A team strengths program helps to build connection & collaboration
After being referred to me by an existing client, a not-for-profit organisation reached out to explore options for further strengthening collaboration and connection within their team.
The team had been experiencing a period of significant growth and change, with Covid providing limited opportunities to come together and learn more about each others’ work styles and preferences.
After discussing their key goals, we decided that a strengths-based program would be a good match for their needs.
Solution & Approach
After some additional discovery & consultation, a program that involved multiple opportunities to identify, explore, and reflect on the individual and collective strengths of a group of 17 participants was designed and delivered over a period of several months. The program included a number of different ‘touch points’ to maintain momentum and engagement, and provide participants with plenty of opportunities to reflect, interact, and explore key concepts. More specifically, the program included…
A short, interactive program ‘launch’ session to introduce participants to the program, share an overview of key activities, and respond to any questions or concerns.
Step-by-step instructions & support in completing the Strengths Profile questionnaire online, including ‘how to’ guides and an overview of what to expect.
A dedicated website page designed to guide participants through the process of independently reviewing & exploring their Strengths Profile results; this included a range of videos, worksheets, and written instructions.
Conducting individual 1-1 debriefs to help participants explore and understand their unique Strengths Profile and identify key insights / takeaways.
An interactive check in session for the whole team to provide updates, encourage sharing, and prepare participants for the upcoming Team Strengths Workshop.
An analysis of key themes and trends across the group given individual & collective patterns of Realised Strengths, Unrealised Strengths, Learned Behaviours and Weaknesses.
Design & delivery of a full day, customised Team Strengths Workshop including a range of interactive activities aimed at strengthening connections, building insight and awareness, and exploring the “So what?” at both the individual and collective level.
Wrap up reflections & debrief with key stakeholders to identify next steps, explore ways to maintain momentum, and share recommendations.
Providing additional ‘food for thought’ throughout the life of the program by sharing a range of additional reading, resources, and self-directed activities.
As with all client projects, activities also included an upfront review of key organisational and contextual information, as well as ongoing conversations with key stakeholders to share updates, ensure alignment with other business activities and priorities, and address any potential barriers to success.
Assessments & Tools
The Strengths Profile Tool was selected as the right strengths tool for this program, given the opportunity to explore both Realised and Unrealised Strengths, Learned Behaviours and Weaknesses.
These distinctions allowed for some great conversations around…
How to best leverage individual & collective strengths
Ways to leverage ‘untapped potential’ within the team
Managing time & energy most effectively
Different ways to ‘aim’ individual & collective strengths
Potential gaps in strengths across the team
What individuals might be getting ‘wrong’ about each others’ perceived strengths!
Outcomes & Benefits
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“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
Lego Serious Play Workshops
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“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
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Are you looking for a different, more engaging way to have an important conversation?
Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) workshops are a creative, playful, and engaging approach to improving workplace communication, energising teams, and exploring issues and opportunities.
Valuable for team building and workplace collaboration, the LSP method draws on extensive research and scientific principles from the fields of psychology, learning, neuroscience and business - with the added bonus of your participants having fun!
As an experienced workplace psychologist and accredited Lego Serious Play facilitator, I can work with your business to design and deliver a unique Lego® Serious Play® workshop. Each workshop can be delivered in a COVID-safe environment, with the potential to explore a broad range of interesting and thought-provoking topics, depending on your needs.
What are the benefits of using Lego® Serious Play®?
It is fun & highly engaging
Lego® Serious Play® breaks the normal dynamic of meetings and workshops and creates ‘lean in’, engaging 100% of participants 100% of the time.
Everyone is involved in the process right from the outset, with most participants excited about doing something different and ‘hands on’.
Indeed, you can often hear the excitement right from the moment that participants walk in the room and start getting their hands into the big bags of Lego on the table!
Every team member feels ‘heard’
It facilitates open & honest communication
The approach itself tends to create a ‘safe’ space, resulting in participants feeling more confident openly expressing their ideas and opinions.
Rather than just sharing their ideas through talking, individuals attach meaning to the physical, tangible object they’ve created (i.e. the Lego model), and then share their thoughts by ‘telling the story’ of what they’ve built.
In this way, the focus is on what they’ve created, rather than on them - making it feel safer to speak up and contribute. The use of metaphors and stories also creates a sense of safety for some participants.
One of the great things about Lego® Serious Play® is that it creates space for everyone to share their ideas and perspectives.
Each participant builds a response to the question being explored by the group, sharing the unique story of their model while others listen and ask questions.
Where groups work together to create a ‘shared’ model, the ideas behind each participant’s unique contribution are preserved throughout the conversation - helping them to feel genuinely ‘heard’ and listened to.
This helps to avoid that all-too-common scenario of quieter participants having their voices drowned out, creating opportunities for everyone to have a ‘voice’ in a more equitable and considered way.
Team & organisational collaboration
Lego® Serious Play® can also support collaboration and cross-functional communication, with this helping to break down silos.
As groups engage in shared problem solving, new connections and insights often emerge, with the process creating a shared sense of energy and purpose.
With team members enjoying a more collaborative and strategic environment, these sessions can lead to more dynamic organisation conversations in the future. People feel more empowered, and the group more cohesive and connected.
When should we use Lego® Serious Play®?
Ultimately, the method can be used in any type of business or industry, and at any level within an organisation. Having said this, there are certain types of issues, problems and questions that Lego® Serious Play® is most suited to. Put simply, the method is most useful in the situations where…
You want to explore a complex topic or question to which there is no single ‘right’ answer or solution
You want everyone’s input - not just the loudest voices in the room or the people who always tend to speak up!
You want to create higher levels of engagement and participation by breaking the usual dynamic of meetings and group conversations
Collaboration & co-creation are important for generating the most diverse and creative ideas and solutions
What can I expect from a Lego® Serious Play® workshop?
While the context and topics may vary, Lego® Serious Play® sessions typically follow a set of key principles.
Warm-up
The session starts with a few warm-up activities aimed at teaching the group the basic skills and principles of the approach. This helps to address the concerns of any participants who feel they aren’t ‘good’ at Lego. The group soon realises that the approach is all about using metaphors and stories – no Lego building skills (whatsoever) are required!
Model building
I’ll then guide participants through a series of key steps: Question, Build, Share and Capture. These steps explore the key questions or topics targeted during the session. Depending on the goal and context, a combination of individual and shared (i.e. group) builds are completed.
Importantly, every build includes an opportunity for participants to share the meaning and story of their model with the rest of the team, enabling 100% participation. As the facilitator, my role is to encourage conversation, identify key insights, and ask clarifying questions to strengthen understanding.
Participants
Ideally, a Lego® Serious Play® workshop includes 6-8 participants and one facilitator. While it is possible to run sessions with larger groups, participants will still work in smaller groups of 6-8 people during the session.
Session length
The minimum length for a session is 2 to 2.5 hours. I’ll bring all materials to the session, including some great big bags of Lego designed specifically for Lego® Serious Play® workshops!
About Leisa Molloy
Want to know more about your Lego® Serious Play® facilitator?
I’m an experienced and Masters qualified business psychologist with over 17 years of experience (and the wrinkles to prove it!).
I’ve spent my career delivering a range of initiatives in the areas of leadership, capability, employee engagement, talent, strengths, employee engagement, and much more.
Over the last few years I’ve facilitated over 160 workshops, focus groups, and leadership conversations. My insights as both an experienced facilitator and psychologist position me well to design and deliver Lego® Serious Play® workshops that have a strong ‘people’ or ‘team’ focus.