The cool thing about doing a sabbatical is that it isn't just for the person to get getting time off, but it's for everyone around them who has to fill in. When you look taking a sabbatical and we decided to put one forward where people of a certain point in the organization get one month off - paid at some point in time, they become available.

Sabbaticals become available every five years. They're based on seniority. So when I institute this, we took our most senior people and we limited them to two. We said two people can go every year.

What you find out, is other people get to step up. People who are in sort of subordinate positions have to step up into the leadership position to take on some of those tasks for a month. You begin thinking a little bit differently about what you do as an organization. Most importantly, you give leadership lessons and on the job training to people who are your future leaders in the organization.

I can tell you after doing this for six years we have seen some people graduate into those roles because they show themselves to be more than ready to take on some responsibilities that we hadn't been asking them to do. I've not heard one complaint so far. You hear people talking years out what they're going to do, and I think it's become something that helps us provide a little bit more people to get them to be happier in their work.

As organizations, we don't have unlimited resources. We have to try to find those ways in which you could fill that pot with as much good stuff as you can often make up for a salary request. We're trying to fill that place to really walk the walk, not just talk the talk about what makes us a good organization to work for. This is something we feel really firm about.

Transcript:

My journey is not a fairytale journey, I think by any means. And I think that's where my kind of explains to you somewhere I guess I saw some things, and I wanted to do some things differently.

But most of that started with me. Because at that point in time in my life I started saying so what's in it for me what's in it for Chrissy. So what's the next step, right? So I got my degree. I'm ready to go like I want to be a director. I want to be a VP - let's let's do it!

But that didn't come. And so I remember sitting there and I asked for promotions. I wrote really great letters that said why I should have been promoted. All of which got turned down by the CEO who just left - who is like my dad to me- an amazing man who really helped to build the character and me to help me transition into the CEO role.

But he turned me down many, many times and I remember walking out of his office going back. I felt like I know nothing and I don't know what he's talking about. I certainly deserve to be promoted. This is the next step.

I remember one day I came home and I was talking to my husband. I said "I just don't get it. I love the credit union. I absolutely am in love with the industry and what the Credit Union Industry stands for. I love the people I work with, but it's just not fitting, I am I missing something.

That's when I kind of (figuratively) got smacked in the face by my husband (he's very good to me) and he said, and it was it was you - it's you, Chrissy. You're the problem. You're always looking for that self serving purpose. You're looking for the what's in it for Chrissy and what's next for Chrissy. You're not thinking about how do you go into that place every day and serve to exist or exist to serve others? And i remember going, oh my gosh, like that's the point that I'm missing, I'm in a service industry, but I'm meant to be a servant to the people that I'm working with and working for and the people that I was leading at that time.

We are taking our own advice and we are going to take a hiatus from producing weekly podcasts at PureReinvention. We have a big event coming up (Connect: Detroit on May 22 - there's still time to register) and all of us here feel that we need to take a step back and assess how we can best build and present future content in more digestible and diverse ways. In order to make that happen, we need to take the advice we give so freely and take a timeout to assess how we can best create and convey future content to you.

We meet and get inspired by many people in our PureReinvention journey and we will continue to share their stories with you. Audio podcasts will certainly play a role, but we want to add to the mix through other means of communication by adding video and blogs. We want to keep things fresh and present the content to you in a way that entertains as well as useful to you.

In the meantime, tell us what you think. What do you like about our podcasts? What would you like to see changed? This is an invitation to connect with us. We certainly would love to hear from you! Stay tuned to this channel for future updates and remember, if you're ready to make a change, make it a change that lasts, make it PureReinvention!

Want to see reinvention in action? Look no further than the former Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association (now Check In Michigan). They have a new and innovative executive director and a board that is dedicated to serving the next generation in the Michigan hospitality industry. They hired the firm, Advance 360 to help guide them through the initial stage of this transition. Learn how reinvention ready organizations commence sustainable reinvention.

QUOTE IT

"It's not a linear process by any means." (9:07) "Yes, the landscape is changing, but our role and how we champion this industry hasn't changed." (12:59) "(Aspiration) not a dream state. It's a destination that we have our eye and finger on." (14:55) DIG IN

• (7:29) The feeling. The brand took flight.
• (10:22) Serious movement.
• (13:36) Engaging the marketplace.
• (14:59) Synchronizing collaboration.
• (18:16) Sifting through the raw data.

Tip of the Week

A brand is more than a logo. A brand expresses the organizational culture.

