What is a sabbatical and why should you take one?

an empty chair in the office due to sabbatical leave

Have you ever come across the term “sabbatical” but never tried to look it up?

Well, a sabbatical is usually three to 12 months of unpaid leave from work, while some employers offer compensated breaks from work as recognition for a specific length of service. Because they are a workplace incentive rather than a legal right in most regions, offering one is not guaranteed.

But we’ve researched and realized its benefits. Here’s why you should take one.

Mental break

If you devote your sabbaticals away from your typical working and living setting, whether touring or staying with relatives in a place far away, the detachment might operate as a mental respite from your current stressful setting, allowing you to disengage and contemplate.

Return rejuvenated

Individuals often experience stress after holding the same position for a long period and no longer feel inspired or energized to go to the office. But research has shown that employees who take prolonged leave from work are better able to recharge and resume work with renewed energy.

Fresh perspectives
Asian family spending time together

Image Credits: nxtmag.tech

Time away from the workplace might give some people a fresh outlook on the value of job and career advancement when compared to more meaningful time spent alone or with loved ones. Such folks may thus opt for a vocation that requires less of their time and attention, even if it implies a lower salary.

Independent teams

In an absolute sense, no work should grind to a halt due to dependency difficulties. In some ways, sabbatical aids teams in becoming self-sufficient. During your leave, other employees take over and dive into the responsibilities, meeting the workload and performance expectations. When you return, your coworkers should have picked up new skills for a more efficient work relationship.

Fine-tuning your health

Able to take time off during a particularly stressful moment in your life might have significant health advantages. Whether you were aware of it or not, your professional work life has brought about a significant amount of stress, which may have presented itself in a variety of ways.

Getting rid of anxiety can have some very real daily rewards, such as bettering your sleep routines, controlling your dietary patterns, and giving you more time for the gym. Furthermore, those of us who spend a significant amount of time slumped over a computer are more likely to suffer postural problems. A year away from the stresses of the workplace can provide considerable mental and positional alleviation.

Sabbatical years, which have traditionally been reserved for academics, were created to allow professors to take a rest from lecturing. They were usually granted leave every five years or more to pursue research or simply relax. However, allowing employees from diverse professions to leave for a certain period appears to be the most effective strategy to rejuvenate tired minds and increase overall employee retention. Why not suggest to the HR department a sabbatical leave policy if your company doesn’t have one yet?

Read More...

Why Celebrating Small Triumphs Matter

Of all the things that can increase inner professional life, the most important is making progress in meaningful work. Celebrating small wins can give you the boost you need to be reminded that you are constantly making steady progress. Furthermore, it highlights that you are not behind on your goals and that what you are doing is enough.

This is how it works:

Action –> Result –> Feeling good –> More action –> Continued result

Small triumphs come in exist in different forms such as learning a new language, helping others in need, witnessing growth in a houseplant, working out for the first time, and cooking with ingredients that you grew yourself. Celebrate these small triumphs using the following creative ways.

#1: TAKE A WELLNESS BREAK

There is an urgency culture that exists in our current society. We often hear “hurry”, “be quick”, or “too late”. It is no wonder that many people find it hard to rest.

Rest is vital. You earned a day off! We are not meant to be rushing all the time. Having a personal day will help avoid burnout, realign your goals, and prioritize self-care.

#2: SHARE YOUR SUCCESS

Create a group chat where you and your friends can share work-related stories of successes and failures. When anyone shares a small triumph with the group, you can react in a celebratory fashion. If you are having an unpleasant day, your friends can provide you support and understanding.

#3: WRITE DOWN YOUR FEELINGS

Bust out your journal and write down all your feelings regarding your progress. Do not forget to include the important details of your triumph such as the issue that you solved. You can use this journal entry to motivate you or to help you land the coveted promotion.

