Thomas Johansen

Why warm-ups matter in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® When people first sit down at a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) session, they often wonder why we start with what seem like very simple activities. “Are we just playing with bricks?” someone might ask. The truth is, those opening activities, called warm-ups or skills builds, are anything but trivial. They are an essential part of the method, designed to prepare both individuals and the group for meaningful exploration and dialogue. First, they help lower barriers and build confidence. Not everyone has handled LEGO® bricks recently, or at all. A warm-up allows participants to get comfortable, reducing the common “I’m not creative” anxiety. By giving everyone a quick win, it builds confidence and gets people ready to contribute. Second, warm-ups help participants learn the language of metaphors. LSP is not about making perfect LEGO® creations; it is about telling stories and expressing ideas through models. Warm-ups help people see that a brick can represent more than just a brick e.g. a ladder can mean growth, a wheel can symbolise progress. This shift into metaphor is key to unlocking insight. Third, they equalise voices. Warm-ups immediately demonstrate one of the golden rules of LSP: everyone builds, everyone shares. It ensures all voices are heard from the very beginning, creating a sense of equality and respect in the group. Fourth, warm-ups engage the hand–brain connection. Building with bricks engages both hands and mind, tapping into tacit knowledge we do not always put into words. By starting with simple builds, participants begin to experience how ideas and insights can “emerge through the hands.” Fifth, they introduce the process. Every LSP session follows a rhythm: build, share, reflect. Warm-ups provide a safe way to practise this cycle so that when deeper, more complex questions arrive, the group is already fluent in the method. Finally, warm-ups create psychological safety. Perhaps most importantly, they set the tone. They bring a sense of playfulness, reduce tension, and allow participants to connect with each other. This creates the psychological safety needed for people to open up, share honestly, and engage deeply with the session’s purpose. So next time you are in an LSP session and you are asked early in the session to build a tower, a bridge or something else, remember it is not just an icebreaker. It is a carefully designed step that ensures hands, minds, and voices are fully prepared for the journey ahead. Like stretching before exercise, warm-ups in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® are essential. They set the stage for insights, collaboration, and the powerful conversations that follow. If you want to learn more about LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitation training you can find my brochures and courses here: https://lnkd.in/ee_Aw2FU #LEGO #LEGOSeriousPlay #Facilitation #LearningByDoing #PsychologicalSafety #SkillsBuild #WarmUp

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A Finnish university study has identified a three-level framework to resolve the post-pandemic stalemate between management demanding office returns and employees preferring remote work. Johanna Jansson’s doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa found that successful remote work requires balancing organisational design, supervisor-subordinate relationships and employee responsibilities rather than focusing solely on individual human resource practices. The research challenges companies attempting to adapt through piecemeal policy updates, with Jansson arguing this approach is fundamentally flawed. “Many companies try to adapt to remote work by updating individual HR practices, which in itself is a good thing. However, it’s only part of the solution,” Jansson said. “If the organisation’s basic structure is still designed only for office work, tweaking individual practices is like putting winter tires on a convertible. You might get a little more grip, but the ride is still inefficient and uncomfortable because the car’s structure is wrong for winter conditions.” The study emphasises shifting from control-based management to coordination-focused approaches that support employee autonomy whilst maintaining clear expectations for innovation, organisational culture and knowledge sharing across all work models. The research revealed imbalanced supervisor-subordinate interactions, where managers strive to maintain contact but employees must take more active roles in reciprocal communication to preserve trust-based operating models. https://lnkd.in/ebfDWsti

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