Hey there!
Remember when you were a kid and someone asked you why you drew something a certain way, and you suddenly realized there was meaning you hadn’t consciously intended? Well, let me tell you about a mind-opening moment from my LEGO®️ SERIOUS PLAY®️ facilitator training that showed me just how deep this method goes.
Picture this: We’re in the middle of a “Build your ideal CEO” exercise. I’m feeling pretty confident about my model – I’ve deliberately included elements that represent leadership qualities I value. My minifigure is standing on a grid (structure and organization, naturally!), and I’m ready to share my carefully thought-out metaphors.
Then our trainer asks a simple question that stops me in my tracks: “Why did you position one leg up and one leg down?”
I pause. I look at my model again. I hadn’t even realized I’d built it that way! But as soon as she pointed it out, something clicked. “Because,” I hear myself saying, “I want them to be forward-moving, never settling for the status quo.”
There it was – a deeply held belief about leadership that had emerged through my hands before it reached my conscious mind. I hadn’t planned that detail, yet it perfectly expressed one of my core values about leadership.
This is the magic of LEGO®️ SERIOUS PLAY®️ that continually amazes me. When we build with our hands, we’re not just creating physical models; we’re tapping into our deeper understanding, our unconscious knowledge, our true beliefs. Our hands know things our minds haven’t yet processed.
Some other surprising revelations from my training:
- How the height at which we position elements often reveals power dynamics we perceive
- The way we naturally face models toward or away from others can indicate our approach to collaboration
- Even the colors we choose can carry meaning we didn’t consciously intend
As a facilitator, these moments remind me to:
- Always stay curious about the details
- Ask questions about elements that might seem random
- Give people time to discover their own meanings
- Trust that the wisdom is in the room (and in the builds!)
This is why I’m so passionate about this method. It’s not just about building with LEGO®️ bricks – it’s about uncovering the stories, beliefs, and wisdom we carry within us, sometimes without even knowing it. Every workshop brings new discoveries, not just for the participants, but for me as well.
Next week, I’ll share how a team used this same principle to uncover some surprising insights about their company culture through their builds.
Keep Building,
Jolynn
P.S. Have you ever created something – in any medium – and later realized it held meaning you didn’t initially see? I’d love to hear your story!