Good news:  Author Dan Pink has a new book coming out on 12-29-09. Better news:  He’s taking an interest in Sabbaticals!  That gave me courage enough to invite him to visit BreakAway, and he kindly did, responding:

Glad you liked the Sagmeister post, gladder still you hipped me to your website. It rocks. I think you’re on to something big. (In fact, I write about this trend in my upcoming book.)”

Sagmeister, of course, is the world-famous graphic designer who closes his shop and takes a year off every seven or so—and generated quite a buzz when he preached about it during his TED conference appearance earlier this year. 

Mr. Pink may be one of the most in-demand thought leaders of our time, but he still found time to talk about what we’ll soon be reading—and Sabbaticals too.  Thanks, Dan! 

BA:  Your last book, A Whole New Mind, seemed about what the world needs now.  Would you say your new book, DRiVE, is more about what individuals need now?

Pink:  I actually never thought about it that way, but I think that’s not a bad way to put it.  One way to think about it is the last book was about the what of work. This book is more about the why—why we do what we do.  But there are a lot of lessons in this for individuals—about how they can find their own motivation, and maybe even set up a context that allows other people find their own motivation.

BA:  You describe that it’s time to move beyond the “carrot and stick” approach of work. What some of the new motivators—and can employers provide them? 

Pink:  We tend to think the way to get better performance out of people is carrots and sticks; we sweeten the reward, or stiffen the punishment.  That’s true for some things.  But science shows that for creative conceptual tasks, those sorts of motivators don’t work very well, and often have a whole array of collateral consequences. Sure, we need baseline rewards.  If people feel they’re not getting paid fairly, then there’s not going to be much motivation.  But once you get past that baseline level of compensation, it’s not even about fairness or massive amounts of money.  It’s about fair pay.  Money ceases to be a motivator, and in fact can be a DE-motivator.  So the goal, in many ways, is to take the issue of money off the table. 

The real motivators are things like autonomy, mastery and purpose.  Autonomy means the ability of people to direct their own lives—to have control over their time, technique, and team.   Mastery is the desire to get better at something that matters.  As for purpose, that’s serving something larger than ourselves.”

(more…)

photo by Kirk Horsted

I did my best thinking when not under pressure…. I had all sorts of fears that we would lose clients, be forgotten or have to start from scratch. And none of these fears came true. ….it is a simple time-planning event. I put the plan in the agenda, work out the finances and tell the clients.”

What parents should be looking for is the opportunity for their children to have their lives transformed by what happens inside the classroom and out of it.  And that can’t come without access to faculty who have had the opportunity to recharge their own intellectual reservoirs.”

Most professors have no business going on “sabbaticals” at all and certainly not every six years.”

Sabbatical at most places is not a year but a semester, and faculty are expected to do research and, at some institutions, provide evidence of production. Hm, pretty cushy!”

As for the sabbatical, of course the root is from sabbath, or rest. Fields were allowed to lie fallow every seven years so that they would be more productive. (The extension of this is the jubilee, which is the year following seven sabbaticals, when sins and debts are forgiven and all may start anew.) It’s not a new idea, by the way, and many institutions other than universities award them; I can’t see how it can be figured into the equation of the current cost of tuition.”

The feeling of balance and serenity we’d so desperately sought, and found, is already gone, swept away in the pace of this frenetic city.”    

…Yep, the comeback can be crass, but it’s still so worth it. 

In many ways, moving abroad is the new sports car of the mid-life crisis.”  

Although some rare birds fly off on BreakAways throughout life, a mid-life crisis may offer serendipitous alignment.  And really, it can be so much more beneficial than, say, an affair, a divorce, or even a Porsche. 

The couple discussed taking time off before, but it was the sudden death of a friend, diagnosed with cancer at age 54, that spurred them into action.”  

It’s easy to get complacent—or too patient.  But life can implode in an instant.  So get going when the going is good! 

It took about six months to find the perfect balance.”  

A sabbatical is not a sure shot to bliss.  That’s why giving yourself as much time as possible ups the odds of finding ultimate enjoyment. 

As a family, we bonded closer than ever as we trekked into unfamiliar emotional territory and over geographical borders.”  

There may be no better way for a family to get connected than to disconnect from the daily agenda. 

The longer we were gone, the less we missed Calgary.”  

Although many people claim to “love” where they live, this family proves it’s easy to fall in love with the larger world too.  There’s a lot to love!

Increasing numbers of professionals are taking up sabbaticals offered by recession-hit firms seeking to cut costs but avoid redundancies. In return for a drop in salary of between 70 and 75 per cent, employees can take a unique opportunity to restore their work-life balance… But do the pitfalls of being away from the office outweigh the positives?”

 

The article by Judith Woods offers some insightful anecdotes and real-life examples of people who have chosen to say Yes. Here are some of the key themes:

Amen!  Bottom line?  People everywhere are learning—if by force—that there’s more to life than work, and that jobs come sans guarantees. 

If you dream of a sabbatical but your job gets in the way, here’s the good news:  the typical American simply can’t count on job stability any more.  So a BreakAway window will probably appear many times during your career. 

Check out these stats that suggest your “job,” over the long run, may be less of a barrier than you think…

• 3 to 5:  Career changes the average person will have by age 38
• 10 to 14:  Jobs the average person will have by age 38

Depressing?  Or liberating?  How about both, depending on what chapter you’re in at any given moment and how your money-management skills are holding up. 

