Training 2012 Conference & Expo speaker Jacquie Lloyd Smith offers the ins and outs of StrategicPlay® with LEGO® bricks and why it works.
How many times have you attended training or a meeting and thought it was a waste of time? Organizations in North America cannot afford to do this anymore. And life is too short to be bored by another PowerPoint or lecture about some discombobulated concept.
Did you know that LEGO® bricks can help you communicate better and help your brain think? Do you remember dissecting that frog in high school? Most people do but no one remembers the lecture. This method works in the same way. Our StrategicPlay® sessions are specifically developed to help people think and perform at their highest level, remembering and retaining information.
We do this by engaging minds with highly visual, tactile, and auditory methods within an experiential framework. This process allows the brain to effectively discover new information and then store it in long-term memory, where it can be pulled back up later when needed back at the office.
Here’s how it works. When problem solving, the brain is actually quite ineffective. It uses the frontal cortex, which cannot store more than seven things at once. Ever forgot what you were doing? In our sessions we use 3D LEGO® models that participants create, called artifacts. Artifacts hold large amounts of information, freeing up the working memory to rapidly think and process the next piece of information quickly. We know that words are not enough, so we dig deep into the subconscious mind, a true treasure trove full of ideas and knowledge that is hard to access through the limitations of speech. Imagine your hands working like a Google Search Engine, finding all the pieces you need. The power of what you build can surprise even the builder.
Strategicplay® will get you into the learning zone and keep you there. We are not playing or creating for fun or sheer joy, but for learning connected directly to the objectives of the session. The process occurs in real time, meaning that it is not hypothetical but relevant now and has real meaning for the participant.
The true power of this application comes from the ability of the process to help people think for themselves in experiential situations that are specific to their work. It is no accident that people enjoy these sessions so much they lose track of time. It is actually part of the design.
But don’t just read this because you might forget. Come, see, do, and learn for yourself at the StrategicPlay® Session in Atlanta, Georgia -Training 2012.
When you attend you will:
1. Receive a set of special LEGO® bricks to keep at your desk to use to solve your next problem.
2. Learn to demonstrate this tool to impress your boss and co-workers.
3. See how companies around the world are using this method for onboarding, training, team development, leadership, diversity, project management, strategy, and more.
P.S. Don’t forget your camera—you’re going to want to show your friends what you build.
About Jacquie Lloyd Smith
Jacquie has over twenty years experience working within the service delivery sector in both private business, government, and not-for-profit organizations. During her career, she has worked as a business owner, a director of operations, a management consultant, a conflict practitioner, a university professor and a clinician working closely with a variety of organizations, developing innovative programs to help them navigate through change. She has the natural ability to quickly assess organizational culture and to identify opportunities to improve productivity at both the macro and micro levels. You can connect with StrategicPlay at www.strategicplay.ca, facebook.com/strategicplay, or on Twitter at @StrategicPlay.
