LSP
Play/Seriously
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
Interactive,
Co-creative,
Psychologically safe
A Lean Forward experience
/ devoid of PowerPoint
Deeper engagement
Deeper meaning
Deeper commitment
The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method is a facilitated thinking, communication and problem solving technique for use with organizations, teams and individuals.
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It draws on extensive research from the fields of business, organizational development, psychology and learning, and is based on the concept of “hand knowledge” [1]
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Based on research which shows that this kind of hands-on, minds-on learning produces a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the world and its possibilities, the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology deepens the reflection process and supports an effective dialogue – for everyone in the organization.
LSP origins
The development of the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (L.S.P.) method has gone through several iterations and has involved the work of several teams. Work on the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method began with the direction of the owner of the LEGO® Company, Mr. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen.
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Kristiansen and the LEGO® company were looking at “the ways and techniques that he and his leadership team used when developing their strategies.” [2] Kristiansen agreed to fund a research project into possible techniques under a subsidiary called Executive Discovery Ltd. This program was under the direction of Johan Roos and Bart Victor from the IMD business school in Lausanne, Switzerland.
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In this research phase groups were given a large assortment of LEGO® bricks and asked to “build their strategic ideas” [3]. There was lots of laughter in these sessions but something was not clicking. More work needed to be done.
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In 1999 Robert Rasmussen, then the head of research and development at LEGO® Dacta (later called LEGO® Education), joined Executive Discovery. Robert and small team began working on an adult environment for strategic development. As the method developed over more that 20 iterations, Professors Roos and Victor confirmed that in real-time sessions with various companies, results were robust and reproducible.
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By the end of 2001 the first version of the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY® method was ready for market. Per Kristiansen joined the group. Robert and Per began training facilitators in the method. In December 2003, Executive Discovery was shut down and the LEGO® Company acquired the intellectual property [4].
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A new business model for the method was introduced. It was now delivered through a license based partnership. Specialized LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® kits could only be purchased by a partner with a licensed contract.
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In 2010, the LEGO® company made access to the basics of the methodology more akin to open source. The company created a short booklet which identified the elements in the method which were now open for all to use. It was requested that all other materials be returned to the LEGO® Company. This model became known as the community model. From this model, communities of people using L.S.P. have emerged.
