Freiraum

Throughout the workday, how much time is spent just trying to stay on track (checking your calendar, replying to emails, making to-do lists)? After juggling all of that, do you have any leftover time to expand your knowledge for industry-related purposes? The answer is probably not.

Freiraum at K15t

Freiraum (or “free space” in English) is a concept at K15t which involves spending 20% of one's time on projects or exploration that may not yield immediate revenue, but have the potential to produce significant opportunities in the future, whether personally or company-wide. It’s not a new concept and is actually based on the Pareto Principle , otherwise known as the 80/20 rule. This is a longstanding concept used by Google , whose success inspired us to implement it here at K15t.

• 80% of working time is for regular work tasks.

• 20% of working time is for "Freiraum" – self-development, innovation, and informal meetings.

We find that when individuals are passionate about their work, they are more likely to stay motivated and achieve their goals.

Freiraum is about all the activities that do not directly earn K15t's living, but rather make the productive work more effective, successful, and fun.

– Stefan Kleineikenscheidt, CEO

Why We Introduced This

Our company is structured in self-organized teams, which has proven to be a highly effective approach for us. However, this approach requires that individuals take on greater responsibility for enhancing their skills and knowledge. Consider the activities you engage in that expand your horizons, expose you to new opportunities, and help you develop new skills, even if they don't immediately benefit your professional growth. Allowing individuals to dedicate time to their projects helps them decompress from workplace pressures and focus on the aspects of their job that bring them joy. For instance, this could involve reading outside materials, experimenting with new systems or processes, participating in conferences or networking events, or simply having meaningful discussions. That is exactly why Freiraum exists, to allow time for all of the above.

What Does Freiraum Look Like?

Even though it’s called “free space”, this time should still be spent in a structured way. Here are just several ways of how Freiraum time can be utilized:

• You want to spent time on something like developing a new concept. You discuss this with your team and take one day off from “regular” work to dedicate time for that project.

• You are curious to learn more about something, so you attend a webinar or conference related to that topic.

  • Example: Last year, two of our colleagues visited a web dev conference together to further build their knowledge, which ended up helping them do their jobs even better.

• During the work day, you take a creative break to refresh your brain.

• You can participate in a company-wide “Lunch and Learn” or “AMA.”

The possibilities are truly endless, and it’s your decision on how to best spend this time.

The Payoff

Some of K15t’s most well-known characteristics started as projects during Freiraum. For instance, Scroll Content Quality developed into a marketplace app, the infamous Confluence Best Practices videos were brought to life, and Hyvor Talk was introduced to our websites and as a Viewport expansion.

“Without Freiraum, I probably wouldn't have taken the few hours to solve this problem and get it off my plate. So to all of you, if you have a topic that bothers you but you don’t think you have the time to fix it, Freiraum is there to support that.”

- Steffen Burzlaff, Web Developer

Here are some in-general benefits that we see as a result of Freiraum.

• Higher quality of work - With the time to properly research and organize, the end result comes with a much higher value.

• Improved time management - Individuals are more likely to prioritize their tasks and manage their time more efficiently.

• Career development - Individuals have time to develop a broader skill set and gain a deeper knowledge in their profession.

Final Word

By spending 20% of one’s time on growth and development, it allows more focus during the other 80%, which in turn, increases successful productivity.

Freiraum is an effective way to encourage employees to learn new skills and foster innovation. Additionally, it's important to consider the role that passion plays in driving personal and professional growth. By balancing these two things, passion and innovation, both individuals and companies can achieve greater success and fulfillment. That’s why Freiraum is a fundamental part of how we work at K15t.