Building a Better Business Using the Lego Serious Play Method

Chapter 1The Need for Building Better Businesses

The book's Introduction provided information on how the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method was developed to specifically address challenges that LEGO faced. Though many things have changed since the turn of 2001/2002, challenges like these have only become even clearer and more urgent. Our experience has brought to light a number of issues in how business and management is conducted that have led to a continued demand or need for LEGO SERIOUS PLAY, and the difference it can make.

Three areas where LEGO SERIOUS PLAY provides a solution are:

1. Beyond 20/80 meetings and Creating leaning in
2. Leading to unlock
3. Breaking habitual thinking

We present this sequence (as shown in Figure 1.1) in this particular order for a reason: first the manager has to break the 20/80 dynamics and create meetings where everybody is leaning in and contributing. Once this happens, he or she needs to lead to unlock everyone's full potential and, finally, do so in a way that breaks the habitual thinking and unearths new and surprising insights.

Figure 1.1 How the Method Creates Value

Our description of the types of challenges focuses less on the content and more on dynamics or structure. This aligns with our view of LEGO SERIOUS PLAY as a language. The manager may want to go beyond 20/80, lead to unlock, or break habitual thinking on almost any complex issue.