Prep Steps for a Powerful Pause

We know that breaks are necessary elements of workplace well-being, but we also know it takes intentional planning and prep steps to create a powerful pause. We hear time and again from classroom teachers who push through illness because the idea of creating a plan for the substitute is too daunting. The same resistance to taking time off is true for a school or non-profit leader, but there are ways to mitigate the impact. In Season 3 Episode 2, Lindsey Fuller, our Executive Director, shared some preparation strategies to ensure you can go on leave confident that you won’t be returning to a dumpster fire. 

The “Keep / Start/ Stop” or “Pause Protocol” can support you in right-sizing your delegation and redistribution of core job responsibilities. The last thing you want to do is burn-out your interim or the colleagues who are picking up some of your workstreams while you are out. We’ve found this protocol to be a supportive tool for school leaders when managing a long-term classroom vacancy or other staffing shortage, too. The bottom line is that something has to be stopped or paused when you are down a player, and this tool helps you figure out what that might be.

Before you begin, you might ask yourself these questions: 

• Who internally or externally can I trust, cultivate, and align with to prepare for a powerful pause?

• What are the parts of my role that cannot be dropped?

If you find yourself bracing or avoiding this critical planning step, you might try this mantra: Every step of prep brings me closer to recovery.

Try it on and let us know how it goes for you, or reach out if you want support planning for your next extended break, micro sabbatical, or an upcoming maternity/paternity leave.

Click image or here to download a PDF of the protocol