But here’s one last stat that IS truly depressing…

•  77   Percent of people who hate their jobs

These digits come courtesy of the professional motivation column, “Outswimming the Sharks,” by Twin Cities entrepreneur/author Harvey Mackay. His column today has some jolting numbers.  But, as usual, he is encouraging about your prospects.

So am I.  If most of us will have a dozen careers—and hate our jobs anyway—what’s stopping us from taking some transition time between gigs?  Why don’t we launch into something we’d love to do, rather than remain handcuffed to jobs we hate? 

That’s the opportunity, folks.  Your chance to swim toward calmer seas, and away (for a while) from the sharks will come. 

Be ready.

Sometimes it takes getting thrown out of the office to notice there is a life outside.” 

I’m sitting on my balcony in Puerto Rico, watching water, ferries, and some odd birds—probably boobies and frigates.  Soon I’ll be home, where the waves are frozen solid, the birds are smart enough to still be down south, and output pays.  Thus, I should stop staring and capture some lessons of this 69-day BreakAway.

• It’s all about the buck.  In general, West Indians are less greedy than your average American—and most live a third-world existence.  But make no mistake: When money is concerned, there is no free lunch, ride, or drinks.  Smiley, spirited folks could turn all Donald Trump when it was time to settle the tab.
• So get beyond the buck already.  By settling terms and tabs early, money can become a secondary issue.  Once I’d negotiated to buy five little coral carvings from a beach vendor, he went from being an assertive seller to a charming, grateful artist.
• WWW:  Watch out.  Sure, the internet is a great travel research tool.  But it can also be full of the kind of BS that makes a run-down resort look like paradise—touting offers that no staff onsite  have heard of, menus that bear no resemblance to the meals actually served, and pictures that have been cropped and photoshopped to skew reality.  Moreover, advice sites can be invaded by shills and shams.  Does it make trip planning easier than ever?  Heavens, yes!  Is it foolproof?  Hell, no.
• Sometimes, there is only one degree of separation.  When a Grenada resort manager happened to go to the same small Midwest university that we did—at the same time—that was a “small world” experience.  When a Bequia sailboat we boarded for a daytrip had an ex-relative on its crew, that was both creepy and cool.  But I had to run for mercy when a distinguished gentleman in a Bequia bar struck up a conversation about the “green flash.” Within moments, we discovered that not only had he been on the Minnesota lake I live on, he used to waterski with a neighbor of mine.
• Watch where you’re going.  The temptation exists, when vacating routine and responsibility, to get TOO relaxed, buzzed, carefree.  Exercise caution, and keep one eye on your kids.  Water hazards, walking stumblers, and lost stuff can ruin your day—or worse.
• Ask many questions.  People like to be the expert, and there’s much to learn, like where’s a raw, secluded beach or a joint where the locals have lunch.  What’s more, it may be the only way to find out that the wine the waiter recommends costs $155.
• Leave the well-worn path.  Here’s a classic example:  If you only see the part of the island that the cruise ship dumps you in, you’ve probably seen the worst that island has to offer.  But when you get to the far side where the cruisers never visit, it’s a completely different planet—in a real, good way.
• It’s smart to fit in.  It can be tempting to assert one’s uniqueness and American-ness and just not worry about it.  But then you may be treated like an outsider. When the Grenadians ALL dressed in their flag colors during their independence week, we did too.  Suddenly, our different skin color mattered less then our matching clothes colors.
• We must be fearless.  When not, fake it—especially to keep your kids calm.  Whistle a happy tune, if need be.  Seems like callous security types, derelicts, and dangerous drivers were the most likely to strike fear on this trip.  Acting bored and bold usually makes the temporary threat pass fast enough.
• Learn people’s names.  Even if they forget yours.  Calling the beach attendant Mr. Cedric or knowing your housecleaner is Bernadette will win them over.  And frankly, some of these folks work their butts off for low pay, no benefits, and little job security.  The least we can do is give them what we all need most:  Respect. Of course, a nice tip is also a good idea; tip early and they’ll take care of you the whole time you’re around.
• Be slow to judge.  That aggressive vendor may have beautiful beads.  A surly bartender could warm up if you make a joke.  That crazy cabbie may set you up with fresh tuna—if you keep your mind open.
• Wait your turn.  Avoid being the impatient vacationer.  Americans have been trained to hurry, but island people rarely do.  When buying a t-shirt one day, AllBoy and I had to wait for a father and daughter who sized up dozens before deciding.  The salesman had all day for them, and they were excited to be buying a treat.  AllBoy got edgy and Partner was rushing us.  But relaxing and enjoying their encounter was a better way to go.
• What Time Is It?  It’s Island Time!  In the Caribbean, clocks are rare, and usually don’t work; they hang askance on the occasional wall stuck on 5:55 or 12:15 as if to ask, “Does anybody really know what time it is; does anybody really care?”  Most watches are sequestered in the cruise ports—for sale to gawking and gullible tourists who will not grasp the lessons of the West Indies:  glitz is silly; time is relative; a clockless day is a happy day.

These were simple lessons, but gleaned gradually by assimilating into a different, more mellow culture.  But now it’s time to speed up.

So we go back to our demanding, self-absorbed lives—scheduling this and that, running from nothing to nothing.  A sense of ongoing urgency will overtake most moments.  Be Here Now will morph into Get Somewhere Fast. Instead of watching the waves break or the kids play, one eye will be on the clock.

That clock will work.  So will we, like all good Americans.  But with any luck, a little island serenity and spice will sprinkle itself into the occasional scene.