What is this LEGO SERIOUS PLAY you speak of? Are we just going to play with LEGO?
According to the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY people, and I quote:
“The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method (LSP) is a facilitated thinking, communication and problem solving technique for use with organisations, teams and individuals.
It draws on extensive research from the fields of business, organisational development, psychology and learning, and is based on the concept of ‘hand knowledge’.”
It’s a real thing.
So, what is “hand knowledge”?
The whole approach is based on the premise that our hands connect to 70 to 80% of our brains. Which means that anytime we are using our hands we’re able to access more of our brains – which allows for more creativity and new connections to be made.
We each know far more than we think we know!
The approach is based on some fundamental beliefs about leadership and organizations, including:
Leaders don’t have all the answers
Leaders’ success is dependent on hearing all voices in the room.
Every member counts
Allowing each member to contribute and speak out results in a more sustainable business model.
Complex and adaptive
We live in a world which can best be described as complex and adaptive (VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity).
People naturally want to contribute
People want to be part of something bigger and take ownership.
Untapped knowledge
All too often, teams work sub-optimally, leaving team member knowledge untapped.
How does this actually work?
1. Question
The facilitator (in this case, me!) poses a question.
2. Construction
Everybody builds their answer using the bricks in the window kit.
3. Sharing
One at a time everyone around the table shares the story of what they’ve built.
4. Reflection
A moment of reflection – the facilitator and the other participants are able to ask questions.
Seems simple enough, right?
But oh, so rich and complex. You will be surprised at the level of sharing that happens in a facilitated LEGO SERIOUS PLAY session. There’s inevitably laughter, and sometimes even tears. The approach is powerful, and in the hands of an experienced coach and facilitator, almost magical.
When NOT to use a LEGO SERIOUS PLAY approach?
If you’re looking for training, we can talk about that (happy to help there too) – but if you want to transfer specific information INTO brains, LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is not the approach to use.
Because this approach accesses everyone’s wonderfulness OUT of their brains.
Can a LEGO SERIOUS PLAY approach help me with my organizational challenge?
A LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop and coaching program can help you and your team with:
Improving Connections
(relationships) within and across teams in your organization
Problem Solving
Communication & Operational Efficiency
Team Building & Workplace Collaborations
Strategy Creation
Planning and implementation
Organizational Development
Following on mergers & acquisitions, turnarounds and restructuring
Managing Change in a VUCA World
Business Development
Curious? Let’s have a short conversation about what you’re looking for.
Bring out the best in your diverse teams with this dynamic, collaborative approach
We develop managers, leaders, teams and organizations through a unique combination of leadership coaching and the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method.
Leaders & companies who choose a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® approach share the following beliefs:
you are not satisfied with the tried and true, traditional approaches to team building and growth
you are ready to challenge your assumptions about how to achieve organizational excellence
in the face of significant change and uncertainty, you recognize the need to create relationships build on meaning, trust and most importantly, connection
you see a growing need for collaborative approaches that support your people while they tackle today’s critical issues and problems together in a new and creative way
Consider LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® for your leaders and teams when:
your challenges are complex, you have multiple stakeholders, and there are no obvious answers
there is a need to grasp the big picture, see connections, and explore options and potential solutions
you have diverse team members in different age groups, with a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, training and/or organizational status
you have new team members you want to integrate into the group – you may be feeling the effects of the Great Resignation in your organization
How do LEGO SERIOUS PLAY and leadership coaching work together?
A kick-off LEGO SERIOUS PLAY session is a diagnostic tool that will allow us to identify the lay of the land in terms of how your teams and your team leaders are functioning. Who’s playing well together, and who (and what) needs more support and attention?
This kick-off session delivers a number of benefits for your team:
Connection and learning: each and every member of the team (including the leader) will benefit from this unique relationship- and connection-building experience.
This session ALWAYS includes laughter and learning about one another.
It works as a stress-reliever for everyone in the group – play and conversation are a magical combination!
Diagnostic tool: as I see your leader in action with his or her team, I’ll gain additional insights that will help us to further identify his/her unique strengths and gaps as a people manager. These insights will become part of the goals for this one-on-one customized development program.
Once we’ve completed the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY session with the whole team, an ongoing coaching support and development program will develop your leader in real time as they face real world challenges.
With your leader’s stakeholders in mind together we will identify the leader’s specific and personal areas for development and based on these needs create the right goals for your leader’s 6-month coaching program.
Some of these areas might include any or all of the following:
communication and conflict resolution skills
decision-making skills
delegation
time management and prioritization
holding effective meetings
Got an important meeting coming up? Some interpersonal conflict on the team?
Sounds interesting? I can help
How do LEGO SERIOUS PLAY and leadership coaching work together?
One 2-3 hour LEGO SERIOUS PLAY session for everyone on the team.
The 6 month one-to-one customized coaching program for your leader includes the following:
a 3-way meeting with the team leader and the leader’s manager to align on program goals
a 90 minute Deep Dive (kick off) session with the team leader
2 coaching sessions monthly over zoom for a period of 6 months (12 coaching sessions)
a 360 assessment (if one does not already exist)
a check-in call with the manager at the halfway mark to check progress
support via text and phone in between sessions
a celebration and learning wrap up call
Can we do a stand-alone LEGO SERIOUS PLAY session and then decide on next steps?
Absolutely!!
Got more questions? I’ve got answers.
Connect with me for a quick no commitment conversation about where you’re at and where you’d like your teams to be.
Who’s Darcy Roberts, PCC?
I’ve been a certified coach through the International Coach Federation (ICF) since completing my coach training in 2016 and obtained my PCC level coaching accreditation in 2021. I’ve coached 250+ clients at all levels across a variety of industry verticals including banks, fintechs, not-for-profits, private schools, post-secondary institutions, manufacturing and insurance.
I became a certified facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method and materials in 2017, and since that time have led 50+ workshops with organizations, government and business both in person and virtually in Canada and the United States.
Some of my LEGO SERIOUS PLAY clients have included:
Here Comes Everyone
LEGO®SERIOUS PLAY® expert Darcy Roberts discusses using the technique to reset and reenergize your teams as we move to the next stage of COVID19
GOT MORE QUESTIONS?
I’ve got answers. Connect with me for a quick no commitment conversation about where you’re at and where you’d like your teams to be.