The interviews we conducted this month profiled success stories in reinvention readiness. Both Erin Patten and Dene Westbrook were ready to take the reinvention plunge. What did they have in common? We believe that they both had the four pillars of reinvention readiness: desire, curiosity, flexibility and confidence.

Everything begins with a desire to change your situation. Both Erin and Dene surrounded themselves with people who inspired them and pushed them to take the next step.

Both Dene and Erin also had Curiosity. A reinvention journey thrives on curiosity. They asked lots of questions and went outside their respective comfort zones.

They also showed flexibility. Successful reinvention only happens when you stretch your flexibility. You have to listen to the people you've surrounded yourself with and keep all options open.

Finally, both showed confidence. Once they did their homework, got a support group and they moved forward with the plan.

Want some help in your reinvention journey? Download this infographic (from the mobile app or go to our website) which can serve as a bookmark or an image you can keep by your desk.

QUOTE IT

"(0:44) "Are you willing to take on a new role?"

"(5:11) "The power of taking pause." DIG IN

• (0:31) Flexibility.
• (2:59) Curiosity.
• (4:40) Confidence.
• (7:41) Desire.

Tip of the Week

Confidence is the fourth pillar of reinvention readiness. Rely on your support group and plan to give you the added boost you need to move things forward.

Erin Patten is very accomplished with a Harvard business degree and a Kresge Fellow highlighting her impressive resume. She walked away from the standard career path to chase her dream of being an entrepreneur. In January 2018 she launched DaO Detroit. DaO stands for "defy all odds" and Erin personifies that sentiment.

QUOTE IT

"[My big leap] A natural progression of my career journey, my life journey. It just had to happen." (3:21)

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." –Lao Tzu (6:33) DIG IN

• (2:56) Disrupting one's economic livelihood and thriving beyond fear.
• (4:59) Simplify your messaging.
• (10:04, 11:47) Connecting to the marketplace.

Tip of the Week

Flexibility is the third pillar of reinvention readiness. Keep all options open.

Dene is a graduate of our STARTERS program last May. We saw from the beginning that she was reinvention ready and was in a great position to fly with her new promotion and added responsibilities with the Michigan Municipal League. Dene is a perfect example of what it takes to be reinvention ready. Listen as Mike talks to Dene about how she has built a network of support from her STARTERS experience and has excelled in her new position.

QUOTE IT

"I certainly have enough room to make my stamp on this place and strive for everything I want it to be." (10:30) DIG IN

• (3:02) Knowing when you're reinvention ready.
• (4:50) A pivot in your style.
• (9:01) Building on ah ha moments.
• (11:43) From a doer to a communicator.

Tip of the Week

Curiosity is the second pillar of reinvention readiness. Are you asking questions and not judging answers?

Are you ready for a change? In order to make it a change that lasts you need to be reinvention ready! We'll spend this month laying out the four pillars of reinvention readiness. You can use these pillars and ask yourself if you have what it takes to make the necessary changes to yourself and/or your organization.

QUOTE IT

"Are you ready for change?" (0:53) DIG IN

Characteristics of reinvention readiness:

• (2:03) Flexible.
• (3:27) Curious; lean in.
• (8:50) Confidence.
• (9:44) Desire.

Tip of the Week

Desire is the first pillar of reinvention readiness. You have to really want to change if you're going to be successful.

We end our focus on the fundamentals of move and the value of storytelling with a great discussion between Mike Bills and Jodi Schafer. We learned from our month's guests the value of storytelling to move ideas forward. We also learn the value of connecting with others emotionally using shared experiences and values.

QUOTE IT

"At the core, it's about connecting with people on a very real level." (1:49) DIG IN

• (1:17, 1:30) Back to basics.
• (2:34) Multidimensional storytelling.
• (9:03) Be unique and fluid.

Tip of the Week

Approach customers and stakeholders with "what do you need?" rather than "this is what I do."

Cornetta suffered a tragedy not so long ago by losing her father and found out about the details on the evening news. She needed to process her grief and took the opportunity to share her father's story through the Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers. Cornetta found that process to be so cathartic that she has dedicated her career to helping others to tell their stories. Listen as Mike talks to Cornetta about how storytelling helps to heal and the value of telling your own story.

QUOTE IT

"(Storytelling) It was impactful to me." (12:58)

"It didn't exist so I created it." (18:18) DIG IN

• (11:08) Transferring the value of storytelling.
• (11:40) Storytelling to connect neighborhoods.
• (12:56) The why.

Tip of the Week

Look for what you share in common when communicating. You get much further when you make that connection.