Building Stronger Connections In Teams

Revealing Personal Identities Creates True Connection In Teams

There's something fascinating about a handful of M&Ms. They roll past one another, their candy shells keeping them safe and separate. As leaders, we often find ourselves managing teams that operate the same way - colorful personalities that maintain a protective distance, rarely touching, never truly connecting.

Your goal as a leader? To reveal their chocolate. Yes, that true self, the core of who they are, beneath that protective candy veneer.

But how? That's the question.

That candy shell exists for a reason. It's protective, safe. If people reveal their chocolate, they could be hurt, altered, or worse - melted! The professional personas we build around ourselves serve a similar purpose. They're carefully crafted to present the version of ourselves we believe will be most successful in our work environment.

The challenge is that these shells, while protective, also create barriers. They limit genuine connection, stifle innovation, and reduce the potential for truly transformative collaboration.

When the chocolate is finally revealed, every M&M realizes they aren't much different from the others. They all face similar challenges in the workplace, share aspirations for making an impact, and carry histories that shaped who they've become. These are vulnerable parts of ourselves. Yet when shared in the right environment, they create connection. Team members suddenly recognize their common humanity. That annoying colleague who always pushes back in meetings? They're driven by the same desire for excellence that you are. That quiet developer who rarely speaks up? They care deeply about the project's success, just like you.

The more your team sees each other's chocolate, the better the work becomes. The collaboration deepens. Even conflict becomes productive. Why? Because the chocolate binds us and reminds us that the little trifling things are meaningless. The pursuit of something together can actually be rewarding, even fun - but the risk is we need to put our candy shells aside.

Research backs this up. Teams with higher psychological safety outperform their peers. Groups where members feel comfortable being vulnerable and authentic innovate more effectively and solve problems more creatively.

This is where our approach with LEGO Serious Play creates such powerful results. When teams build and share stories through their models, they reveal their chocolate in a way that feels safe and structured. The LEGO bricks become a medium through which people can express their true thoughts, feelings, and perspectives without the vulnerability feeling too direct or exposed.

Through metaphor and storytelling, team members discover the universal chocolate that connects them. Suddenly, the person from marketing isn't just "that marketing guy" but someone with similar hopes and challenges. The senior engineer isn't just a technical authority but a fellow problem-solver with complementary approaches.

The most successful teams aren't just collections of colorful shells rolling past each other. They're communities of individuals who understand each other's chocolate - who recognize their shared humanity and leverage their differences to create something greater than any could achieve alone.

When teams shed their protective layers and connect at a deeper level, work transforms from a transactional exercise to a meaningful collaboration. Conflicts become opportunities for growth rather than sources of friction. Challenges become rallying points rather than reasons to retreat to our shells.

So ask yourself: How much chocolate is visible on your team? Are you still just a bag of colorful, separate candies, or have you begun to melt together into something more powerful and cohesive?

We can help your team see each other's chocolate. Because once that happens, there's no limit to what you can create together.

Want to help your team reveal their chocolate and build stronger connections? Our LEGO Serious Play workshops create the perfect environment for meaningful discovery. Contact us today to learn more about how we can transform your team dynamics.

Ready to transform how your teams think about their work and relationships? We have facilitators in New York City, San Francisco, Austin, Tampa Bay, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, San Diego, and more! Contact us for more information and session options.