13 April, 2023

Last week, Rebecca Robinson, Researcher with Hincks, took part in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® training over a 4½ day period to become a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator.

Thanks to funding from MTU’s School of Business, Rebecca undertook this training to grow the suite of skills that the Hincks Centre can offer, especially in the area of growing the entrepreneurial mindset.

The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) method of facilitation encourages creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, innovation and builds confidence through a kinaesthetic learning style for the participants.

During the training, participants are invited to build symbolic/metaphorical models of their insights using the LEGO® bricks and then present these to others in the group through storytelling, ensuring 100% participation. The method is used to address a wide range of challenges in team and personal settings, where building towards a goal can take the form of many themes, e.g. team building, strategy in various areas, communication and creating a better understanding of certain topics. LSP creates a deeper and more meaningful, unified understanding of the work to be achieved.

There are many benefits to the LSP method including:

• Bringing fun to serious business topics;
• Supports areas of development and learning through another method;
• Attention and participation of everyone is necessary to reach the goals of the topic through 100% engagement;
• Build upon existing skills and learn new ones;
• Enhances retention and understanding;
• Introduces people to different themes, topics, ways of communicating, problem solving and innovating;
• Participants grow in confidence, knowledge and understanding.

In the thematic workshops, there are 4 Core Steps that the LSP facilitator will guide participants in when reaching the goal.

• Core step 1: Posing a question or “challenge”. This is introducing a question to build upon a topic or theme to be ultimately examined.
• Core step 2: Building a personal model - The available bricks are designed to inspire the use of metaphors and story making.
• Core step 3: Sharing the model - Everyone is invited to share their model “storytelling” with the other participants. This ensures 100% participation.
• Core step 4: Reflecting on the model - participants and the facilitator are given the opportunity to ask questions on the model. Mutual understanding, respect, communication and support increases.

After the training, Rebecca became a Certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator and applied her knowledge to practice designing and delivering customised applications of the LSP methodology in workshop and classroom settings for MTU

Rebecca put her knowledge and skills into practice in leading sessions for MTU Enterprise Camp, for an MTU department team day and for international visitors to MTU. Thanks to funding from AnSEO - the Student Engagement Office at MTU, Rebecca has also aided lecturers in MTU to communicate greater understanding of certain topics within a classroom setting.

If you would like to discuss LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® further and how it can be of benefit to you, your team or students/class, please contact Rebecca.Robinson@mtu.ie.