped black hair and a white polo shirt that matched the rest of his ‘business casual’ attire. As other conversations threatened to interfere with my concentration at this cocktail party, he said, “I’m not on board with the direction of my company.”

I was talking to the Vice President of Finance at an extremely well known financial institution. I am not giving out his name to respect his openness. The conversation had started when his wife learned that I speak professionally on such subjects as creativity, balance, and finding one’s purpose in life. His wife said, “See honey, you need to talk to Mark about what you should do next.” This comment obviously coming from many dead–end discussions relating to this financial executive’s unhappiness with his job.

What are your choices?
“You really only have two choices at this point; grin and bear the company’s direction or leave to find a company that matches your own values and vision.” He nodded his head in agreement since my logic made sense to his analytical mind. He said that he had been at this employer for 10 years, so he had developed quite a track record with many impressive contacts. “If you need to find another employer, how are you going to know which one is ‘right’ for you?” He didn’t volunteer an answer.

Sometimes I recommend a great book or suggest a series of exercises to develop those things that might be a hidden source of inspiration. “Have you ever thought about taking a sabbatical?” He looked bewildered as if no one had ever suggested something so ‘off the wall.’ “Time away from the office allows you to discover those things that are the most important.” I had a former boss in the high-technology field that took four months off after his mother passed away. He wanted to re-evaluate his life to make sure he was heading in the right direction and to heal from his loss. He is now very happy as a sales manager at Veritas Software.

I used to work for another high-technology company, Silicon Graphics, Inc., which is headquartered in Mountainview, CA. They have a current company policy that allows employees to take six-weeks of paid company leave to re-energize and de-stress every four years. Many employees add accumulated vacation to their sabbatical and are away from the office for over two months. This means no voice mail, e-mail or involvement in any company business. One former co-worker got married and went to Australia on his honeymoon, another co-worker spent her time backpacking in France, and a senior manager, decided to stay home in his bathrobe to make his neighbors think he was unemployed. .

“More individuals during sabbaticals are considering alternatives to their current employers,” notes Debra Germaine, a managing partner with Fenwick Partners, an executive-search firm in Lexington, MA. It is really a risk-free situation that allows employees to explore their options and to make sure that they really want to stay with their current employer.

According to a survey of 829 managers sponsored by the Society of Human Resource Executives, only 5% of U.S. Company’s offer paid sabbaticals, but 23% of these same companies offer unpaid sabbaticals. And most employees do return to their jobs after a sabbatical whether it is paid or unpaid. What if you don’t get the paid time off? I think people need to access their priorities in life so as to determine a proper work-life balance. In another survey of 1,018 adults sponsored by Hilton Hotels, 65% of participants said that they would be willing to take less pay in order to get more time off.

Start simplifying your life now
If a person is unhappy in their job, then they need to start simplifying their lives now. This might mean canceling cable for a year, only going out to dinner once a week, and taking less of an extravagant vacation in order to have the savings available to take an unpaid sabbatical. I have met many people who are unhappy in their jobs, but manage to bury their dissatisfaction by purchasing the latest model convertible or buying an expensive new home.

I told this financial executive that even if your company doesn’t have a sabbatical policy, he could still ask for the time off. I know the top female executive at a mortgage bank in Europe. She was so highly valued that she was granted three months of paid leave when she requested time off to ‘re-charge her batteries.’ And my wife was able to negotiate two months of unpaid leave for our wedding and honeymoon. This not only confirmed that she was appreciated by her employer, but it made her more committed after she returned, because she was treated so well.

It was clear to me that the financial executive didn’t know how to approach his employer about a sabbatical. I said that it is obvious that your employer prizes you. You have been at your company for 10 years and have been promoted along the way for great performance. They value you and your contribution. "You need to come up with strong reasons that will more than make your case to get the time off." The fingers on his left hand began to stroke his chin.

“Like what,” he said. “You can say that you will come back more creative and more excited about your work.” I said that everything we see around us once started as an idea. How can a company have new ideas when its’ employees don’t take time to look at the world and their companies with from a fresh perspective? “It may not be easy, but if you are committed to taking the time off, you could get your sabbatical accomplished!”

Watch out for Controlling Employers
However, there are some employers who dismiss sabbaticals as a ‘new-age’ phenomenon. Some employers feel that sabbaticals give their employees the time to update their resumes, go on interviews and leave their current companies. Employers that espouse this philosophy want to control their employees and not provide them with a proper work-life balance. If a company is already a great place to work and always tries to improve itself, then employees will definitely want to come back after a sabbatical. Sabbaticals help put the responsibility on companies to continue to improve their culture instead of making people feel trapped without any choices.

As I turned to refill my drink at the cocktail party, I made one last comment to the disillusioned financial executive. “How badly do you want the time off to figure out the next step in your life?” With a blank expression, he folded his arms over his chest as his thoughts turned inward. I had succeeded in giving him the advice he was originally after. It was now his responsibility to act on it!

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Mark Sincevich works with organizations to develop leaders with more focus and creativity. He does this through a unique photography angle in his speaking programs and writing. Mark is the chief perspective officer of his company, Leading with Focus, and the executive director of the Digital Photography Institute. He can be reached at 301-654-3010 or www.LeadingwithFocus.com .