LEGO SERIOUS PLAY

What is LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®?

LEGO® Serious Play® emerged in the mid-1990s as an idea to introduce the use of LEGO®s for business and education environments. It was Robert Rasmussen, then Director of Educational R&D at LEGO®, who developed LEGO Serious Play (LSP) as a methodology and created the facilitator training program.

The LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology uses a structured process to enhance communication, encourage reflection, and facilitate innovative problem solving in a group environment. It can be used by organizations, work teams, and really anyone in general.

During a LSP session, the facilitator (we have 3!) leads participants through series of questions and scenarios that build on each other to expose obstacles and solve complex problems. Each participant builds their own LEGO 3D model in response to the facilitator’s questions using specially selected LEGO elements. These 3D models serve as the basis for group discussion, knowledge sharing, problem solving, and decision making.

Why is it important?

At the organizational level, LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is most useful when the goal is to actively involve various parties in decision-making. The process is especially beneficial in complex situations which require participant buy-in and adaptability.

LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is successful in business because building with LEGO pieces takes advantage of the human ability to imagine, describe, and understand a situation, as well as to initiate changes and improvements or create something radically new. When we use our hands, a complex process develops that generates a strong emotional charge. By embracing the concept of “Hands think faster than the head,” participants can unleash powerful ideas, creativity, and inspiration.

LSP workshops offer an opportunity to level-set everyone involved. LEGOs are universal; they don’t speak a specific language, carry a cultural significance, or have stereotypes (other than being considered only a toy). Download our infographic for quick view of what you can gain from playing with LEGOs.

We believe in the power of LSP at Netmind. We even held a full-day session during our annual #NetmindKickoff meeting to gather feedback, set objectives for the future, and lay the foundation for a strategy to reach our goals.