谷歌CFO辞职信全文：带孩子他娘去旅行

Patrick Pichette在谷歌担任了近七年的首席财务官之后，选择卸任花更多的时间陪伴家人。

　　这位谷歌CFO在辞职信中讲述了做出这一决定的心路历程。去年9月份的一天Pichette和太太塔玛在眺望脚下广阔的塞伦盖蒂平原时建议夫妻二人可以一起旅行下去。探索非洲，然后向东朝着印度进发。到喜马拉雅山的珠穆朗玛峰，再去巴厘岛，还有大堡礁甚至是南极洲。

　　虽然他以现在还不到时机的理由拒绝了太太的建议，但重返工作岗位时这个问题却一直挥之不去。经过很长时间的思索之后，他发现实际上现在就是他应该把更多的时间交给家庭的最佳机会：

　　首先，孩子们都已离家。两个正在读大学，一个已经毕业在非洲的一家初创企业工作。他的太太塔玛完成了这份了不起的工作。此时没人需要照顾。第二，到今年夏天他就要几乎无间断工作25到30年了。这些年他始终在工作，即便在那些本不应工作的时候也没有停歇。特别是本不应工作的那些时候——虽然他也表示他很爱他的工作(现在依然如此)、同事、朋友，以及领导和改变世界的机会。第三，今年夏天他与太太塔玛将迎来25周年结婚纪念。而他们的孩子也发觉其实塔玛和自己在一起的时间太少了。

　　他认为现在要翻开新的一页，以此庆祝和太太共同走过的25年，好好享受一下充满幸福和美好的“中年危机”，一旦完成了所有旅行和冒险，就等候下一个领导机会的缘分到来。他表示在谷歌工作绝对是一种荣幸。他在谷歌结交了很多朋友。并感谢感谢所有人给予的信任、温暖和支持。
　　他还澄清说自己仍将呆在这里，等到找到一位新的首席财务官并帮助他/她完成有序过渡之后。

　　最后他说道：生活是美妙的，只不过要做一系列权衡取舍，尤其是在业务/职业努力与家庭/社区生活之间。所幸的是，他感觉自己的人生已经走到了这样一个时刻，不必再做这些艰难的决定了。

Google CFO 的辞职信

After nearly 7 years as CFO, I will be retiring from Google to spend more time with my family.  Yeah, I know you've heard that line before.  We give a lot to our jobs.  I certainly did.  And while I am not looking for sympathy, I want to share my thought process because so many people struggle to strike the right balance between work and personal life.

This story starts last fall. A very early morning last September, after a whole night of climbing, looking at the sunrise on top of Africa - Mt Kilimanjaro. Tamar (my wife) and I were not only enjoying the summit, but on such a clear day, we could see in the distance, the vast plain of the Serengeti at our feet, and with it the calling of all the potential adventures Africa has to offer. (see exhibit #1 - Tamar and I on Kili).

And Tamar out of the blue said "Hey, why don't we just keep on going". Let's explore Africa, and then turn east to make our way to India, it's just next door, and we're here already. Then, we keep going; the Himalayas, Everest, go to Bali, the Great Barrier Reef... Antarctica, let's go see Antarctica!?" Little did she know, she was tempting fate.

I remember telling Tamar a typical prudent CFO type response- I would love to keep going, but we have to go back. It's not time yet, There is still so much to do at Google, with my career, so many people counting on me/us - Boards, Non Profits, etc

But then she asked the killer question: So when is it going to be time? Our time? My time? The questions just hung there in the cold morning African air.

A few weeks later, I was happy back at work, but could not shake away THE question: When is it time for us to just keep going? And so began a reflection on my/our life. Through numerous hours of cycling last fall (my introvert happy place) I concluded on a few simple and self-evident truths:

First, The kids are gone.  Two are in college, one graduated and in a start-up in Africa. Beautiful young adults we are very proud of. Tamar honestly deserves most of the credit here. She has done a marvelous job. Simply marvelous. But the reality is that for Tamar and I, there will be no more Cheerios encrusted minivan, night watch because of ear infections, ice hockey rinks at 6:00am. Nobody is waiting for us/needing us.

Second, I am completing this summer 25-30 years of nearly non-stop work (depending on how you wish to cut the data). And being member of FWIO, the noble Fraternity of Worldwide Insecure Over-achievers, it has been a whirlwind of truly amazing experiences. But as I count it now, it has also been a frenetic pace for about 1500 weeks now. Always on - even when I was not supposed to be. Especially when I was not supposed to be. And am guilty as charged - I love my job (still do), my colleagues, my friends, the opportunities to lead and change the world.

Third, this summer, Tamar and I will be celebrating our 25th anniversary. When our kids are asked by their friends about the success of the longevity of our marriage, they simply joke that Tamar and I have spent so little time together that "it's really too early to tell" if our marriage will in fact succeed.
If they could only know how many great memories we already have together. How many will you say? How long do you have? But one thing is for sure, I want more. And she deserves more. Lots more.

Allow me to spare you the rest of the truths. But the short answer is simply that I could not find a good argument to tell Tamar we should wait any longer for us to grab our backpacks and hit the road - celebrate our last 25 years together by turning the page and enjoy a perfectly fine mid life crisis full of bliss and beauty, and leave the door open to serendipity for our next leadership opportunities, once our long list of travels and adventures is exhausted.

Working at Google is a privilege, nothing less. I have worked with the best of the best, and know that I am leaving Google in great hands. I have made so many friends at Google it's not funny. Larry, Sergey, Eric, thank you for friendship. I am forever grateful for letting me be me, for your trust, your warmth, your support, and for so much laughter through good and not so good times.

To be clear, I am still here. I wish to transition over the coming months but only after we have found a new Googley CFO and help him/her through an orderly transition, which will take some time.

In the end, life is wonderful, but nonetheless a series of trade offs, especially between business/professional endeavours and family/community. And thankfully, I feel I’m at a point in my life where I no longer have to have to make such tough choices anymore. And for that I am truly grateful. Carpe Diem.


Patrick