Lego game activities are often used in leadership development workshops as an experiential learning tool.
The purpose is to provide participants with an opportunity to practice leadership skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and decision-making in a hands-on and engaging way.
Lego games allow participants to experience first-hand the challenges of working together in a team, managing resources, and accomplishing goals.
The interactive and physical nature of building with Lego makes it more impactful than just role playing or discussing hypothetical scenarios. This activity builds nicely into any awareness of the experiential learning cycle.
Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions for running a Lego leadership activity:
Materials needed:
- Lego bricks (a variety of colors and piece types)
- Building plates or trays
- Instruction sheets for building specific models
- Timer
Cost:
- Lego bricks can be purchased new or used. Basic kits of 500+ pieces cost $30-$75. For large groups, plan on budgeting $100-$500 depending on the complexity of models.
Time required:
- 1-2 hours is ideal, but can be adjusted based on workshop schedule. We hear this from customers that have ordered our full set of courses.
Number of participants:
- Groups of 4-6 work best. Can accommodate up to 20 in multiple small teams.
Intended audience:
- Emerging leaders, managers, intact teams
Instructions:
- Divide participants into small teams of 4-6 people
- Explain the leadership challenge such as limited resources or tight timelines
- Provide each team with a set of Lego pieces and a model building instruction sheet
- Set a timer for the building activity (e.g. 20 minutes)
- Let teams self-organize and build their model before time runs out
- When time is up, debrief the experience and discuss learnings
Facilitator’s role:
- Introduce the activity and its purpose
- Set expectations and ground rules for teamwork
- Divide participants into teams
- Distribute Lego materials and start the timer
- Keep teams on track and provide guidance as needed
- Facilitate debrief discussion
Participants’ role:
- Engage fully by stepping up into leadership roles
- Practice skills like communication, decision-making, and collaboration
- Listen and implement feedback from team members
- Share observations and learnings during debrief
Debriefing strategies:
- What went well and what was challenging?
- What strategies did your team use? Were they effective?
- What leadership behaviors helped or hindered your team?
- How would you handle things differently next time?
- What real world parallels did you notice?
Conclusion
Lego activities for team building workshops are an experiential, hands-on way to engage leaders in developing critical skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
The combination of Lego’s fun, tactile qualities and a competitive team challenge creates an impactful learning experience and fosters communication skills at work.
From a 70 20 10 learning plan, proper facilitation and debriefing, participants gain key insights into leadership behaviors, group dynamics, and their own strengths to develop as leaders.
