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20% Project

20% Project is a management philosophy used majorly in the workplace and the field of education where individuals can spend 20 % of their time to work on their interest. Individuals are encouraged to explore anything outside their normal job. It is intended to discover new business ideas which the business could implement and boost the productivity of individuals. Users of the 20 % Project often ask questions to define scope of the project, generate innovative and collaborative ideas that are beneficial to the business to make the project useful. The philosophy is also widely used as a teaching tool in the education sector.

Origin

20 % Project was originated by 3M in the 1950's with their 15 % project. The rigid and inflexible working environment in the 1940s inspired 3M to adopt the ethos "Innovate or die" and the creation of the 15 % project, resulting in the creation of Post-its notes and masking tape. in 1974 by 3M scientist Art Fry. 3M currently holds more than 22000 patents, many as a result of its 15 % project. The idea was later replicated, improved and popularised by Google where employees can spend 20 % of their working hours working on projects outside of work which they think would benefit the company the most. This philosophy has showcased success in Google, creating products such as Gmail, Google News, and Adsense. The philosophy’s benefit is widely recognised and is later adopted by the education sector as an alternative way of learning, encouraging students to pursue their interest, with the ultimate aim of advocate for their own education, increase commitment in learning and develop autonomy. Moreover, 20 % project is now implemented by companies such as LinkedIn, Apple and Microsoft with the aim of collecting new ideas and give autonomy to employees.

3M and Google's 20% Project policy

Process

Before a business implements 20 % project, there are numerous factors to be considered. Firstly, a business will have to determine on what percentage of time the program will cover which best suits the business ‘situation. A Business will have to balance between employee productivity with the less-restricted idea of innovation. A business should also make the participation of 20 % project voluntary since not all employees will wish to engage in the project. Clear structures and guidelines are needed to ensure projects foster results, either through peer or executive reviews. A Business should also consider if it has the capacity to support collaboration, either through digital online meetings or availability of conference rooms where teams can collaborate. A Business should also keep records of ideas, success or not, in case other employees may want to tackle in the future. A reward system should also be considered, as some innovation projects may lead to a high return, bonuses may further encourage and motivate employees to participate and work harder. A Business should also control and improve the program based on feedback by the participants since not all innovations may present immediate results and not all innovations are feasible.

20 % Project consists of 4 steps. Individuals may first choose to work alone or in a small group, then a topic or idea should be selected, usually framed around an inquiry question, depending on what interest the individual the most. The topic should be able to guide individuals to conduct further in-depth research, create new inventions and solutions towards the topic during the project. The second step requires individuals to put together a thoughtful, detailed proposal. This includes identifying difficulties that needs to be solved in the project, identifying target audiences and explain how the project may benefit them, creation of a monthly timeline on what needs to be achieved and adjust during the course of the project, identification of the final product which will be produced at the end of the project, a reality check which identifies what equipment and capital expenditures are needed in the project. The third step involves individuals to conduct research towards the final product and keep a record on what they have done during their time spend on the project through a blog or a logbook. Lastly, there will be a reflection assignment in the form of a presentation or an essay to demonstrate the final outcome of the project.

Goals

20 % Project has numerous benefits, based on the sector which employs the 20 % Project idea, the goals a user may achieve during the process and at the end of the project may differ.

Business

20 % project in the workplace enables employees to work on projects which interest them and would benefit the company the most. In terms of a business, implementation of 20 % Project initially may enable the business to foster new innovations and ideas, re-build urgency where all employees are motivated in pursuing ideas within the business’ strategically-defined directions. In the long run, a business may focus on projects that will drive the company forward by allowing employees to allocate more time toward the new idea, promoting a workplace of free-thinking, giving the business the ability to retain and recruit talented employees. Ultimately, the idea of 20 % Project will be engraved in the business’ culture, thus enabling the business to always stay innovative.

In terms of employees, implementation of 20% Project may enable employees to achieve a better work-life balance as they can spend more time focusing on their interest. 20 % project also embraces employee choice and strengths, instead of providing a stressful, competitive environment, 20 % project creates a collaborative environment where employees are given autonomy to choose which idea to work on. Employees will be more involved and will do their best when they can work on things that interest them. Employees may also develop teamwork with colleagues from different departments, through working with colleagues from other departments, employees find commonalities and feel closer as a company. In addition, employees may gain a sense of recognition when their ideas are accredited by the business thus gaining a sense of belonging to the business in the long run.

