Ah LEGO, that familiar old toy with the colourful bricks. It probably provided you with many happy memories as a kid, if not you then certainly someone you know. But did you know that the classic toy is also used in facilitation services? This usually takes the form of a methodology called LEGO® Serious Play®, which you may already be familiar with. If not, or you are curious about what it can bring to your organisation, don’t worry. We will explain the science of LEGO® Serious Play® and all its potential benefits for facilitation workshops and team collaboration over the course of this article! Whether you are a facilitator or someone looking to integrate innovative tools into your training services, LEGO® Serious Play® offers a creative and effective approach.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® 

The concept of LEGO® Serious Play® started to take shape in the 1990s when two professors at the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland were working on alternative strategic planning tools for the head of the LEGO® Group. It was this process that laid the building blocks of what would become LEGO® Serious Play®—a powerful facilitation tool used in workshops and team-building activities across industries.

The idea behind LEGO® Serious Play® is that you can use the bricks to illustrate problems faced by an organisation and then use them to try and resolve the issues. For LEGO®, their thinking was that if children can use the bricks to imagine things, so can adults. The application might be different, but the crux of LEGO® is to create, and that is part of the science behind facilitation workshops and the team coaching benefits of LEGO® Serious Play®.

The science of LEGO® Serious Play® 

LEGO® Serious Play® is unique in its approach for a variety of reasons, and not just because it differs so much from a regular day at work! Every aspect of the approach has its own benefits, and it has been regularly developed to optimise these benefits. With that in mind, let’s delve into the science of LEGO® Serious Play® and what it can do for you.  

Engagement across the board 

The nature of LEGO® Serious Play® encourages everyone to engage in the process and ensures that everyone is heard in equal measure. As mentioned in our last article, meetings can sometimes have an imbalanced dynamic. The process of LEGO® Serious Play® requires everyone to build something and to share their interpretations of their creations. While in a regular meeting you may not hear from each participant, LEGO® Serious Play® sessions guarantee that everyone provides input. On top of this being good practice in team training, it can also offer everyone a fresh perspective from someone that they don’t usually hear from. If your organisation is participating in a session, the chances are that you are looking to change something, meaning that having alternative perspectives is an opportunity to find your solutions.

Of course, one of the additional benefits of hearing from everyone is that everyone is heard. This is an important distinction to make, as it shows that the listening participants aren’t the only ones getting something out of the session, but also means that the presenter feels heard, understood, and valued in their contribution. This aspect is integral in the work of facilitators, as they ensure that every voice is captured in the process.

Thinking with the Body in Facilitation Services

Research has shown that creating something and then talking about it can lead to more insightful and honest discussions. With that in mind, during a LEGO® Serious Play® session, participants are creating builds in response to what the facilitator has asked of them, which is typically based on the organisation’s goals. The process of building requires participants to reflect internally on their own perceptions of the issue at hand.

Furthermore, the fact that all participants build at the same time means that there can be no external factors to influence their perceptions. It is perfectly natural for people to go with the flow in regular team coaching sessions, but this stifles alternative perspectives and creative solutions. With LEGO® Serious Play®, the building process allows people to form their own ideas and then helps to cement them by transforming them into a construction.

The beauty of the science of LEGO® Serious Play® in facilitation

The beauty of the science of LEGO® Serious Play® lies in its unique ability to promote effective facilitation. Participants not only build models but then share their ideas, ensuring a comprehensive and collaborative approach to problem-solving. By encouraging everyone to articulate their conceptions clearly, the session allows the team to communicate ideas in ways that everyone can understand. Each participant must use their model to illustrate their thoughts, thus creating a strong connection between the building process and the ideas they articulate. LEGO® calls this use of craft and reflection the ‘hand-mind connection.’ As you may have noted, this connection is a common benefit that runs throughout LEGO® Serious Play® facilitation workshops.

Creativity in its simplest form

For many of us, LEGO® is mainly associated with bricks and rectangular shapes. However, many of the sets available contain a wide range of shapes, from flags to palm trees, and of course, people! In LEGO® Serious Play® facilitation, the sets are designed to enable creativity, combining both bricks and other unique shapes that allow participants to build freely. This creative flexibility is key to the success of LEGO® Serious Play® as a facilitation method.

The creative freedom afforded by LEGO® is also complemented by the fact that it requires minimal technical skill. Many of us grew up with LEGO® toys, and even those unfamiliar with the concept can quickly grasp how to use it. This ease of use makes LEGO® an ideal tool for creative problem-solving, helping organisations think outside the box during team coaching sessions or facilitation workshops.

The science of LEGO® Serious Play® explained

There are clearly numerous benefits to using LEGO® Serious Play® in training and facilitation services. At its core, LEGO® Serious Play® is a creative facilitation method that encourages collaboration, participation, and innovative thinking. It provides an alternative to the monotony of traditional meetings, revitalizing team dynamics and fostering cooperation. LEGO® Serious Play® helps empower organisations to find their own solutions in a dynamic and engaging way. Whether you’re looking for team coaching, a facilitation workshop, or a comprehensive training service, LEGO® Serious Play® can be a valuable tool to enhance your organisation’s creativity and problem-solving abilities.

If you think this is the type of team coaching or facilitation service your organisation could benefit from, contact us for a free 30-minute consultation!

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