Building teams using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™ is more than holding a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™ workshop for the delegates to build a shared LEGO® model of what the team must do to be efficient and effective. Sure, that’s necessary, but not sufficient. Let me explain.
Create a Shared Bond – LEGO® SERIOUS FUN
The first step in team building is to ensure that there is a Shared Bond in the team. A Shared Bond is a positive, emotional bond between the team members. They must all buy into “I feel I can go to war with my fellow team members”. So, start the teambuilding workshop by creating a Shared Bond. I use a process I call LEGO® SERIOUS FUN.
Besides creating a Shared Bond LEGO® SERIOUS FUN also leads to Flow, the state of mind of being in the moment. Flow is a prerequisite for embarking upon a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™ workshop.
Reach a Shared Point of View – LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™
After facilitating LEGO® SERIOUS FUN hold a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™ session to reach committed consensus on what the team must do to be a more efficient and effective team. Participating in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™ methodology is itself a teambuilding exercise. Then, the added benefit is the team develops an action plan to implement to make it happen. Finally, because the action plan is developed jointly following the rules of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™, the participants feel an element of commitment to that plan.
Devise a Shared Action Plan – a Covenant
The final step in the process of using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™ for teambuilding purposes is to transform the action plan into what I call a “Covenant”. The steps in action plans can easily be abdicated by individual team members to the other members of the team. What is required is personal commitment, responsibility and accountability on the part of each and every team member.
A Covenant must be drawn up. Each and every team member commits to making the plan happen. And this requires addressing the matter on a very individual personal level. Intrinsic motivation must be ignited. Sustained motivation must be planned for. Procrastination must be overcome. Finally, the actions in the plan must be aligned with habitual behaviour.
What I’m saying is an isolated LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™ session is not enough to entrench teambuilding that makes a difference. The correct context must be provided and addressed in the workshop.
DO IT AGAIN and AGAIN and HAVE FUN
And wait, there’s more. What about the time after the workshop has ended when implementation needs to take place? Yes, that too must be addressed and planned for in the workshop. Teambuilding isn’t a one-off workshop. It is continual, fun-filled implementation of committed consensus.
You might want to say at this stage that’s a heck of a lot to do for teambuilding. My reply is one of the reasons team building workshops haven’t been that successful in the past is the subject has been treated in a trivial, slapdash, snap/crackle/pop way. We’ve expected success without really trying and putting effort into it. Teambuilding is a serious matter.
Here’s a link to slides I use to facilitate a 2-day teambuilding workshop using LEGO® SERIOUS FUN and LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™. Contact me if you have any questions.