Serious Play, Serious Results: Unlock Challenges Brick by LEGO® Brick

When was the last time you approached a challenge with a playful mindset? If you're like many leaders I coach, it's probably been so long that you can't remember. In today's world, where productivity often overshadows creativity, it's easy to become fixated on goals and efficiency at the expense of innovation and growth. This tunnel vision creates rigid, risk-averse work environments that stifle employee development and hinder organizational progress. If this sounds like a problem worth solving, it's time to think with your hands—literally.

The Power of Hands-On Thinking

So, what does hands-on thinking even mean? Simply put, hands-on thinking involves incorporating tactile objects into conversations and problem-solving processes. Research shows that when we engage our hands, we activate different parts of our brains. This hand-to-brain connection leads participants to break away from conventional thinking patterns, leading them to more creative and innovative thinking. Individuals and teams that build with their hands are more effective at:

• Clarifying and prioritizing their goals
• Identifying obstacles and hidden challenges
• Leveraging strengths to overcome critical barriers and challenges
• Creating actionable strategies to achieve success

Hands-On-Thinking Tools For Your Success

If this sounds like a great concept to you, you are probably thinking, "Great idea, but how does it actually work, and what objects are best to use for this hands-on thinking to be most effective?" Great questions! My #1 go-to object(s) for hands-on thinking with individuals, groups, and teams is LEGO® bricks using the LEGO® Serious Play® Methodology (LSP for short). To be clear, when I say LEGO® Serious Play®, I'm not talking about a team-building activity where you hand everyone a LEGO® kit that you picked up at Target and tell everyone in the room to build a car together. LSP is a research-backed methodology that gets participants to build out their thoughts and ideas using LEGO® bricks.

The LEGO® Serious Play® method is particularly effective for teams because it supports and enhances:

• Metaphor and Meaning-Making: Building 3D models allows participants to turn abstract concepts into tangible representations, making complex ideas easier to understand.
• Collaboration and Alignment: Team members share their individual perspectives through their models and work together to create a shared vision, fostering deeper understanding and stronger alignment.
• Divergent Thinking: Creating unique, three-dimensional models representing participants' ideas unlocks creative, non-linear thought processes. By employing hands-on, visual metaphors, individuals can explore diverse perspectives and solutions, resulting in richer group discussions and innovative problem-solving, all in a psychologically safe, culture-enhancing environment.
  

What Makes LEGO® Serious Play® So Effective In Achieving Your Goals?

LSP isn't just about building—it's about storytelling, reflection, and strategic exploration. Here's how it helps individuals and teams achieve their goals:

1. Clarifies Your Vision: Setting clear goals is the first step to achieving them. LSP helps participants externalize and define their goals by building physical representations. Take, for example, a working group that aims to improve customer delivery but can't yet articulate what that excellence looks like. By building models with their hands out of LEGO® bricks, each working group member can share their understanding of the vision, and the working team can build a path to a unified vision together.
2. Identifies Hidden Obstacles: Sometimes, the barriers to achieving our goals aren't immediately obvious. LSP allows working teams to surface and address hidden challenges by building models representing critical goals. Take that same working group in the previous example; once the group has built a unified vision, seeing it in 3D and talking it through helps the working team identify obstacles that will block their project from success. This awareness will help the working group identify and resolve issues before they impact progress.
3. Bridges Skill Gaps: Achieving goals requires the right skills, and LSP helps participants reflect on both strengths and weaknesses. By building models that represent their current capabilities, individuals can identify areas for improvement. For example, a manager striving for leadership excellence might realize they need to enhance their communication skills to better engage their team.
4. Turns Ideas into Action: Setting goals is one thing; taking action is another. LSP encourages participants to translate abstract ideas into concrete strategies. By mapping out a model of their next steps, participants leave with a visual representation of their action plan—steps they've literally built with their hands.

Serious Play, Serious Results

In our fast-paced business world, where fire-aim-ready thinking leads to project derailment, stress, and conflict, LEGO® Serious Play® offers a fresh, engaging way to solve problems and set goals. It's not just about having fun (although every team I work with reports it is a lot of fun) —it's about driving real results through creative thinking and collaboration. Whether you're aiming to hit personal milestones or lead your team to success, hands-on thinking offers a unique and powerful approach to unlocking your full potential.

If you're ready to stop overthinking and start building your way to success, consider embracing the power of LEGO® Serious Play®. The solution to your biggest challenges might just be a few bricks away.