12%-time

12% Time

12% Time is an innovation program wherein employees dedicate approximately 12% of their work week (typically four hours out of a 32-hour workweek) to pursue projects of personal interest that could potentially benefit the company. This concept is adapted from Google's well-known "20% Time" initiative but scaled to fit organizations with different resource constraints and work structures.

Overview

12% Time creates structured slack in employees' schedules, allowing time for:

• Exploration of new ideas
• Innovation outside of daily responsibilities
• Skill development
• Cross-departmental collaboration
• Technical debt reduction
• Potential development of new products or features

The program operates on the principle that providing employees with autonomous time for exploration can lead to unexpected innovations, increased job satisfaction, and improved problem-solving capabilities.

Origin and Inspiration

This concept is derived from Google's "20% Time" policy, which famously led to the development of products such as Gmail, Google News, and AdSense. Other companies including 3M (with their "15% program" that resulted in Post-it Notes) have implemented similar initiatives.

12% Time represents a more modest commitment that may be more feasible for companies that cannot dedicate a full day per week to innovation projects.

Implementation

Organizations typically implement 12% Time in one of several ways:

• Designated half-day: A specific half-day each week (e.g., Friday afternoons) is allocated for 12% projects
• Flexible hours: Employees schedule their own 12% Time throughout the week
• Grouped sessions: Some organizations prefer to group the time into full days occurring less frequently (e.g., one full day every two weeks)

Benefits

Studies and organizational experiences have shown several benefits from structured innovation time:

• Increased innovation: Enables development of ideas that might not emerge during regular work
• Enhanced employee satisfaction: Provides autonomy and opportunities for creativity
• Knowledge sharing: Facilitates cross-functional learning and collaboration
• Talent retention: Serves as a unique benefit that can help retain skilled employees
• Risk management: Creates a low-stakes environment for testing new approaches

Successful Examples

Company Innovations

Several notable products and features have emerged from similar innovation time programs:

• Gmail - Created during Google's 20% Time
• Slack - Originally a side project at Tiny Speck during game development
• Post-it Notes - Developed during 3M's 15% program
• Tetris - Created by Alexey Pajitnov during discretionary time at the Soviet Academy of Sciences

Internal Improvements

Beyond product development, 12% Time often yields important internal improvements:

• Development of internal tools and automation
• Documentation enhancements
• Process refinements
• Technical debt reduction
• Cross-training initiatives

Best Practices

For Organizations

• Clear boundaries: Establish guidelines about what constitutes an appropriate 12% project
• Minimal bureaucracy: Keep approval processes light to encourage participation
• Visibility: Create channels for sharing progress and results
• Recognition: Acknowledge and celebrate innovations that emerge
• Patience: Understand that immediate ROI may not be apparent

For Employees

• Project selection: Choose projects with reasonable scope for the time available
• Documentation: Keep records of progress and insights
• Collaboration: Consider partnering with colleagues on complementary skills
• Sharing: Regularly present findings, even from "failed" experiments

Challenges

Common challenges in implementing 12% Time include:

• Time protection: Ensuring the allocated time doesn't get consumed by regular work demands
• Outcome expectations: Balancing the freedom to explore with the need for results
• Resource allocation: Determining what additional resources beyond time can be used
• Measurement: Assessing the program's impact and value

See Also

• 20% Time
• Innovation management
• Corporate creativity
• Organizational slack

External Links

• How 20% Time Led to Google's Success
• Innovation Time: Making Room for Big Ideas
• ShipIt Days at Atlassian