Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai confessed that he is a night owl and feels most productive after 10 pm. He tries to get 6-7 hours of sleep and wakes up between 6.45-7.30 am as he enjoys the quiet morning time. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal for its series, My Monday Morning, Sundar Pichai shared glimpses of his life and his vision for the future of work.

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Pichai’s Monday mornings are different from other days as he draws up a plan for the week on a Monday. He writes down ‘things to do’ during the week on a notepad.

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On meditation and his exercise regime, Pichai said he sees the value of meditation but struggles with it. He finds walking or pacing as something that helps him think. It has been helpful during the pandemic to take his dog for a walk and relax while listening to podcasts. Weekends are big and he ends Friday with physical exercises followed by intense workouts on Saturday and Sunday, he said.

Recently, Google announced its plans to introduce a hybrid work week along with easing some of the COVID-19 related restrictions. According to a CNBC report, offices of Google are gearing up to bring amenities like massage chairs, full shuttle service, more places for free breakfast and lunch, and opening all informal spaces for employee interaction.

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When asked about his vision for the future of work and return to the office, he said the most exciting thing about it is the flexibility, which will make people’s work life and personal lives more fulfilling. Google has been known to do things differently.

Two decades ago, Google introduced the notion of fun at work by offering flexibility that gave people a chance to be more creative and collaborative and fostered a sense of community.

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He said it is important to get people in the office for a few days a week, but Google is exploring all options. He said a set of the workforce will be fully remote and most of the workforce will be coming in three days a week for group meetings or collaborations, creative collaborative brainstorming, or community building.

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Pichai said work has gotten busier and commutes tougher over the decades, making people feel very stretched. Empowering people with flexibility will bring out the best in them, personally and professionally, he added.

“I see it as a new canvas on which we can develop newer ways, which make people’s professional and personal lives more fulfilling,” said Pichai on hybrid models.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)