Rolled out in 2007 along with a personal sabbatical program, General Mills’ “Innovation Sabbatical” is only offered to members of the company’s “Innovation, Technology and Quality” organization, which is comprised of employees in roles related to research and development, nutrition, quality and engineering. After 7 years of service, these employees may apply for an Innovation Sabbatical that is fully paid for up to 12 months. Expenses related to the sabbatical are also paid.

The following are highlights from a recent discussion about General Mills’ Innovation Sabbatical between yourSABBATICAL’s Elizabeth Pagano and Sandy Haddad, Manager of Flexibility & Inclusion at General Mills and the new overseer of the company’s sabbatical offerings. Haddad was on the HR committee that developed the program.

Q: Tell me a little more about the eligibility requirements for your Innovation Sabbatical.

A: We’re looking for people who have proven their strong performance and have deep experience at General Mills. It’s a reward. We have a steering committee that reviews all of the proposals that come in and makes the decision of who is approved to take an innovation sabbatical, based on how the applicants’ requests meet the criteria of the program.  The steering committee includes the most senior, influential leaders in the group, including the senior vice president who heads the Innovation Technology and Quality organization. Before rolling out the Innovation Sabbatical, we had those folks out in front of employees talking about the program, how it relates to our innovation strategy, and why we’re excited about it.

Q: Briefly, what is the process for applying?

A: We have an online form that can be filled out and turned in to anyone on the committee.

Q: How many have applied since the program’s inception in 2007?

A: Roughly 15.

Q: Is there a cap?

A: No. We are targeting about two per year.

Q: How many people have been on an Innovation Sabbatical so far, and what kinds of things did they do?

A: Five employees have taken Innovation Sabbaticals. They fall into two categories: one category is very science based around product development, coming up with new, proprietary opportunities and solutions around nutrition; the second category is more about organizational capabilities which are not specific to one product but will have implications across the company’s portfolio of brands and businesses. For example, one person really focused on using social media and networking to expand our innovation capabilities. He brought back a very robust understanding of the social media landscape, the potential, and how to leverage it internally and externally. While on sabbatical, he worked in another organization – not a competitor – that was also interested in learning more about social media…so he had a playground of sorts and also spent time benchmarking across a broad array of organizations. Another employee partnered with a higher education institution for his sabbatical. And another person worked with a small organization that General Mills is already partnering with to expand our contacts with leading-edge innovators; with this particular organization’s network we went from having a network of a handful to a network of more than 100 innovators around the world who we can tap into.

Q: What kinds of business outcomes have you observed from this program?

A: Culturally, it has really reinforced the commitment we have to people, innovation, and experimentation. We didn’t  want people to get stuck thinking “Well, what if my idea doesn’t work?” People needed to know that we want them to go way outside the box and that failure is a possibility but we won’t look at it as failure. From an individual stand point, the impact has been huge. Personal learning, confidence, and development have been evident. And these individuals were also able to build their external network more, which feeds right into innovation. Also, they’ve had unique opportunities to interact more frequently with the senior leadership of the organization..

Q: How is this program perceived within General Mills?

A: Very well. Those who’ve done it come back refreshed, energized, and are bringing back great innovation to General Mills. The biggest challenge was convincing people that we really mean it and to go for it. We said “Don’t let your own mental barriers stop you from going for it.”

Q: How is work coverage handled? Is there a specific process or does it depend on unit/team?

A: Many employees at General Mills have rotational assignments, and Innovation Sabbaticals are targeted to occur at the end of a rotation, when a different employee would be taking over the position either way.

Q: What are some of the expectations of an employee who is accepted for an Innovation Sabbatical?

A: Part of the application process – but it’s also up to the person’s manager – is to ensure that before leaving, the employee is clear on what the objectives are and how they’ll be evaluated. We do tie the sabbatical in to the employee’s performance rating and layout the expectation that when they come back, they’ll present what they learned  to people throughout the organization – not just in one presentation or paper. For example, the person who worked on social media while on sabbatical is still working on tying it back to the organization. He’s considered an internal consultant on social media.

Q: How do you think your sabbatical program(s) contributes to GMI’s “best company” status?

A: It’s rather unique to go out on a paid sabbatical. And since we’ve increased the duration from 6 to 12 months, it’s a generous and exciting program that complements all we’re doing around flexibility, while also promoting innovation… and that’s a company that I want to work for. We  truly trust and empower employees to experiment and dig deep into topics about which they are passionate. This benefits them from a development and satisfaction standpoint, and it has a tremendous benefit on our business.

sabbatical. The shop (Sagmeister Inc.) is closed. Ideas generated during the sabbatical year fuel the creative genius and the firm’s bottom line grows substantially during the next six years - all a result of the one-year sabbatical.

Sagmeister is  on his second sabbatical.

Stefan Sagmeister

Our company, yourSABBATICAL.com, couldn’t make up a more compelling business case for sabbaticals. Since our mission is to make certain that EVERY PERSON has sabbatical opportunities as part of their career, we’re happy to let Stefan talk on and on.  And we couldn’t ask for a better looking spokesperson.  He’s rugged-looking cute.

It would be surprising if you haven’t seen his presentation, The Power of Time Off, at the 2009  TED conference.  Afterwards, the blog world lit up as Sagmeister’s novel logic – “take your retirement years and intersperse them into your work life”– inspired and surpised many.  My post about “taking a Sagmeister” was one of a gazillion.

