Luke Battye from http://seriousplayworkshops.co.uk has written the following blog post.
LEGO play is an interesting concept. LEGO has been around for generations. We played with it, our parents played with it, and even their parents played with it. It is a recurring toy, something that has lived through countless generations and that will live through many more.
Only recently though have LEGO, as a company, aimed to move away from the concept of LEGO being solely a toy for children, and instead that it can be used for everyone. The question is – how does LEGO play work for adults?
How Does LEGO Play Work For Adults?
There is an obvious answer to this question, where adults just play with LEGO, whether it is on their own or with children. LEGO recently released the architect and designer ranges for adults who want to have their own sculptures to build. These are fun, but not entirely what we are on about in this instance.
LEGO have designed a tool for management, team building, and problem solving known as LEGO Serious Play and the idea is very simple. The concept is that we, as human beings, learn through using our hands. We develop our thoughts whilst playing, something which is widely recognised as a scientific fact for children all over the world. Through play we create, adapt, and manage our own thought structures to come up with creative solutions to problems we encounter in everyday life.
This is where LEGO Serious Play comes in and why it has started taking the management world by storm. Rather than having “lean out” meetings where a large percentage of people are not engaged, LEGO ensures a “leaning in” meeting. It ensures that all participants are involved in creating a solution that will ultimately benefit the company as a whole.
This is why LEGO play for adults is so effective. We still, as human beings, learn through playing. We learn through exploring our own thoughts, and physically building those thoughts helps that process along in a way seldom recognised in the business world. It can revolutionise a business and revolutionise thinking. You can find out more about the theory and the science surrounding LEGO Serious Play here.
LEGO can be used to generate new ideas or develop old ones. It can be used to create and break down. This versatility makes LEGO Serious Play a seriously powerful tool for managers to use. You can find out more by contacting us here.
