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Although, from the outside, a LEGO SERIOUS PLAY workshop may just look like playing with Lego, its structured process elicits deep thinking, powerful storytelling, authentic collaboration and problem solving of complex challenges that organizations, businesses and communities face.
The few experiences led at SDC proved the efficiency of this process designed to enhance engagement, performance and innovation in large and small organizations.
After organizing a Lunch & Learn Session in June, here we are with a new blog post to invite you all experiencing “to think with the hands”.

Sandra Gentizon, SDC

What is Lego Serious Play?

Lego Serious play is a facilitation method based on the belief that everyone can contribute to the discussion, the decisions, solutions and the outcome.
The use of LEGO bricks simply enables you to take a speedy shortcut to the core. Deep learning and collaboration can more easily be provoked when people build ideas with their hands rather than just talk about them (80% of our neurons are connected with our hands).
The bricks work as a catalyst – and when used for building metaphors, they trigger processes that you were previously unaware of.

When to use Lego Serious Play?

“LEGO SERIOUS PLAY rejects the idea that external ‘experts’ must be brought in to identify problems, and to propose solutions; on the contrary, LEGO SERIOUS PLAY begins with the assumption that the answers are ‘already in the room’, and invites participants to ‘think with their hands’ to build their understandings. Every member of the team participates, and everyone has a voice.”
Thus, when you want to gather the total individual and team brain power to work on complex business issues LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is the method of choice. And it can be used in a wide range of contexts such as:

• Organizational development
• Increasing employee engagement
• Building a shared vision
• Creating an organizational strategy
• Change management of structural changes and mergers
• Exploring development of new innovations

How to use LEGO SERIOUS PLAY?

The basic sequence of any LEGO Serious Play process consists in three phases:

Phase 1: The Challenge
The facilitator poses the building challenge to the participants.

Phase 2: Building
The participants build a LEGO model representing their reflections on the building challenge.

Phase 3: Sharing
The participants share the meaning and the story that they have assigned to their own models.

This basic ‘building block’ is repeated several times in any LEGO SERIOUS PLAY session.

Why to use LEGO SERIOUS PLAY?

1.  100% participation guaranteed
2. Gives shy people confidence
3. Fresh perspectives guaranteed
4. Gets to core beliefs and values
5. Authentic expression (no lies)
6. Create a common language
7. Clarifies complexity
8. Group alignment guaranteed
9. Memorable results
10. Saves time

Ressources and Related Stories

Top ten reason to use Lego Serious Play
LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Open Source Manual
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