Enhancing Team Dynamics with Lego® Serious Play®

Overview

BOTN designed a full-day workshop to help a client improve communication, collaboration, and appreciation of the work between program and administrative staff. Appreciation and understanding of each other’s roles and how they all contribute toward the organization’s mission was lacking, even between program departments. 

Project Objectives

Staff explore and understand the connections between themselves as individuals, themselves and how they show up as organization staff members,  and how they contribute to the team. 

Staff explore, reflect on, and decide which strengths, skills and aspects of themselves best support the team and its mission.

Staff engage in a shared experience that makes use of their individual and collective expertise, experience, and creativity.

Timeline

December

Scope Call

January

Determine Objectives & Co-Design Agenda with Client

February

Workshop Facilitation

The Solution

It is difficult to get to the heart of navigating nuanced relationship dynamics, existing behavior patterns, and barriers to effective communication and collaboration in five hours. We chose to use Lego® Serious Play® (LSP), an evidence-based* hands-on activity to build better understanding of a problem and collaboratively find a solution*, because the client’s team was creative. With three languages being spoken, the client wanted an experience that was inclusive, fun and productive, while still focusing on results. Because LSP creates a forum that is culturally responsive, collaborative, and respectful of diverse languages and norms, it invites participants to:

  • Mitigate barriers to participation

  • Explore and share ideas with each other

  • Learn and practice engaging with one another through strengths-based questions

  • Quickly identify common strengths to make the team more effective

  • Understand and appreciate their colleagues and how they contribute to the organization's mission

What We Did

The process begins with warm-up activities designed to familiarize participants with using Lego® as a tool for expression and storytelling. 

  • Participants then construct and discuss Lego® models representing their current role and contributions to the team, followed by models showcasing additional skills and strengths they could potentially bring. 

  • Next, each participant randomly selects a teammate's name and builds a model depicting how that colleague's identity manifests in the organization and contributes to its mission. Without revealing the subject's identity, the builder describes their model, allowing others to guess who it represents. 

  • Participants then explore connections between the identity models they created and those built to represent them.

  • Finally, the team links their models together where described themes overlap, creating a visual representation of their collective identity and contributions.

The Result

A comparative analysis of pre- and post-workshop assessments revealed improvements in participants' willingness to engage in group activities (from 40% to 100%) and their efficiency in completing group tasks (completion times decreasing from 5 minutes to just 40 seconds).

During a post workshop call, leadership noted the team now operating with heightened awareness of both their collective capabilities and individual strengths.

Participants Willing to Engage In Group Activities

Efficiency in Completing Group Tasks

“This experience refocused my attention to seeing colleagues as individuals and respect the work they do.”

— Participant

“I feel way more connected than I did before. There was so much vulnerability & transparency. I feel more comfortable sharing things with them moving forward.”

— Participant

“I feel more connected to them as individuals because they expressed themselves and showed up in ways I don't normally.”

— Participant

Could your organization benefit from breaking down silos and fostering stronger collaboration?

Let us help you unlock your team’s full potential through LEGO® Serious Play®. Schedule a free consultation today and discover how our innovative, hands-on workshops can improve communication, build appreciation for diverse roles, and create a more cohesive team environment.

Evidence For LSP Methodology

Roos, J. and Victor, B. (2018), "How It All Began: The Origins Of LEGO® Serious Play®", International Journal of Management and Applied Research, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 326-343. https://doi.org/10.18646/2056.54.18-025

Proyer, R. T., Tandler, N., & Brauer, K. (2019). Playfulness and creativity: A selective review. In S. R. Luria, J. Baer, & J. C. Kaufman (Eds.), Creativity and humor (pp. 43–60). Elsevier Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813802-1.00002-8

Sew, Jyh. (2010). David Gauntlett, Creative Explorations: New Approaches to Identities and Audiences. Pragmatics & Cognition. 18. 219-222. 10.1075/pc.18.1.14sew.

Roos, Johan & Victor, Bart & Statler, Matt. (2004). Playing Seriously with Strategy. Long Range Planning. 37. 549-568. 10.1016/j.lrp.2004.09.005.