Above the Line: When Altitude Limits Innovation (And What To Do About It)

The Skyscraper Drone Dilemma

Michael's team ordered three professional-grade drones to explore potential office applications, such as deliveries between floors, immersive VR tours, or security sweeps. Their goal wasn't solving a specific problem—just experimenting with technology that might inspire innovation.

Despite being technical experts who implement smart building technologies for a living, the team hit an unexpected roadblock. After assembly, none of the three drones would operate. Following multiple rounds of troubleshooting, they reluctantly called technical support.

The support representative walked them through the same steps they'd already attempted, but nothing worked.

Then came the pivotal question: "Where exactly are you located?"

After learning they were on the 67th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper, the rep explained: "That's your problem. These drones have built-in altitude restrictions that prevent them from flying above the FAA's height limit. The drone doesn't know you're indoors, but it does know you're too high up."

Key Lessons Beyond the Punchline

Innovation Doesn't Always Need a Target

Michael's team wasn't solving a specific problem but exploring possibilities. Even their "failure" produced valuable knowledge about regulatory constraints embedded in devices.

Too often, leaders demand clear ROI projections before authorizing exploration. But innovation rarely follows a predictable path. Creating space for curiosity-driven experimentation builds organizational capability for detecting emerging opportunities.

We Can't Make Assumptions About User Location

Today's distributed workplace means we can no longer take physical context for granted. Your colleagues might be working from:

• The 67th floor of a skyscraper
• A client's office they've never visited before
• A home office in their basement
• A coworking space phone booth
• A café or restaurant

How and how often they move between environments influences their behavior, preferences, and openness to new tools. Asking "Where are you?" has become essential before offering solutions or making recommendations.

Imagine a Finance employee calling the help desk because they cannot remotely access a system. The technician spends 30 minutes troubleshooting VPN settings and network configurations. Only after this does the tech ask, "Where are you working from?" The employee replies that they are working from a client’s site using guest WiFi that likely blocks VPN traffic.

A simple location question upfront would have quickly identified the issue and saved significant time; profile information about the caller could also have identified them as a frequent traveler.

Flying Higher Without Breaking Rules

The drones couldn't overcome their programmed altitude limits, but organizations can navigate their invisible boundaries more effectively:

1. Map the boundaries first: Before launching innovation initiatives, identify regulatory, technical, and cultural constraints. Understanding these limitations during early planning prevents wasted effort and redirects creativity to viable paths.
2. Find the right altitude: Sometimes innovation happens best at the "edge" of boundaries rather than trying to break through them. The most successful innovators don't ignore constraints—they transform them into creative parameters.
3. Create safe test zones: Establish environments where innovation can happen with fewer restrictions, such as physical labs, digital sandboxes, or designated times for experimentation. For workplace professionals, this could be trying things in a coworking office away from your HQ.

Related to the last point, I wrote about the ​future financial services HQ​ while at McKinsey, sharing a story from a transformation leader from a leading European bank:

“We dedicated an entire office floor to become a ‘living lab’ full of furniture and other items employees are testing, and people love it. It allows them to control their environment, just like they would at home.”

This is an excellent example of ring-fencing innovation to promote psychological safety with employees who may try something that eventually doesn’t work or show immediate value.

The Crossfunctional Imperative

Navigating these hidden boundaries requires collaboration across traditionally siloed functions:

• HR needs to understand technology limitations
• IT must recognize physical workspace constraints
• Facilities teams should consider how hybrid work impacts their services

We're all operating at different altitudes now. Thriving organizations will ask "Where are you?" before attempting to make things fly (so to speak), educating employees and revising playbooks to cover all potential scenarios.

Think of all the groups that interface with customers, internally or externally. Do they have access to their customers’ mobility profiles? Are they trained to ask?

And as you pursue your next innovation initiative, remember Michael's drones. The ceiling might be lower than you think—or higher than you imagined.

In all cases, altitude and attitude matter.

Happy Passover to those still celebrating, and Happy Easter to those about to be.

Have you secured funding to try something experimental for your future workplace? What invisible altitude limits affect your innovation efforts?