Team.build()

Team.build()

Team.build() represents the complete specification for constructing high-performing teams, where team members themselves are the builders. Using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology, teams literally construct their path to excellence through hands-on exploration of four core modules. Like any well-architected system, each module builds upon the previous one, with teams physically discovering and implementing their unique solutions brick by brick.

Focused female engineer deeply engaged in building a LEGO model, representing introspective work style analysis and personal cognitive approach in a team development workshop

Connect

  • The connect() module establishes the psychological safety essential for genuine team collaboration through guided LEGO® storytelling. By exploring personal stories outside of work , team members discover unexpected connections and gain deeper appreciation for unique perspectives. This foundational work creates the trust and respect needed for more challenging conversations in later modules.

    • Enhanced psychological safety and trust among team members

    • Improved understanding of colleagues' backgrounds and perspectives

    • Shared language for communication through metaphor

    • Reduced interpersonal barriers that typically hinder collaboration

    • Greater team cohesion and willingness to engage authentically

Senior executive using LEGO Serious Play methodology to share personal stories, engaging a fully attentive team in a dynamic team-building workshop, demonstrating authentic leadership communication and team connection techniques

Analyze

  • The analyze() module shifts focus to professional strengths and preferences, transforming abstract personality differences into tangible models. Through structured builds, teams explore their collective composition, identifying complementary skills and potential friction points. This visualization process helps teams understand how their individual working styles combine to create a unique team identity and approach.

    • Clear identification of team strengths and potential blind spots

    • Visual representation of team composition and dynamics

    • Shared vocabulary for discussing working preferences

    • Improved understanding of how team members process information

    • Recognition and appreciation of unique cognitive approaches

    • Strategies for leveraging complementary traits in project work

Two engineers laughing and sharing LEGO models, demonstrating collaborative team communication and positive workplace interaction during team agreements workshop

Define

  • The define() module guides teams to discover and document their "Core Constants" - the fundamental, unchanging agreements that determine how the team functions optimally. Just as physics has constants that govern system behavior, high-performing teams need clear operational standards that remain stable despite changing projects or personnel. Through collaborative building exercises, teams externalize and align on their essential principles for communication, decision-making, and problem-solving.

    • Clearly defined Core Constants with visual representations

    • Shared understanding of team expectations and boundaries

    • Improved collaboration through established operational norms

    • Accelerated execution speed via shared norms

    • Stronger team resilience when facing challenges

Team director presenting a complex collaborative LEGO model, demonstrating cross-team communication and organizational interface strategies, with adjacent teams engaged and smiling

Interface

  • The Interface module expands the team's perspective beyond internal dynamics to examine how they interface with the broader organization. Teams build models representing their connections to adjacent teams, stakeholders, and systems, identifying friction points and opportunities for enhanced collaboration. By visualizing these relationships, teams develop strategies to maximize their collective impact and remove barriers to organizational effectiveness.

    • Comprehensive model of critical stakeholder relationships and dependencies

    • Enhanced understanding of adjacent teams' objectives and constraints

    • Evolution from team-centric thinking to systems-level perspective

    • Framework for mutually beneficial cross-team collaboration rather than competitive dynamics

    • Strategies for navigating complex dependencies to reduce project risks

    • Alignment between team priorities and broader organizational goals

    • Improved ability to advocate for team needs within the organizational context