Bricks & Bridges: Building Connections with LEGO(R) SERIOUS PLAY®

Professional Development Workshop

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Details:

Date: Wednesday 15 October
Time: 9:00-15:00
Cost: $65
Location: Hilton Prague, Room TBD

Sign-up for the pre-conference workshop:

  • During Conference Registration: Select this event when you register for the global conference.
  • Already registered for the global conference?  Add this pre-conference event here. Note: Pre-conference attendees must also be registered for the Global Conference.

Please Note: Ticket prices do not include any food or beverage. To keep registration costs accessible, no refreshments, snacks, or meals will be provided during the event. We encourage attendees to eat beforehand, bring in their own beverage, and take advantage of the scheduled lunch break to explore nearby dining options.

LEGO(R) SERIOUS PLAY(R) (LSP) is an innovative problem-solving, brainstorming, and communication methodology that uses LEGO bricks as a tool for hands-on learning and creative expression. Developed in the late 1990s by LEGO(R), in collaboration with business researchers, the method is designed to enhance innovation and improve decision-making in both organizational and educational settings.

At the heart of LEGO(R) SERIOUS PLAY(R) (LSP) is the idea that everyone can contribute to the conversation and problem-solving process. Participants build 3D models using LEGO bricks to represent ideas, concepts, or challenges. This tactile approach helps unlock creative potential, foster collaboration, and enable participants to express complex ideas that might be difficult to articulate in words alone.

The goal of our Bricks & Bridges LSP workshop is to expose participants to a hands-on experience (quite literally) that can be translated in a variety of contexts. The process encourages active engagement, as participants construct and share their models, providing a unique, interactive way to explore different perspectives. It is particularly effective in environments requiring teamwork, strategic thinking, or innovation, as it promotes open communication and breaks down hierarchical barriers.

Prague is a city rich in history and culture, renowned for its stunning architecture and vibrant arts scene. Located on the Vltava River, it is home to numerous bridges, each with its own unique character and story. The most iconic is the Charles Bridge, a 14th century stone bridge that connects the Old Town with the Lesser Town. This bridge is not only a vital physical connection across the river but also a symbol of the city’s resilience and enduring strength.

Bridges in Prague have historically played a crucial role in connecting people, fostering trade, and enabling cultural exchange. They are more than just functional structures; they represent unity, collaboration, and the bridging of divides—whether geographical, social, or even intellectual. Our LEGO(R) SERIOUS PLAY(R) workshop, “builds” on “bricks” and “bridges” as a metaphor, emphasizing how bridges build connections between individuals, ideas, teams, and communities. Just as Prague’s bridges link different parts of the city, our workshop will inspire participants to build stronger relationships, facilitate communication, and enhance collaboration through the shared experience of building with LEGO(R) bricks to enhance innovation and address real-world problems.

In this hands-on, interactive workshop, we will explore the metaphor of bridges as symbols of connection, collaboration, and resilience. Just as the bridges in Prague unite diverse parts of the city, we will use LEGO bricks to build metaphoric bridges that connect ideas, people, and perspectives. Through the creative process of LEGO(R) SERIOUS PLAY(R), participants will engage in a collaborative journey to design bridges that reflect their unique insights, challenges, and aspirations. By the end of the workshop, participants will not only have a deeper understanding of how to build stronger relationships but also how to use the power of play to strengthen their professional and personal connections.

We are thrilled to have an opportunity to inspire our participants to discover how they can build the bridges that will help them cross the gaps and foster meaningful connections in today’s fast-paced world.

Workshop Agenda:

9:00 am – 9:30 am: What’s So Serious about Play?
Present the academic underpinnings, science, and art of the LEGO(R) SERIOUS PLAY(R) methodology, including the theories of play, constructionism, adult learning, and adaptive, collaborative, shared leadership, and followership.

9:30 am – 10:30 am: LEGO(R) SERIOUS PLAY(R) Skills Building
Introduce participants to the method and etiquette that guides the rest of the workshop. This includes a series of building activities to get individuals comfortable with the brick, learn how to make meaning, create story, and build metaphors.

10:30am – 10:40 am: Short Break

10:45 am – 12:00 pm: Bridging the Connection Between Leaders and Followers
Participants will be given a challenge around this topic in which they have to build an
individual LEGO(R) model to share their perspective. Once built, each participant will share their model with the entire group. This sequenced activity prepares participants to move from an individual mindset to a shared vision.

12:00 pm – 12:45 pm: Lunch On Own

12:45 pm – 1:45 pm: Crossing the Bridge from Me to We
Building on the previous challenge, participants will work together to create a shared
vision that incorporates the perspectives from the group to form a collective LEGO(R) model that tells the larger story of what it means to build connections between leaders and followers.

1:45 pm – 2:30 pm: Embracing Bridges
Using the collective LEGO(R) model as the centerpiece, participants will build ideas on what can help or hinder connections between leaders and followers. Additionally, these models will be placed into a wider landscape to create a visualization that illuminates a new way for leaders and followers to strategically envision leader/follower synergy.

2:30 pm: 3:00 pm: Iconic Bridges
Reflecting on the entirety of the workshop, each individual will build a model of personal learning that will serve as a blueprint and will guide them in their own bridge-building work.

Speakers:

Shawna L. Nist, Ph.D.; Dean of Leadership, Trinity Western University

Dr. Nist brings over 30 years of university leadership experience serving in administrative and faculty capacities at institutions in Canada and the United States. Nominated twice as one of the Top 40/Under 40 leaders in Canada, Nist’s entrepreneurial spirit has inspired a variety of successful higher education initiatives. Nist studied Design Thinking at Stanford University and is a certified facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP). She is passionate about leadership pedagogy and education that transforms students’ lives. She holds a PhD in Higher Education with an emphasis on organizational leadership from Azusa Pacific University, an MA in Leadership from Trinity Western University, and a BA in Christian Education from Briercrest College.

Jillian Gilbert, DSL; Assistant Dean, DeVoe School of Business, Leadership and Technology, Indiana Wesleyan University

Having earned a BA in Organizational Communication and an MA in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University, followed by a Doctor of Strategic Leadership from Regent University, Dr. Jillian Gilbert specializes in organizational leadership and development, personal leadership development, innovation, and strategy. Being not only certified in Design Thinking from Hasso Plattner School of Design at Stanford but also certified as a LEGO(R) SERIOUS PLAY(R) Facilitator, Dr. Gilbert strives to help individuals find the link between theory and practice. She facilitates workshops designed to help individuals and teams better understand their leadership identity, the dynamic cross generational workforce, and Design Thinking. Her twenty years of international experience is coupled with 20 years of higher education and nonprofit experience. Her published works center around leader/follower relationships, organizational renewal, reframing play in adult education, and the cross-generational workforce.

Wendi Dykes McGehee, Ph.D.; Interim Dean, School of Business and Management and LP and Timothy Leung School of Accounting, Azusa Pacific University.

Wendi Dykes McGehee, PhD, blends her education with more than 25 years of professional experience in human resources and organizational consulting. McGehee spent 11 years with LEGOLAND® California, where she was awarded international honors for her training programs and organizational development strategies. In addition to LEGO, McGehee has held positions with Disney and the University of California, San Diego. McGehee is enthusiastic about helping organizations address complex challenges with sustainable solutions, and her research explores the idea of using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) to inspire creative confidence. She is known for reintroducing play, of a serious nature, into the adult vocabulary within the workplace while encouraging all to “play well.”