Two months later when Sagmeister should have been doomed to Susan Boyle’s current status (Where is she? Who was she?), here comes another slew of blogs -including one on Oct. 7, 2009 on the yourSABBATICAL blog -Sagmeister on Sabbaticals. All with more tweets and enormous gushing once again at this very “smart and unique” idea.

Before Sagmeister’s given saint status, let’s set the record straight. He’s not the only person who steps out of a successful career for a year long experience away from work.  There are many successful people who employ the same strategy and you may not ever know of them.

So let me introduce  two people who stepped away from successful careers for a year out. Both are in the first quarter of their sabbatical.

First there’s Eve Beglarian, composer and collaborator, who put her bright red kayak into the Mississippi River’s headwateron Aug. 1, 2009. She’ll glide the river until late November then head back upstream by car. With a small ensemble, she’ll travel and perform new works for and with residents in the very communities along the river that inspirted them.  She’ll pick up the river and complete her year doing a long mosey til the end.

Why wasn’t she treated to tweets heard round the world after an article about her appeared in the New York Times?  Lack of dollars in her bank account? Not as pretty as Sagmeister?

Another person  is 27-year-old Manhattan resident Joseph Quaderer – an NYU MBA student and Director at Morgan Stanley.  Why take a year away from a six-figure salary, a posh lifestyle with access to the best NYC clubs and restaurants, a luxury apartment, a Hampton’s summerhouse, a network of family and friends, a six-figure salary ?

Why, pray tell, in the middle of the worst economic crisis would he take a year out to wander the heart of Africa to work with disadvantaged Ugandan students? The pay doesn’t sound good, and I’m curious about the accommodations.

Good for all of us is the news that Joseph will be telling his story on this website so all of us can learn about his experience, his motivations and his day-to-day challenges.  And look for a hint of regret, perhaps.

Watch for his blog posts soon. Meanwhile, don’t scoff at one-year sabbaticals and definitely don’t credit the idea as one lived out only by the rich and famous.

Could that be you in a red kayak or sporting a lion-claw necklace next year?  Interesting thought.

Not long before it was time to depart on her first sabbatical, Laura Smith, Managing Director, U.S. Human Resources, emailed her boss, Matthew Harrington, U.S. President and CEO of Edelman, a global public relations firm.

“I wrote that I wanted to take my sabbatical but that I knew there was a lot going on and that and it might not be a good time to go,” she says. “I said that I’d only take a ‘semi-sabbatical’”.

Harrington wrote back: “I don’t believe in semi-sabbaticals. We’re not doing life or death work. You deserve this sabbatical and should find a way to disconnect.”

Although Smith knew that her boss placed a high value on work-life balance, she recalls being “almost hurt” by his reply. “It felt as if he’d said, ‘We can operate without you, Laura, you’re not that important’, and I really had to take some time to get through the emotional reaction I was having.”

Smith’s boss had also told her that he felt it was important that the senior members of the Edelman team “set an example” and take their sabbatical when due one.

“I thought to myself, ‘If the Head of HR can’t disconnect, then what message am I sending people?’” Smith says. Edelman’s U.S. employees receive a paid sabbatical after 10 years of service and every five years after.

During Smith’s sabbatical – the month of July – she spent two and a half weeks at a beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, a week in the mountains, and the rest of time at home with family. She did not check her BlackBerry. She did not go online. And she only received one “urgent call” from her firm that involved answering a quick question. “Being disconnected was hard for the first few days, but I was determined to prove that I could do it and set an example.”

The sabbatical experience made Smith realize that the powerful benefits of disconnecting are not just for the executive going away but also for those left behind at the office. “The impact that my team experienced was profound, and I didn’t realize it until I returned from sabbatical,” Smith says. “By going away, I sent the message that I trusted them to make decisions without me. The trust factor is a huge benefit for senior people who go on sabbatical. It says ‘I know you can do this, and whatever decisions you make, I’m going to stand by you’”.

By going on sabbatical, Smith stretched her team. “They knew that they had the opportunity to make some decisions themselves, as opposed to asking me what we should do. There were a few instances where they were tempted to call, but they didn’t. They talked it through as a team and solved problems together.”

When she mentioned to non-Edelman friends and acquaintances that she was on sabbatical, Smith realized the impact that having such a program has on Edelman’s brand as an employer. “I can’t tell you the number of people I encountered who said, ‘Oh my gosh, what company do you work for? Companies actually do that?’ It’s a huge statement about what kind of organization we are.”

Smith wanted each day of her sabbatical to feel as long as possible, so she rose early each day. She wrote a daily journal. She didn’t schedule anything. By the end of her break, she was ready to get back to work. “And that’s the way it should be,” she says.

Upon her return to Edelman, Smith sent an email to her colleagues and team that included the following statement: “Today is my first day back following a month-long sabbatical. I knew what a great benefit this is but experiencing it made a big difference. I feel renewed and so grateful to work at Edelman and with all of you.  THANK YOU to my colleagues for making this benefit possible and THANK YOU to my team for keeping all things under control and doing the great job they always do.”

After fully understanding the far-reaching benefits of her sabbatical, Smith believes Edelman’s sabbatical eligibility program should be reviewed and she plans to propose an enhancement  to her senior team and hopes to gain approval.

“It’s absolutely the right time to do it,” she says. “During this economy, there’s so much we want to do but can’t right now. But expanding our sabbatical offering wouldn’t cost so much, and the benefits – to individuals, their team, and their clients – are so worth it.”