What is LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®? | Official LEGO® Shop CC

Background

Organizations, whether private or public, use the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology when they want to unlock the full potential of their employees – and to encourage everyone to participate, contribute and commit to the solution.

The Origins of The LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Methodology

The methodology is built upon a process which stems from the heart of LEGO elements and the LEGO building system. Looking for a tool to unlock imagination and innovation within the company, the LEGO Group realized that a solution might be found in the LEGO System in Play itself: Just as the LEGO Group had been inspiring children to ‘build their dreams’ for decades, so perhaps adults could be asked to build their visions for future strategy.

The idea of the methodology originated in 1996 when two professors at IMD in Switzerland and The LEGO Group owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen were exploring alternative strategic planning tools and systems. They developed an understanding of the value of employees and the concept of an evolving, adaptive strategy that included using LEGO elements as three-dimensional models of business issues and challenges. The strategy was named LEGO SERIOUS PLAY.

Community-based Model/Open Source

In 2010, the LEGO Group decided to offer the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology as a community-based model under the Creative Commons License Deed.

We recommend that you read the Open Source document for a description of the methodology and philosophy.
Prior to 2010, the LEGO Group maintained a network of licensed partners and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY facilitators. After the launch of the community-based model on June 1, 2010, the LEGO Group no longer maintains a licensed partner network or offers LEGO SERIOUS PLAY certification training. As a result, facilitators using the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology no longer pay a license to the LEGO Group to use the methodology. This means that the LEGO Group only guarantees the quality of the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology and the physical material, while practitioners are responsible for the quality of the delivery of the actual workshops based on the methodology.