Work-life balance: Netflix co-founder reveals his strategy
Given the unpredictable, under-pressure workplace environment and the increasingly blurring lines between professional and personal lives, discussions over work-life balance have gained prominence yet again. Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph took to LinkedIn to share his strategy on how he maintained the equilibrium between his professional and personal lives. "Rain or shine, I left at exactly 5 pm (on Tuesdays)," wrote Randolph.
Why Randolph strictly left work by 5:00 pm on Tuesdays
Randolph, in his recent post, explains that for the past thirty years, he has maintained a strict rule to leave his workplace exactly by 5:00 pm on Tuesdays. He would leave early to spend the evening with his wife, his best friend. "We would go to a movie, have dinner, or just go window-shopping downtown together," wrote the Netflix co-founder.
He'd stick to his timings even during last-minute conferences
He further goes on to explain that come what may, he would wrap up his session by 5:00 pm on Tuesdays - be it meetings, conference calls, or last-minute questions or requests. If anyone had anything to share with him at the last minute, he'd listen to them on the way to the parking lot. He didn't budge from his time even during emergencies.
Randolph feels proud maintaining family ties
Randolph emphasized the importance of maintaining family ties. He stated that he has been proudest of himself not just for the string of successful startups he spearheaded, but for the fact that he did all this while maintaining a strong bond with his wife and children and also for being able to pursue a myriad of his other passions and interests.
Randolph's resolve to stay married to just one woman
"I resolved a long time ago to not be one of those entrepreneurs on their 7th startup and their 7th wife," wrote the co-founder of Netflix in his LinkedIn post.
Those Tuesday nights kept me sane: Randolph
Stating how those Tuesday nights kept him sane, he wrote, "They put the rest of my work in perspective." He also talks about how he had worked hard during his entire career to keep life balanced with his job. He said he has mentioned his Tuesday date nights with his wife in his book, That Will Never Work.
Randolph's post comes as a wakeup call to workaholics
Finally, he signs off by saying that this is what success means to him. In this hustle culture where being a workaholic is not just expected but also glorified, many pay less attention to the importance of forging strong familial ties and taking out time for their other interests. Marc Randolph's timely post comes as a wake-up call to all workaholics out there.
