Why Are Team Goals Important?

And How Can LEGO® Serious Play® Help?

In my recent posts, I focused on individual goals. Today, I want to explore the significance of team goals and how the creative method LEGO® Serious Play® can support this process.

Team goals are the driving force behind collective growth and success. They provide direction, foster a shared understanding and motivate teams to work toward clearly defined outcomes. But how can you set team goals that are not only effective but also sustainable? This is where LEGO® Serious Play® comes in as an innovative and creative approach. In this post, you'll learn why team goals are essential, discover methods to define them and explore how LEGO® Serious Play® can make the process both engaging and impactful.

LEGO® Serious Play® Workshop

Why Are Team Goals Important?

1. Shared Direction: Team goals provide clarity on what the group is working toward and establish clear priorities. Without a common direction, collaboration can become chaotic and inefficient.

2. Motivation and Engagement: When all team members are involved in setting goals, their motivation and connection to those goals increase. This leads to greater accountability and commitment.

3. Effective Communication: Clear goals encourage open communication, reducing misunderstandings and potential conflicts.

4. Measuring Success: Team goals serve as a benchmark to track progress and celebrate achievements.

5. Values Alignment: Goal-setting provides an opportunity for teams to reflect on their shared values, creating a strong foundation for a positive organizational culture.

How Can Team Goals Be Defined?

There are various approaches to setting team goals. Here are a few examples:

1. SMART Goals: Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

2. OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): This method links ambitious objectives with measurable outcomes.

3. Vision Workshops: Teams develop a shared vision of the future, which forms the basis for goal-setting.

4. LEGO® Serious Play®: This approach stands out for its playful and creative methodology, enabling teams to visualize and tangibly build their goals.

What Is LEGO® Serious Play®?

LEGO® Serious Play® combines playful creativity with strategic goal-setting. Using LEGO bricks, complex ideas, challenges and goals can be represented in tangible models.

Benefits of LEGO® Serious Play®:

• Visualization: Instead of just talking about goals, they are physically built.

• Creative Problem-Solving: The method encourages thinking outside the box.

• Team Collaboration: It integrates all perspectives to define shared goals.

How Does LEGO® Serious Play® Work?

Here’s an outline of the process in a typical LEGO® Serious Play® workshop:

1. Defining the Question: The process begins with a clear question, such as “What do we want to achieve as a team?” or “What challenges must we overcome?” or "what is important to us in our collaboration?"

2. Building Models: Each team member builds a model that represents their ideas and perspectives.

3. Sharing Stories: Participants explain their models and reflect on key aspects relevant to the team’s goals.

4. Creating a Shared Model: The individual models are combined into one, reflecting the collective vision and perspectives of the team.

5. Developing Action Plans: Based on the shared model, concrete steps are outlined to achieve the goals.

While these steps provide a general framework, each workshop is customized to the specific needs and objectives of the team, ensuring maximum relevance and impact.

Why Use LEGO® Serious Play® for Team Goals?

• Creative Problem-Solving: Building with LEGO bricks activates creative thinking and leads to innovative solutions.

• Inclusivity and Diversity: Every voice is heard and seen and all perspectives are valued.

• Emotional Connection: The tactile and visual experience strengthens emotional engagement with the goals.

• Fun Factor: The playful approach makes the process more enjoyable and inspiring.

Book a Workshop with LEGO® Serious Play®

Whether it’s for team development, conflict resolution or strategic goal-setting, LEGO® Serious Play® helps teams experience their goals in a whole new way. As a Certified Facilitator for LEGO® Serious Play® Method and Materials, I guide teams through this process, facilitate reflection and support them in creating actionable steps.

Let’s get creative together and lay the foundation for your team’s success!

Yours,

Johanna

P.S.: Are you interested in one-on-one coaching and want to explore your personal goals through LEGO® Serious Play®? Feel free to reach out to me!