Cultural Exposure Brings Career & Personal Benefits

Claudia Patton is general manager for the Atlanta office of global PR firm Edelman. In September 2007, she took a five week paid sabbatical to the Himalayas, visiting China, India, Tibet, and Bhutan. Because these four countries have vastly different religions, cultures, and government, Patton ensured her sabbatical would deliver a broad range of experience.

Patton targeted India in particular because her company has several offices there. “I fully appreciate the importance of understanding China and India in the world we live in,” Patton said.

That experience has paid off. She said, “I have much deeper relationships with my colleagues in India now that I have shown some interest in their government, culture and way of doing business.”

Patton encourages her team members to take a similar break to step outside their own experiences. “Immerse yourself in another world and bring that awareness back to Edelman,” she said. “In doing so you become a more fully 360 degree employee.”

The experience, she said, provides three-fold benefit for the company by: 1) providing employees with new perspectives; 2) giving employees permission to be away from the daily barrage of communication and media; 3) and providing an opportunity for employees to foster creativity.

Claudia Patton at a school in Nepal.

While she was gone, Patton got job support from her executive colleagues as well as some department managers.  “It was a great opportunity for each of them to be more fully immersed in the Edelman network as I am on a regular basis,” she said. “They definitely built new relationships.”

All professional advantages aside, Patton’s sabbatical delivered one surprise benefit. “From a personal relationship with my husband, it was wonderful to be dropped into a totally different world and navigate together with him.  It was a real addition to our partnership,” she said. “That was something I didn’t expect to get.”