As the fast pace of technology calls for innovative, out-of-the-box thinking, corporations are looking for more unusual approaches to meet the challenges they face, often with “hands-on” or “unplugged” approaches. Such companies operate in a variety of industries from all over the world including Google, NASA, Coca-Cola, Toyota, and Unilever.
Robert Ramussen the 'architect' of the LEGO Serious Play (LSP) methodology says"
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“If LEGO is about anything, it’s the use of one’s hands while the mind is in an unplugged state"
How did it start?
In the late ‘90s, Robert Ramussen was asked by then-LEGO Group CEO, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, to explore how LEGO bricks could help a company improve its strategic planning, communication, and creative thinking. Rasmussen, a former math teacher and school principal, was already part of the LEGO family, leading product development for the Education Devision, which focused solely on children. What started as a project to be completed in his spare time became a defining career shift for Rasmussen, and Lego Serious Play (LSP) was born.
How does it work?
Just as LEGO bricks can be used to build a representation of virtually anything, the LSP method can be applied to any company objective, whether it’s solving a media crisis or brainstorming ways to transform your current business model.
The LSP method asks participants to build models – symbolic or metaphorical – which represent their thinking. This gives them the space to consider their own ideas, without the influence of other people’s input. It means that when they are then asked to present their ideas, these are already formed and not modified to conform to any perceived consensus view. Through this, people can find more authentic and honest voices.
Participants are then asked to discuss and give a single narrative which explains the whole model. One LSP facilitator explains:
"This is where the magic happens. I’ve seen how a group of up to 12 participants from a range of different positions – culturally, educationally and professionally – have managed to agree on a shared view of a problem and how it might be addressed. In many environments, this is quite a rare achievement."
I love this 'outside the box' concept and take my hat off to any Organisation who endorses it to their employees.
Playing nicely is something we all need to do, no matter how old we are!
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