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Archives for March, 2009
Why Tim Ferriss Irks Me and How a Sabbatical is Not a "Mini-Retirement"
Along with a gazillion other people, I am inspired by Tim Ferriss and his book, “The 4-Hour Workweek”. He’s the uber rock star of work-life balance, and he challenges us to rethink how we live and work and escape the 9-5 box.
But – and he himself probably knows this – Tim’s concepts aren’t entirely reality. [...]
McDonald's Puts Action Behind "You Deserve a Break Today"
Uh, yeah … that’s me with the funny hair. I’m kinda crazy about someone you know.
Digital nomad Chris Brogan talks about how McDonald’s is pretty darned smart, how it’s a business run by savvy business people and master marketers, even if the fast-and-fatty chain is “antithetical to all you hold pure and dear”.
Serving up mystery (and certainly [...]
Sabbatical Misconceptions and Why I Need a Break
Right up front, a big applause to all the people and the companies that get it. They understand that sabbaticals are not an extended vacation.
But then there’s a group who challenge us with their old thinking and hang on to dark-age misconceptions about sabbaticals.
Misconceptions aren’t always bad, of course. My friends tend to assume that [...]
Leveraging the Recession: Dirk Baxter's Sabbatical Story
Not too long ago, Dirk Baxter, a management consultant with global experience and a PhD in industrial and organizational psychology, spent two weeks doing business in Spain. After a week of saying “escuche” to any Spaniard due a pardon, Dirk was informed by an American who knew better that, although “escuche” sounds like “excuse me” [...]
Branding Your Career With a Learning Sabbatical
Whether you’re currently employed or not, Amy Balog’s latest post gives thoughtful ideas and concepts for moving beyond identifying yourself through your resume bullet points to a “whole” you with a unique story. It’s easy to confuse our roles, skills, or professional reputations with who we actually are.
She describes a “connected leader” – one who draws in [...]
Sandy Hofmann's Five-Course Sabbatical
There’s a petite woman in Atlanta whose impact weaves through the city in surprisingly large ways. Formerly CIO and Chief People Officer at MAPICS, Inc. – a software company that was a spin-off from IBM – Sandy Hofmann’s sabbatical clarified for her that building relationships and making connections between people would become one of her [...]
Resumes: Turning Employment Gaps into Sabbaticals
We just Tweeted in response to PongoResume’s suggestion to use a “functional resume” (organized by skills, not dates) to help “hide” employment gaps. Our response: Why not turn an employment gap into a sabbatical and make your resume stand out?
Millions of Americans – and millions more globally – are now faced with an employment gap, [...]
When Job Hunting is Fruitless, One Boomer Goes for an Internship
Lois Draegin, 55, lost a six-figure editing job with Readers Digest. Now she works unpaid for a start-up website, trading her knowledge for new online skills. Her very cool story – about a media maven who’s mentor is a 20-something social networking wiz – is in today’s Los Angeles Times. Written by Geraldine Baum, the [...]
Car Makers Push Sabbaticals to Save Jobs
Jaguar Land Rover offered staff three-month sabbaticals on 80% pay, and 300 employees accepted. Honda announced it would halt production for two months from February. And General Motor’s UK-arm Vauxhall has offered nine-month sabbaticals on 30% pay.
Other companies, in both the auto industry and beyond, are working hard to preserve jobs. Even small businesses are [...]