Related Article: Celebrate These “Small” Financial Achievements

#4: ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PROGRESS

Acknowledging your progress requires a change in your thinking. It is alright if you fail to produce the results you want or if you make mistakes along the way. If you are doing something to make a progress, you should be proud of yourself.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

#5: GIVE A YOURSELF A SIMPLE GIFT

Singapore’s longest-running annual sale called GSS ran from June 6 to July 7, 2021. During this period, Singaporeans were able to pamper themselves while enjoying great deals. A good way to reward yourself is to get a simple gift.

Whether you want to purchase a box of cupcakes or a new shirt, preferences will play a role in what is perceived as valuable. Remember that the value of the gift must be congruent with your point of progress.

#6: CREATE HELPFUL HABITS

You need to learn how to win consistently to make progress on a daily basis. This can be accomplished by using helpful habits. These habits come naturally to you because you have programmed your mind and body. Thus, you must strive to establish habits that ensure daily wins.

It is essential to acknowledge and celebrate your small triumphs to fuel your mental strength and keep going despite what you are facing. These triumphs will help you lean into the joy of why you are doing what you are doing.

Sources: 1 & 2

Read More...

Here’s how to become a better listener

listening to a colleague at work

Have you ever found yourself zoning off when someone is speaking? Well, that’s because the average person has an attention capacity of only eight seconds.

With so many electronic stimuli vying for your attention and so many duties at the workplace, it’s difficult to truly focus on someone else’s words.

Listening is also difficult since we are frequently preoccupied with ourselves. When you go into a conversation with only your target in mind, your goal is to control and manage the conversation so that you come out on top of the other party. But it’s critical to be receptive to new knowledge, even if it’s not what you’re seeking then.

Here’s how to become a better listener.

Ask questions

Asking more inquiries than you offer answers is one of the easiest methods to improve your listening skills. When you pose questions, you create a friendly environment for others to tell you information. Listening with genuine intent implies you will be open to being completely wrong, and you should be okay with that in a discourse.

Don’t interrupt

We’re sure you wouldn’t want to be in the midst of a statement when the other person opens their mouth repeatedly, breaking into your unfinished sentences. It’s anxiety-inducing and probably made you feel compelled to speed up what you’re saying just to get your message out.

When a speaker is interrupted to agree, dispute, or debate, the speaker loses track of what they are expressing. It’s quite aggravating. Thus, in a conversation, try postponing whatever you want to say until the other individual is finished. Wait for your time to come if it’s not something that urgent that you must disrupt.

Put judgments aside
a woman unhappy with her coworker

Image Credits: careercontessa.com

When done correctly, listening is an act of sensitivity. You’re attempting to see the world from the perspective of another person and to comprehend their feelings. That won’t happen if you’re passing judgment on the other person while they’re speaking.

Because you will be conveying all kinds of minute nonverbal signs that you have a viewpoint about what they’re asserting, it will stifle the dialogue. Folks will start opening up to you if you approach the conversation to discover their point of view without passing judgment since they will have the confidence over time that you will always appreciate what they have to say.

Be comfortable with silence

Silence might be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be. We frequently try to fill the void left by silence by talking non-stop, but this just serves to keep the conversation from progressing any further or more meaningfully.

People can think and acquire insights regarding whatever is being talked about when there are pauses. It allows us to process new data and evaluate how it affects us. It also enables us to think about what to say next and what follow-up questions to ask. This gives us the ability to feel and be honest with our innermost thoughts.

Because we communicate so much more online these days, listening might feel like a lost skill sometimes. That’s unfortunate, because being an active listener may benefit you in all aspects of your life, including your interaction with pals, family, and coworkers. Do you want to improve your listening skills? Review the advice we’ve provided in this post and see if you can start implementing them in your conversational routine.

Read More...

How to give feedback to our bosses

employer and employee conversation

Giving feedback to your manager or supervisor can be immensely nerve-wracking.

You want to give them feedback so they can change, but the power imbalances in your workplace might make an already complex task appear laden with more complications. Furthermore, there are so many examples of feedback gone bad that it’s difficult to know where to begin.

That’s why we’ve written this article so that we can all learn how to give feedback to our bosses.

