What is the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method and how does it relate to joy at work?

Participants of a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop building together a model

First of all, for explaining what the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method is and what it can deliver, we have to clarify what it is NOT:

- LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is not frivolous play with LEGO® bricks;
- LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is not just another team building game from another consultancy company;
- LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is not the next 'Kicker' (soccer table) in the office;
- LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is not a break from work;

LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is playing with an explicit purpose and that means hard work.

The method can be used to find unknown answers to a problem or to empower participants to create a robust business strategy.

LEGO SERIOUS PLAY relies on the concept of “hand knowledge”, meaning that our hands know more than we realize, and guided construction with LEGO bricks gives us access to this knowledge. This concept in inherited from our own experiments, as children, when hands-on interactions was our way to learn from the world.

Participants have to be in the flow, meaning being challenged enough but not too much, in order to unlock the hidden knowledge and to be able to solve the given problem.

And why does this bring more joy at work ?

The participants who are involved in the process are committed to the solution. Everyone is heard. They are motivated to contribute because they know their role, and their strength which is part of the solution. This makes them experience joy at work.

Are you ready to experiment serious play at work?