Work-Life Integration
Professional and Personal: Partners, Not Opponents
Narayana Murthy was in the news (again):
“I don’t believe in work-life balance….We need to work hard in this country. There is no replacement for hard work. Even if you are the most intelligent guy, you have to work hard. So I’m not going back on my views. I’ll take it to my grave.”
Before this, he had expressed strong views about 70-hour work weeks just a month ago.
There have been many valid criticisms of his views—from owning the company to not compensating freshers fairly—so I don’t think I need to add much on that front. But on one point, I find myself agreeing with him: the 70-hour work week. Though I must say, I come at it from a completely different perspective.
But first, let’s talk about “Work-Life Balance.”
Many industry leaders and CXOs emphasize having a good work-life balance (WLB), and it is important. You shouldn’t feel fatigued by work on a regular basis. But the way they suggest achieving it is something I’ve never been able to follow in my (admittedly short) career.
Most of them recommend not taking work home and completely switching off from “work mode” once you’ve logged out. While there might be some value in this, I’ve never been able to stick to it. I don’t think about work immediately after coming home—or after logging out—but eventually, it pops into my mind. Especially when I’m doing something that doesn’t require much critical thinking, like cooking, running, or strength training.
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And honestly, I feel it’s a blessing.
While I wouldn’t want to be constantly burdened with work-related thoughts, when they show up once in a while, they often come with a clarity that was missing when I was actively working on the problem.
It makes sense, too. I don’t stop being an employee of my company when I’m not actively working. So thinking about work occasionally, even when I’m “off the clock,” isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The opposite is also true for me. I don’t stop being a son, brother, friend, or boyfriend just because I’m working. So yes, I sometimes think about my friends and family during work hours. I can’t switch off my personal life completely either.
In both cases, there’s a healthy mix—probably something like 80-20. 80% of the time goes to my primary work, and 20% to everything else.
Now, coming to the 70-hour work week.
I think if you’re truly passionate about your work, you’ll naturally end up spending 60-70 hours a week on it, no matter what Narayana Murthy says. It doesn’t have to mean actively working for your company in the way he might be implying. Instead, it could be thinking about your craft, staying updated on what’s happening in your domain, or even writing about it.
So rather than the popular idea of work-life balance, I feel like a smooth work-life integration works better for me. The two worlds will collide, yes—but ideally, with minimal chaos.
If this resonates with you, feel free to share it with someone