Education

20 % Project in education enables students to explore their own passions for 20% of their total class time. First of all, by having students to work on projects which may interest them the most, there is a higher chance that students will learn more and efficiently than in a traditional classroom, it also leads them to a path that may be beneficial in their future career. Secondly, teachers can also have an in-depth understanding of their students, including their area of interest, ways they tackle problems, personality and many different aspects of their students This aids teachers in tailoring teaching plans which best suits students. Teachers also gain a platform to collaborate, to innovate, share and work on professional learning that would benefit their students. Thirdly, the process of learning is differentiated in 20 % project, since each student has different projects, their approach to research is unique, they are allowed to work at their own pace according to their ability. The engaging and collaborative nature of 20 % Project provides numerous additional benefits to students since students are allowed to pick their own topics, students are given the opportunity to prosper autonomy and purpose, to show initiative towards the learning and research process. And through working with other students, students will have a chance to experience failure throughout the process and gain improvements in verbal communication and teamwork. In addition, 20 % project creates a positive peer pressure, where students are able to see other’s student’s work and make sure their project meets the standard. At the end of the project, students will have explored a topic they were interested in, create content to show their understanding of the topic, and be able to present what they have learned to a wide audience, they will realise that they have the power to affect the community to some extent.

Limitations and Criticisms

Business

20 % Project has demonstrated success in companies such as Google, 3M, and Facebook, however, there is a number of reasons why it is often criticised and questioned whether it would work in other companies. First of all, some claimed that 20 % rule is not a management philosophy, it is an attitude instead.  Ex-Google employee Joseph O’s stated that “It is more the mindset that you can much around and do stuff.”Making 20 % Project a rule may not help a company develop innovation unless they possess a similar working culture as Google. Secondly, the results of 20 % Project are questionable, though there are some sources claiming that many of Google’s invention was fostered by the 20 % Project, many claims that it is not true. Gmail’s inventor Paul Buchheit disagreed and stated on Friendfeed that Gmail wasn’t a 20 % Project, and in fact, it was his regular project. Thirdly, employee’s ideas may be stuck between the development of idea and execution since companies may not have the ability to implement all the ideas, 20 % project may take away a lot of resources in the research and development budget thus leading to a complete stall. Fourthly, the cost of implementing 20 % Project is expensive. In companies where labor costs are the majority of the total cost, 20 % Project may lead to a significant decrease in productivity and profitability. Finally, 20 % Project may create an issue when a business invests too many resources on collecting employee’s idea. There is a high chance where businesses’ ideas are tinged with the internal culture of the company, causing the business to focus too much time and resources working on employee’s side project instead on the core of the business, thus ignoring what matters to customers and prevent the business to incorporate its innovation culture to create products or services which meet customer’s need.

Education

20 % project received many skepticisms from educators. 20 % project is a project where students can spend 20 % of their time on projects that captivates them the most. It is supposed to be an interest-driven project. However, in many cases, public schooling still holds a compulsory form of learning. Students though given the opportunity and freedom to choose what they are learning, they were not acting on their own initiative. Secondly, 20 % project is different from traditional schooling where students are given clear guidelines and objectives towards their study, some students may feel unsettled and struggle with selecting their topics, as a result, they may be unwilling or unable to do anything unless being told. Thirdly, learning resources necessary for 20 % project may differ from the traditional method of learning, additional costs may incur for 20 % project to work as it intends, which may be costly in some occasions. Models, where students can build or design and communication, are vital to the success of 20 % project, without them, this learning approach may not be effective. Therefore, students have to select ideas that are feasible, which may differ to their interest to some extent, thus affecting their motive to learn. Also, some students may have mistaken the 20 % project learning approach as free time to play and entertain, teachers will need to carefully monitor student’s progress and provide advice to keep students on track in order to ensure the effectiveness of 20 % project.

References

Category: Business terms Category: Academic terminology