The small multi-shaped red, yellow, blue and green interlocking LEGO bricks are something that most people have played with as children. This fascinating hobby would allow you to get lost for hours, engrossed with creating wonderful structures from nothing. The LEGO bricks, which were originally developed in 1932, were designed to help children’s minds develop and grow. The process of building different colourful interlocking structures would stimulate a child’s imagination and encourage creative expressions. And now, so many decades later, the LEGO Company is here to help adults boost their productivity and help businesses grow.
Here are 3 ways that building LEGO sets can boost productivity at your office:
- Reduces Stress And Anxiety
Work induced stress and anxiety are the most common issues that employees face today. The constant pressure to excel and finish their numerous tasks before deadlines can reduce performance levels and thereby productivity. When your employees take a break to build a LEGO set, it offers them a short escape from reality and lets them reconnect with their inner child.
Studies have shown that pastimes, such as LEGO, that require a high level of concentration and mindful thinking, limit anxious self-reflection and the stress hormone cortisol by 15% over an eight-week period. The simple act of creating something from a set of bricks provides your employees with a sense of happiness and accomplishment, leaving them refreshed and ready to focus on their work once again.
2. Improve Teamwork And Internal Communication
Most employees detest having to take part in run-of
-the-mill team-building activities as it tends to bore them and make them feel as if they are wasting their time. So, perhaps it is time to halt talks and seminars and instead try an interactive and fun exercise.
LEGO’s Serious Play is one of the many products that can be used to improve your work environment. This new group-based game was designed to enhance an employee’s or team’s innovation and business performance. The Serious Play method relies on open communication and is a problem-solving process led through a series of questions. This helps improve your team’s problem solving and decision-making abilities as every team member is provided with the opportunity to voice their thoughts.
3. Improve Time Management
Are your employees often missing deadlines? With the help of a timer, a few lego bricks and the Pomodoro method, you can help create a time-efficient and deadline effective work environment. The Pomodoro Technique is a popular time management method that involves using a timer to break up your work into intervals of 25 minutes, separated by short breaks. Your employees can build mini LEGO figures or work on one big LEGO over the course of their short breaks. When people work uninterruptedly for 25 minutes and know that there is a reward waiting for them afterwards, they are more likely to finish their tasks faster and more efficiently.
All across the globe, people have been using LEGO as a means to liven up their work environment and spark some creativity and productivity along the way. “The Lego Serious Play not only teased out essentials in our self-assessment, but both staff and board in this annual retreat reported our highest ever levels of engagement – the best part, however, was the laughter in the room,” says Dr Judi L Malone- Chief Executive Officer, Psychologist Association of Alberta (PAA).
Of course, LEGO Serious Play isn’t the only LEGO set that you can introduce to your workplace. From playing architect and building meticulous mini skyscrapers to car models or the Millennium Falcon spaceship, every LEGO set works therapeutic wonders for your employees.
“LEGO is a tool that gives access to the creative side of people,” says Michael Fearne, the founder of Pivotal Play, a leading consultancy that specialises in LEGO Serious Play. So, why not give LEGO a chance to boost productivity at your office!
