Introduction to LEGO Serious Play approach

Hello all,

I am so exited with my LEGO SERIOUS PLAY facilitator training and I decided to do 2 posts. One with one introduction to the method and a second one with my experience in the training. Let’s do the introduction here.

LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) is a facilitated meeting, communication and problem-solving method, where participants are led through a series, which go deeper and deeper. Each participant builds his or her own three-dimensional LEGO model in response to the facilitator’s questions using specially selected LEGO bricks. These 3D models serve as the basis for group discussion, knowledge sharing, problem-solving and decision-making.

Purpose

It is a good idea to use the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Method if it is important:

that everyone is able to contribute her or his knowledge and opinions on a level playing field
that the meeting includes honest dialog and collaborative communication
that no one participant dominates at the expense of others, for example, by pursuing a personal agenda

Subject

It is a good idea to use the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Method when:

the subject is complex and multifaceted, and there are no clear answers
there is a need to grasp the big picture, see connections and explore various options and potential solutions
the participants are diverse in age, professional background or training (engineer ring and marketing, for example), or organizational status

Result

It is a good idea to use the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Method, when it is important:

to make decisions that everyone commits to and honors after the meeting, even though s/he does not agree 100% with everything
to make sure there are no excuses or lack of initiative after the meeting, because participants feel they were not heard nor involved in the decision
to give all participants a common understanding and frame of reference that will impact their work together after the meeting

With LEGO SERIOUS PLAY approach the result are “lean forward meetings”. This means more participation, more insights, more knowledge, more engagement and, ultimately, more commitment and faster implementation.

I hope you like this introduction, stay tuned for the next post about my very exited experience in this fantastic training run by Robert Rasmussen (Chief facilitator and Master Trainer)

Thank you,

Omar Bermudez

(*) LEGO Serious Play open source document

(*) Original text from Rasmussen Consulting

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