Sabbatical Making Space for Renewal Why sabbatical? The Balance - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Sabbatical

Making Space for Renewal

Why sabbatical?

The Balance Chambers Sharif M Abdullah

Monthly Inventory ENOUGHNESS Physical Emotional Social Mental Transcendent Other Food/Water Love Care Family Education Peace Reproduction Clothing Respect Community Intelligence Contemplation Work Shelter Touch Nation Stimulation Ceremony Recreation TOTAL Purpose Tribe Meaning Creativity TOTAL Safety Service TOTAL TOTAL Joy and Fun Sacrifice Happiness TOTAL Sorrow Grief TOTAL

• 1. Know how much is enough for

me

• 2. Be aware of excesses

RATING Excess 3

• 3. Discuss enoughness with
• thers

Full 2

• 4. Pay attention to all chambers

Low 1

• 5. Be conscious of where I am investing my time

and money

Strengths of sabbatical –the individual

§ Greater confidence § Better relationships with staff, board, funders, and

community

§ New vision § Staying in the job

Strengths of sabbatical –the

• rganization

§ Governance improves § Connection and collaboration § Shared leadership – “building the bench” § Dry run for succession planning

Management Factors in Organizational Success

Stage II Survival Stage I Existence Stage III Success/Growth Stage IV Take-Ofg Stage V Resource Maturity Critjcal to the Organizatjon Important but Managed Modestly Irrelevant

• Exec. Dir.

able to do CASH Matching of Org. Goals & Exec. Dir. & Funders Goals People Quality & Diversity Strategic Planning Systems & Controls

• Exec. Dir. Ability to Delegate

Based on the work of Neil Churchill and Virginia Lewis, HBR

Shared leadership

DIRECTOR WHO TOOK SABBATICAL

§

Shared a greater amount of decision-making with managers (85%)

§

Was more comfortable delegating major responsibilities (84%)

§

Felt that the managers in their organization had become more skilled in their positions (83%)

§

Restructured the management team (69%)

§

Restructured their job and delegated some of their duties to others (64%)

§

Reported that the board of directors became more effective (60%)

INTERIM LEADERS

§

Report that their job has been restructured and they continue to be responsible for some duties they performed as an interim leader (60%)

§

Agree that managers are better skilled in positions (77%)

§

Agree that there is more delegation (77%)

§

Respond that they have a greater sphere of decision-making authority (67%)

§

Report that the management team has been restructured (43%)

Challenges of sabbatical

§ Over-dependence upon the leader as lead

fundraiser (with no one stepping up during his or her absence)

§ Increased strain on an already under-capitalized

nonprofit, which results in a particularly stressful experience for the interim leader

§ Organizational politics, such as described by one

awardee: “A power vacuum was created and a couple of employees took advantage”

§ A realization that a leader on sabbatical is no

longer quite the right match for his or her

• rganization, which may lead to the leader’s

resignation as an unintended consequence

Selling it to the Board Selling it to myself Making it a reality

From idea to policy

The policy

§ Tenure prior to eligibility § Maximum length § Paid or unpaid § Process for application § How many employees at a time § Requirements during sabbatical § Reporting mechanism

Interim leadership

§ A willing leader § A competent leader § A trusted leader

Planning for success

§ Authority § Process § Messaging with different constituencies § Planning for organizational change § Abating challenges § The nitty gritty details

Pizza in the fridge

What I learned

§ The art of presence § Taking my vacation § Creating space for deep work § Prioritizing my family

Importance of the debrief

§ Need to grow staff § Relationships overly reliant on Executive Director § Cultivating resiliency for all staff

“What am I doing today to tend the root of inner wisdom that makes work fruitful?”

• Parker Palmer

Questions?

Emily Chittenden-Laird WVCAN

elaird@wvcan.org 304-414-4455