116: What Can LEGO Teach Us about Serious Play In Building Breakthrough Teams

In this episode of The Innovation Storytellers Show, I am excited to take you on a journey through the world of play with Carol Hill, Global Learning Director at the LEGO Group. As a catalyst for change and a staunch advocate for continuous improvement, Carol leads her team in embedding learning through play across the LEGO system.

In this episode, we explore how a tiny LEGO brick can be a catalyst for significant innovation. Carol shares how LEGO facilitates an environment of psychological safety, empowering teams to challenge the status quo and move swiftly on innovation projects. We discuss the ‘popcorn effect’ of idea generation and the power of trust within a team.

Carol further guides us through the prototyping process at the LEGO Group, giving insights on overcoming the ‘hippo effect’ and fostering a diverse pool of ideas. We learn how LEGO enables everyone in the room to voice their ideas, paving the way for more creative problem-solving.

Carol provides invaluable advice to Chief Innovation Officers on incorporating serious play into their work and teams. She emphasizes the importance of team engagement and genuine listening, underlining how these elements can lead to more innovative ideas and successful projects.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in innovative practices, team building, and the power of play. Join us as we explore the transformative world of LEGO and discover how to shape the future of work through play.

Name: Carol Hill
Title: Global Learning Director
Company: The Lego Group

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Carol Hill is a customer-centric innovation, strategy and product development leader with a deep understanding of lean, design thinking, agile and scrum methodologies. She is the Global Learning Director at the LEGO Group, with a proven track record of leading teams in complex organizations embedding innovation programs and in developing global innovative products to market during a digital transformation. Carol is a catalyst for change and practitioner of continuous improvement, regularly initiating and implementing new processes and ways of working, resulting in high-performing teams. She leads a team of Learning Designers and Content Developers in embedding learning through play in products across the Learning LEGO System. Carol is also a certified LEGO Serious Play Facilitator and is passionate about helping both children and adults learn and develop through play.