Value of a Sabbatical

Prior to selling ApplyYourself, I was giving consideration to putting in place a sabbatical program.  Then, we entered the acquisition process and the idea never came to fruition.  At the time, I had a number of managers and staff that had been with me for seven plus years and I was thinking of it primarily as a retention and employee benefit program.  I was a bit worried about the cost of such a program, and how I would financially justify the program as such a small company.  I suspect my concerns were no different than that of most small business leaders.

I have now been out of the working world for nearly five months since losing my job in London to a redundancy.  My intention this year was to take time to have fun, explore, and create.  I must say, now that I am almost halfway through my year off, I am the Sabbatical’s biggest fan.

I am sold on and have become a believer in the value of a sabbatical.  This is so different than a vacation.  For me, a vacation was a break from the office and daily routine, but was never truly a break from the mental work.  There were always emails to check on, and the lingering thoughts of the work piling up awaiting my return.

A real sabbatical is different.  It is the chance to leave work behind.  It’s the freedom to let your mind wonder in any direction it desires.  It is the time to separate from daily routine.  It is the chance to flex the brain in ways it has not been flexed in many years.

Some people say that a sabbatical is about “recharging the batteries.”  Perhaps it is so for some, but not for me.  I believe my batteries had (still have) lots of juice; they just needed a jolt of creativity.  For me, this year is about waking up parts of my brain that have gone to sleep; about sparking creativity that has been lacking; about finding mental, physical and spiritual fitness.

I know that when I begin my new venture, I will be better focused, more passionate, and have more fun than if I did not take this special time.  I also know that, if I am in a position to do so, I will make sure a sabbatical program is an option for my team.

I may not be able to show quantitative analyses on how a sabbatical improves employee retention or increases production, but I will have first-hand experience with how valuable it is to the human psyche.  And there is nothing more valuable for an organization—regardless of size—than to have its employees filled with creativity, passion and drive.

Once again, thank God for my redundancy.