Enhancing Team Dynamics with Lego® SeriousPlay®

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

Discover the connections between individual identities, professional roles, and contributions to the team dynamic.

Identify and leverage valuable personal strengths, skills, and attributes in service of team goals and organizational mission.

Cultivate deeper understanding and appreciation among staff from different departments, highlighting how diverse responsibilities contribute to advancing the organization's unified mission.

Map how diverse identities, skills, and strengths interconnect to form a foundation for effective collaboration and efficient problem solving.

The Solution

Addressing relationship dynamics, entrenched behavior patterns, and communication barriers within a five-hour timeframe required an innovative approach.

The multilingual team (operating across three languages) needed an intervention that could transcend verbal communication barriers while leveraging their natural creativity. We selected the LSP framework because it creates an inclusive environment where participants engage through universal building concepts rather than relying solely on language proficiency.

The workshop provided a culturally responsive forum that:

  • Eliminated participation barriers by equalizing communication through hands-on modeling

  • Enabled self-discovery and peer recognition through three-dimensional representations

  • Developed capacity for strength-based interactions and feedback

  • Visualized interconnections between individual strengths and team capabilities

  • Cultivated genuine appreciation for how diverse contributions collectively advance organizational objectives

The workshop design progressively deepened participants' understanding of individual and team dynamics:

Self-Identity Exploration
Participants constructed and discussed LEGO® models representing their current roles, contributions, and untapped skills they could potentially bring to the organization.

Peer Recognition and Reflection
Participants built models based on their perceptions of colleagues' unique value. When presented back, these models created powerful moments of recognition as team members witnessed how others genuinely perceived their contributions.

Organizational Dynamics
Staff constructed connections between individual identity models and peer-perception models, visualizing relationships and creating a three-dimensional organizational network.

Through this progressive building process, abstract concepts of teamwork and interconnection were transformed into concrete, visible artifacts that participants could literally grasp and internalize.

The Result

Workshop assessments revealed significant improvements in participant engagement and efficiency:

  • Team members' willingness to engage in group activities increased from 40% to 100%

  • Efficiency in completing group tasks improved dramatically, with completion times decreasing from 5 minutes to just 40 seconds

Thirty days after the workshop, our client reported that the team was operating with heightened awareness of both their collective capabilities and individual strengths. This awareness directly enhanced program design efficiency, as staff members demonstrated increased confidence and knew precisely how to leverage each other's unique skills and expertise.

Participants Willing to Engage In Group Activities

A bar chart comparing percentage of stars given by The Times and Guardian, with values of 40% and 100%, respectively.

Efficiency in Completing Group Tasks

Red downward arrow on a black background.

“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.