What is LEGO SERIOUS PLAY?

LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) is a facilitated method of getting everyone on a team actively involved in thinking through the many issues that exist in an organization by building and sharing models which are created with LEGO bricks. These issues include, but are certainly not limited to, strategic planning, product development, and team building. The method is based upon the idea that everyone has a story to tell and a viewpoint worth hearing.

Can you relate to the feelings people have toward a meeting that was hastily called or held without an agenda? What about a meeting where one person dominates the conversation while others lean back in their chairs, seemingly disinterested in what is taking place? Ever been to a meeting where someone actually tries to sabotage the agenda by constantly raising roadblocks like "We tried that before, and it didn't work" or "You don't really know what's going on here"? The LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method is designed to break through all of the issues that can contribute to horrible meetings that leave everyone wondering whether anything was actually accomplished. By giving everyone time to build, time to speak, and time to reflect, participants will walk away with new insights, increased confidence, and renewed commitment to goals. In short, instead of a meeting with a table of people leaning back and thinking about where to go for lunch, we create a table with people leaning forward, ready to jump in and act on business priorities. 

But isn't LEGO for kids?

Sure, many of us grew up playing with LEGO or, perhaps, have kids and grandkids playing with LEGO now. If you have played with LEGO at some point, you are sure to remember the excitement you felt when you created something new out of a variety of bricks, something that you put together based on a vision you had, that told a story only you can tell. Well, the same thing creates excitement for adults! Being heard and being taken seriously is one of the very few things in life has the power to motivate and create buy-in with individuals. Because this method is based on having input from every person in the room and because each person assigns meaning to their own LEGO creations, no one has an advantage in an LSP session. The seasoned LEGO enthusiast is at the same level as someone who has never pick up a LEGO brick before.

We know, through both observation and research, that building and manipulating things with our hands increases both the number of ideas we create as well as increases our ability to remember, act on, and build upon these ideas. This is as true for adults as it is for kids. Yes, the humble LEGO brick is a staple of many households with kids, but it's importance as a tool for organizations unlock knowledge and ideas is already apparent to companies like Coca-Cola, Google, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, and many more who have used LEGO SERIOUS PLAY materials and methodology in their business. Will your organization be next?

Is it fun?

Of course it is! As the name LEGO SERIOUS PLAY implies, there is an element of play involved. Taking the time to be creative, make something, and share it with others promotes good feelings all around and gives the space for new ideas to emerge. Of course, we aren't in the business of just letting everyone come into a room, put some LEGO bricks together and avoid the real issues in an organization. That's where the serious part of LEGO SERIOUS PLAY comes in. Play works best (we get the most satisfaction and highest results) when we have structure and "rules" to guide the play. By using a set of questions and scenarios which are carefully designed in advance, each session looks at specific issues that are important to a team or company. Using these boundaries, we are able to move from simply playing to playing with purpose.

What does a LEGO SERIOUS PLAY
session look like?

First, there is no standard LSP session. Each one is custom designed by a Trained LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Facilitator to meet your needs. We will schedule time to discuss your goals for the session and find ways to meet those goals. However, there are some common elements that you will see in sessions. Of course, there will be LEGO bricks and accessories out on the tables along with a number of other tools to help capture ideas, revelations, or questions that may arise. At the beginning of each session, the facilitator will take some time to familiarize everyone with the basic process of designing answers to questions using LEGO. At the beginning of the session, questions will focus on the individual and, as we move through the session, questions will increasingly focus on the team or factors apart from the individual. Throughout the session, we take time to share stories and meanings and also capture important information for follow-up. You will be amazed at the 100% engagement you see in the room. At the conclusion of the session, when everything is put away, a report will be prepared which will capture, in words and images, the work that was done in the session.

Our commitment to you.

I know that you are interested in high quality programs that will have a measurable impact. As a Trained LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Facilitator, I have the training and experience to deliver a session that will exceed your expectations. I look forward to creating, with you, a session which will get your team fully involved, aligned, and committed to reaching new heights.

We are excited to be able to offer sessions using LEGO SERIOUS PLAY materials and methodology to your organization and would love to demonstrate what it can do for you. With the ability to address issues from Technology to Human Resources to Sales and with frontline employees to volunteers to executives, LEGO SERIOUS PLAY can help you gain the information you need, from your entire team, to solve the issues that matter most to you and your organization.

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LEGO® and SERIOUS PLAY® are registered trademarks of the LEGO Group.