LEGO® Serious Play® — For Managers. Solve Your Business Challenges Playfully & with Fun! Condensed version of my LSP presentation for managers & C-level. LEGO® Serious Play® is a structured, facilitated method. It answers questions rephrasing the business topics. The models built and their stories shared by the builders are the answers. It is a playful and still serious way to create new insights and to develop innovative ideas.

1. www.plays-in-business.com
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LEGO® Serious Play® — For Managers
Solve Your Business Challenges Playfully & with Fun!
Michael Tarnowski
Plays-In-Business.com
Picture Credit: Sonny Abesamis, https://www.flickr.com/photos/enerva/12279076393

2. What is LEGO® Serious Play®?
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LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) is a structured and facilitated workshop
method for strategic decision making and problem resolution in
business environments.
Picture Credit: Bill Ward, https://www.flickr.com/photos/billward/3640805316

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Where can I apply LEGO® Serious Play®?
Picture Credit: Kenny Louie, https://www.flickr.com/photos/kwl/3573458354/

4. Your benefit using LEGO® Serious Play®
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 Fast Understanding of Problems and Solutions
 Solutions immediately applicable on the Work Floor next Day
 Strong Commitment to related Decisions
 Fast Return on Invest of workshop costs
Picture Credit: Wolfgang Lonien, https://www.flickr.com/photos/wjlonien/11027445953

5. “Lean Backward” Meetings:
only a few participants are
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engage.
Picture Credit: Zach Graves, https://www.flickr.com/photos/basictheory/849025205 Picture Credit: http://www.mathewbirch.com
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LEGO® Serious Play® Engages People
“Lean Forward” Meetings:
all participants engage equally.
vs.

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Haptical Thinking  Strong Commitment
Think with your Hands!
Understanding the World in 3D is Easier
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7. Who should use LEGO® Serious Play®? 1/4
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Everyone who…
 …is faced a complex problem and does not know how to handle it.
 …wants to engage all resources available in her organisation.
 …wants to turn visions into commitments.
Picture Credit: Graham Richardson, https://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/8420446592/

8. Who should use LEGO® Serious Play®? 2/4
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Everyone who…
 …wants to design actions.
 …develops leadership and teams.
 …does 1:1 coaching
Picture Credit: Graham Richardson, https://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/8420446592/

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Who should use LEGO® Serious Play®? 3/4
Everyone who…
 …looks for a solution to a shared problem.
 …has to create a shared mind-set about something.
 …builds a shared vision.
Picture Credit: Graham Richardson, https://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/8420446592/

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Who should use LEGO® Serious Play®? 4/4
Everyone who…
 …wants constructive discussions where everybody is heard.
 …has to create a shared mind-set about something.
 …wants constructive discussions where everybody is heard.
Picture Credit: Graham Richardson, https://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/8420446592/

11. How LEGO® Serious Play® works
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1. Challenging: Facilitator raises a Question/Problem
2. Constructing: Participants build Models
3. Story Telling: Participants share Interpretation
4. Reflecting: Participants create Common Understanding
Picture Credit: http://www.mathewbirch.com

12. What does LEGO® Serious Play®? 1/2
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LEGO® Serious Play®:
 Is a structured, facilitated method.
 Answers questions rephrasing the business topics.
The models built and their stories shared by the builders are the answers.
 Is a playful and still serious way to create new insights and to develop innovative
ideas.
Picture Credit: desbiens_jean, https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeandesbiens/6079961911

13. www.plays-in-business.com
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What does LEGO® Serious Play®? 2/2
LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP):
 Is a secure and safe place to image and explore ideas by building models with
LEGO® bricks.
 Creates a shared understanding about the problem space in question.
 Investigates complex and dynamic dependencies and emergences.
Picture Credit: desbiens_jean, https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeandesbiens/6079961911

14. Why LEGO® Serious Play® works 1/2
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 While playing participants think outside the box creatively without
stress.
 Participants construct the models in a flow of intense playing.
 The models “emerge” out of the bricks at hand without any long-term
rational pre-design.
 Playing with and challenging the model constructs new knowledge
through self-reflection.
Picture Credit: Sonny Abesamis, https://www.flickr.com/photos/enerva/11057276504

15. Why LEGO® Serious Play® works 2/2
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 As metaphors the models opens a wide door of interpretation and
fantasy.
 Participants explain the metaphors of all the model’s meanings.
 Building with the hands creates strong involvement and commitment.
“Hands-on”, “Minds-on” building
Picture Credit: Sonny Abesamis, https://www.flickr.com/photos/enerva/11057276504

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Give LEGO® Serious Play® a Chance!
Solve with LEGO® Serious Play® your REAL problems:
Engagingly • Playfully • Constructively • Appreciatively • Innovatively
Picture Credit: Ellen Forsyth, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ellf/7094498773

17. LEGO® Serious Play® is open source.
However, for best results, hire a trained LSP facilitator – like m e
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How can I use LEGO® Serious Play®?
Picture Credit: David Pickett, https://www.flickr.com/photos/fallentomato/15243811625/

18. www.plays-in-business.com
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Are you facing a complex problem and don’t know what to do next?
Michael Tarnowski, Certified LEGO Serious Play Facilitator
Plays-In-Business.com
Picture Credit: Ellen Forsyth, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ellf/7094498773
1 click to get in touch with me!

19. More Information on LSP: http://bit.ly/pibLSPslideshare
Drop me a note:
info@plays-in-business.com
Or call me:
+49-172-6915261 • +49-611-2056820
(cell phone/mobile) (regular phone)
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Interested in LEGO Serious Play workshops,
and Consultancy?
Twitter: @M_Tarnowski, @PlaysInBusiness
Facebook: http://bit.ly/PiB-FB
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/MT-LinkdIn
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All images used are – if not stated otherwise – taken from flickr.com under Common Creative License.
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20. Plays-In-Business.com
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 Trained LEGO Serious Play Facilitator
 Trained Innovation Games Facilitator
 Management 3.0 certified Facilitator
 Certifed Scrum Master, Agile Coaching
 ISO 15504/Automotive SPiCE Assessor
 Requirements Engineering & Management
consultancy
 Quality Assurance & Management consultancy
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consultancy
ISO 15504 Assessor
Industrial Sectors:
Automotive, Finance, Logistics & Public Transport,
Defence & Aerospace, Aviation & Air Traffic,
Management
Plays-In-Business.com • Fritz-Kalle-Str. 4 • D-65187 Wiesbaden • Fon: +49-172-6915261 • Fax: +49-3212-1312401
info@plays-in-business.com • www.plays-in-business.com
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