From Desire to Discipline: Building a Culture of Innovation at Work
Every one of us has an incredible capacity for creativity — the ability to solve problems, build new things, and imagine better ways of doing what we do. Yet, something interesting happens the moment many people step into the workplace. The natural spark to innovate often gets suppressed instead of inspired.
With nearly 70% of employees reportedly disengaged at work, the real question isn’t whether people want to innovate — it’s how we can turn that desire into a discipline.
Four years ago, my company faced that exact challenge. Despite having a transparent, collaborative culture, we realised that our team’s full potential wasn’t being unlocked. Project deadlines dominated our focus, and creativity took a back seat. Then one of our team members, Zack, suggested a bold idea that changed everything.
The Birth of “Lab Day”
Zack proposed something simple but daring:
“What if we set aside our client work for one full day — no emails, no meetings — and just worked on projects of our own choosing? We could form small teams and see what we can build together in a day.”
It sounded risky. After all, taking a full day off from client projects costs money. But we decided to say yes.
That one decision transformed our company. Four years later, our Lab Day program has produced over 100 prototypes, several of which evolved into market-ready products and even led to collaborations with major partners — including LEGO.
So how did we make innovation part of our culture? We learned that creativity thrives not by chance but by design — and it requires structure. Here are the three key practices that helped us turn innovation from a spontaneous idea into a repeatable discipline.
1. The Drawing Board: Creating Space for Ideas
Once a week, for just 30 minutes, we host what we call The Drawing Board — a relaxed session where anyone can share ideas. It’s a space free from daily pressures and project talk.
- The goal isn’t to pitch a perfect plan but to let imagination flow.
- Any idea is welcome as long as it falls under our broad mission of “using technology for good.”
- We keep it positive, collaborative, and informal.
This ritual helps ideas surface that might otherwise remain buried under daily workloads. It’s a simple, consistent reminder that creativity is part of everyone’s job.
2. Lab Day: Turning Ideas into Action
All those Drawing Board conversations come to life during Lab Day — a dedicated day for experimentation.
- Teams self-organise around ideas they’re excited about.
- Each group sets a realistic goal for what they can build or improve within a single day.
- By the end, every team produces something tangible — a prototype, a new process, or even a concept demo.
Lab Day isn’t just about innovation; it’s about momentum. It transforms brainstorming into action, showing people that even small efforts can lead to real results.
3. Show and Tell: Sharing and Celebrating Progress
At the end of Lab Day, we hold a Show and Tell session — yes, just like in school.
Each team gets a few minutes to present what they created. We celebrate progress, offer feedback, and discuss how ideas can evolve in future sessions. The tone remains casual and uplifting. The focus isn’t on judging but on learning and sharing inspiration.
This final step closes the loop — turning innovation into a continuous, collective rhythm rather than a one-time event.
The Story of “My Story”
One of our most meaningful innovations came from this process.
Brian, one of our designers, noticed his eight-year-old sister struggling to write a story. She had ideas but couldn’t organise them. That moment sparked an idea: What if we used the iPad to help kids tell their stories more easily?
That simple question became a Lab Day project, which evolved into an app called My Story — now downloaded over 250,000 times worldwide and used in classrooms across the globe.
The most powerful moment came when a teacher tweeted us to share that one of her students — a girl who hadn’t spoken all year — pressed the record button on My Story and found her voice for the first time.
That was the day we realised innovation isn’t just about business success — it’s about impact.
Innovation Is a Choice
You can’t dictate creativity. You can’t demand innovation on command. But you can design an environment that nurtures it.
Some might think this only works for creative teams or tech startups, but even global giants like Pixar have adopted similar approaches.
When facing rising production costs, Pixar didn’t retreat to the boardroom. Instead, they created what they called “Notes Day” — a company-wide innovation day where employees broke into small groups to brainstorm solutions from the ground up.
According to Ed Catmull in Creativity, Inc., this initiative not only produced cost-saving ideas and new tools but also reignited a sense of energy and ownership across the organisation.
That’s the real secret: innovation doesn’t just build better products — it builds better people.
From Desire to Discipline
Many workplaces today are filled with talented individuals whose creativity is stifled by process and pressure. But by giving people structured freedom — through idea sessions, open collaboration, and regular creative breaks — innovation can shift from a moment of inspiration to a sustainable discipline.
As Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
If every organisation embraced a discipline of innovation — creating structured spaces for creativity — we could not only transform our companies but truly build the change we want to see in the world.
