blog by Carolyn Burnet.

 

I am a self-confessed devotee of Lego – and I am well out of childhood! What’s not to love? And it seems that I am not alone.
A baker in London who made an edible Lego wedding cake had 144,154 Facebook Likes, 23,048 Comments and 70,417 Shares – and it’s not because it was a nice tasting cake!
I enjoyed a photo in Sideswipe in the Herald where pieces of Lego were used to fill in a gap in a footpath – a mini piece of art (see picture)! LEGO Footpath Art
The last few years has seen an upsurge in the uses that Lego is being turned to.
Jamie Morton, a science reporter at the New Zealand Herald, wrote an article on research that has been done at the University of Canterbury. Researchers have suggested using Lego faces as a scale to pin-point the emotions of children or those with problems with communication.
Dr Wilson from Victoria University has noted that there is a drive to identify toys to facilitate social understanding and emotional awareness.
Rapid Results have been using Lego Serious Play for a few years as a tool for effective communication and training sessions. Lego ensures that everyone participates, communicates equally, shares, uses both sides of their brains, reaches consensus, and enjoys the entire process.
Prior to my first Lego Serious Play session at Rapid Results I was very anxious about turning something that I enjoyed “playing with” to a tool to be used in a work environment – would it ruin my Lego pleasure? Surely if something is done at work then it cannot be enjoyable, or relaxed, or even overly creative. My model, and thus ultimately me, may be seen in a poor light!
Put those worries away. I had fun using Lego in a different way to how I had used it before – interactively, illustrating thoughts, and problem-solving. It may be child’s play but a lot of powerful work can be achieved through using it.
The workshops generate a high level of engagement, participation and enjoyment.
Here’s just some of the situations where LEGO SERIOUS PLAY®™ is highly relevant:
• When it’s highly important that you have everyone’s buy-in and engagement
• When you want to connect team members to organisational value systems and see shifts in behaviour
• When the team spirit needs improving – team members may be de-motivated and disengaged
• When you want to provoke innovative thinking
• When you want to deal with tough and complex issues in a constructive atmosphere
• When you want to create a level playing field for discussions
• When you need to develop strategic plans in a visual and exciting way
• When you to induct new team members appropriately into the culture of the team

Do you want to know more about using Lego Serious Play in your workplace? Give us a call today on 0800 338 356.