🤔 Why do LEGO© bricks make a difference?
For over a decade, I’ve been involved in team facilitation, using a wide range of creative and playful techniques. I’ve worked with teams of all sizes and sectors, including cross-functional and multicultural groups… Yet, the observation is always the same:
𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚 𝙇𝙀𝙂𝙊© 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥’𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙨𝙢 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮.
No colored markers, Post-Its, illustrated cards, figurines, wooden constructions, and various games come close (indeed, sometimes these materials are a bit intimidating): the colored brick makes all the difference.
Curious, I dedicated myself to an in-depth study to find out why. In the end, I understood where the magic lies: these iconic bricks, often underestimated in a professional context, actually possess an 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 made of energy, freedom, harmony, playfulness, and more, which goes far beyond their physical form and makes them a genuine catalyst for joy and enthusiasm.
The aesthetic of JOY
The bricks used during LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshops are not just toys but powerful facilitation tools. According to Ingrid Fetell Lee’s studies about the aesthetics of joy, these bricks evoke a reaction of joy and enthusiasm, attributable to several unique characteristics:
- Visual Energy: the vibrant colors of the bricks invite action and stimulate a positive emotional response, essential for an engaging learning environment. Sense of
- Abundance: the wide range and availability of different pieces satisfy the human need for variety and abundance, creating an environment rich in creative possibilities.
- Pursuit of Harmony: joining bricks into meaningful constructions satisfies the brain’s natural desire to find order, symmetry, and connection, facilitating understanding and learning.
- Element of Surprise: unique pieces in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® kits encourage discovery and stimulate the imagination.
- Playfulness: the freedom to explore, build, and freely modify with the bricks promotes the joy of play and openness of mind.
- Expressive and Exploratory Freedom: the endless combinations of bricks allow for the free expression of diverse themes, personalizing the brick experience and making it relevant for everyone, guaranteeing greater engagement in the collective activity.
LEGO© bricks have proven to be particularly effective during facilitation sessions in quickly generating a positive and engaging atmosphere, more so than many other tools. This ability contributes significantly to the success of the method, thus highlighting the fact that the bricks are much more than just pieces of plastic.
The LSP Magazine
👉 The article is published in The LSP Magazine, issue 13, which delves into the relationship between science and the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method. I thank them for allowing me to publish my contribution on a topic I am passionate about. If you do not know about this magazine, check their website: https://lspmagazine.com/
You will discover a wide range of interesting publications about the LSP method.
If you are interested on the value of the LEGO brick only, you can also read my article here => LSP_Magazine_More_than_Bricks_by_Nadia_Benedetti