Don’t diss playing with LEGO at work – it can help you solve problems, come up with new ideas and build closer teams. And it is great fun!
That’s what I found out yesterday when I attended an introduction to “LEGO Serious Play” with local training company Rapid Results. The technique was developed by LEGO based on work on how people learn and focus. LEGO is used a a way of opening up lines of communication and drawing out new ideas. Anyone can assemble LEGO without any skill or prior experience, so it is an approach that can be used in virtually any group in any location for many different problem solving situations.
Each participant in our group received their own pack of LEGO pieces. Then, after an introduction and warm-up exercises we were given a few minutes to construct a LEGO model that represented the session topic. For example we were asked to make a model that represented a challenge we were facing at work. Each person then described what they built, and shared their thoughts with the rest of the team, who could ask questions about the model. Once participants had given the process a go and had seen others work, they quickly overcame any fears of feeling foolish or any preconceived notions that they need to have any artistic talent. In fact it was a delight to hear about the issue from someone else, and to see the innovative and different ways that they had constructed their model.
The process itself sounds simple, but the impact can be quite profound. By using metaphors you find fresh ideas come to the surface, and the physical act of creation stimulates some fascinating insights. The manner in which the models are constructed and used also makes sure that everyone contributes and has the opportunity to have their say. This helps team building and avoids those situations where a few dominate the session. Feedback on the experience from our group was overwhelmingly positive – everyone wanted to go away and do more!
As you would expect there are right and wrong ways of using this tool. To get the most out of the experience you will need to use a trained and experienced facilitator. Contact us for more help or find out more about LEGO Serious Play here.
“You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than you can from a lifetime of conversation” - Plato
