996 and 669

Do the title of this blog makes any sense to you? It may not if you are not a Jack Ma follower! Now don’t ask me who is Jack Ma? He is one of the richest men of the world and the richest Chinese by virtue of being the promoter of Alibaba.

Exhorting his staff, he philosophised that if any company is to make it into big league, its employees must work from 9 am to 9 pm 6 days a week. When the World at large is debating work life balance and pitching for 4 days of working week, Jack Ma’s exhortation to staff to clock in 72 hours every week seems seriously flawed. Several recent studies have concluded that anything above 54 hours a week seriously impedes productivity and total work hours per week must be lesser.

Now addressing his staff at a Group wedding, Jack Ma suggested an antithesis of 996. He said that while 996 was key to professional life, it must be balanced by healthy personal life represented by numerals 669. As per Ma, sex for 6 days, 6 times, duration being the key is the secret to improved personal life!

Assigning numbers to the complex management and personal improvement theories possibly started with famous best seller 01 minute manager. Jack Ma’s 996 and 669 theory seems to be a simplistic solution of these complex issues, which is becoming a fad. Especially coming from a super successful Jack Ma, it cannot be dismissed lightly. But expectedly there have been wide and varied reactions ranging from outright lewd to jingoistic ! As someone saucily mentioned, ” after 996, only a super human will be able to follow 669! I don’t expect Jack Ma to do any further elaboration on this !

Let’s work hard without caring for 996 and enjoy the life sans the fantasy associated with 669!