Practice

When it comes to giving a face-to-face evaluation to your boss, rehearse your speech first. Request that a buddy or a trustworthy coworker observe you giving feedback. Pay attention to their comments and make changes to your speech depending on their suggestions.

Be impartial

If you want to reap the most out of the feedback session, you must be unbiased when offering suggestions to your superior. Detailed and direct observation, not your prejudiced conviction, can impact your assessment of their performance. Maintaining objectivity might also help you avoid emotional conflict if your boss rejects your statements.

Ask before you dive
coworkers talking

Image Credits: theladders.com

If you’re going to give your employer some constructive comments, ask if you can do so first. This is a standard courtesy that alerts your boss of the possibility of unfavorable comments. Prep a harsh comment with two sides of acknowledgments once they’ve agreed to receive input.

That is, expressing gratitude first to make managers feel you are appreciating their initiatives. Then, get down to business with the nature of the problem. Don’t pretend to know everything about the matter or discuss what you would do if you were the boss; this can make any individual feel defensive. Rather, think of feedback as a reflection of your perspectives.

During a performance review

Performance appraisals are an awesome chance to provide constructive criticism to your boss. In a performance evaluation, your boss will ask for your input on specific areas. Although you may be the topic of an assessment at times, addressing your connection with your boss is an integral part of it.

Your manager may also ask you to send an email rather than initiate conversations directly. You can take the next steps knowing that your manager desires honest reviews to keep tabs on overall workplace dynamics. As part of the performance evaluation, some companies may also provide employees the option to provide feedback through a staff survey so take advantage of that avenue to express your views.

Partnering with someone allows you to gain valuable insight into their abilities. This is particularly true with your supervisor, whom you are likely to encounter in a variety of contexts, including group briefings and one-on-one discussions. Giving your employer feedback, also known as upward feedback, is a difficult skill to learn. But your insight can not only aid your boss but also strengthen your professional relationship if delivered correctly and mindfully. Consider the abovementioned tips as you navigate uncharted waters.

Read More...

How to negotiate a higher salary after a job offer

two ladies conversing and smiling

You will almost certainly agree that salaries and benefits are the most important factors to consider when contemplating job offers.

Salary negotiating, like price-bargaining, necessitates a fundamentally different approach. Instead of accepting the initial wage offer made, you should learn certain strategies and techniques to help you enhance the offer.

So without further ado, let’s get started on how to negotiate a higher salary after a job offer.

Start high

One basic tenet of pay bargaining is to offer the company a number that is somewhat greater than your target. This way, even if they lower their offer, you will still have a wage offer you can embrace. If you provide a wage range, the company will almost certainly skew toward the lower end of the scale, so be sure the lowest value you submit is still a good number you can settle for.

Consider your value
an Asian man in an interview

Image Credits: freepik.com

Your contribution to the organization may be greater than the post for which you are seeking. For example, if you interview for the role of Senior Business Development Manager and have 10 years of experience, you can expect a certain range of pay. But if you qualify for the same position with the standard expertise, plus the benefits of financial background or even content-creating skills, you will be bringing additional core competencies and significance to the salary discussion.

Understand the restrictions

Even if your potential employer likes you and believes you should get all you want, they might not grant it to you. This is because they may be bound by certain restrictions, such as salary ceilings, that no measure of the debate can change. It’s your responsibility to discover where they’re willing to compromise and where they’re not.

However, start dates, holiday entitlements, and performance bonuses can be variables. If you’re dealing with a smaller firm that has never recruited someone in your position before, you may have some leeway with the initial wage offer or job description, but not with anything else. The clearer you grasp the restrictions, the better you will be at directing the negotiation conversation.

When an employer issues an offer letter, they will normally present you with a pay and benefits package, together with a projected salary. You may choose to bargain for more compensation if you do not believe the salary matches your qualifications, level of expertise, and accomplishments. Knowing how to negotiate pay proposals is a critical skill that will help you get paid appropriately for future work. To accomplish this, nonetheless, demands prep and practice, just like any other skill. As you rejoice in a new job opportunity presented, keep the aforementioned suggestions in mind.

Read More...