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How does a LEGO® Serious Play® workshop work?

LEGO® Serious Play® is a method that puts an end to endless discussions and allows all participants to have their say. In this workshop, the participants work co-creatively on tangible models and experience the thinking models of their team colleagues.

What is LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®?

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP for short) is a well-structured and moderated process that helps teams to work on visions, objectives or strategies. During the workshop, various questions are addressed and answered by each participant and the team in a recurring process. These questions are based on the core question, which has been agreed in advance between the client and the facilitator. The answers are built with the building blocks as metaphors and are given meaning by the “builder” in a short round of introductions.

lsp process
The classic LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) process

The four phases

A classic LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop consists of three phases and can be extended by a fourth phase. In the first phase, the principles and functions are learned. This is why it is also referred to as “skill building”.

lsp workshop
Participant presents her individual model

From the second phase onwards, things get practical. Each participant builds their own individual model for a defined question. In the third phase, the models of the individual participants are then merged into a joint model (team model). The team discusses dependencies, influencing factors and practical derivations and consolidates the most important aspects of the individual models. In the optional fourth phase, the team model is expanded to include possible scenarios and influencing factors. This makes it easier to work out overall contexts, challenges or even dependencies. The number of phases depends on the client’s questions and objectives.

lsp workshop team model
Joint model with the most important aspects from the individual models

The founding fathers of this method were of the opinion that all important results were retained by the participants. Anything that was forgotten was not relevant. However, experience shows that documentation is essential for sharing within the company and for reflection. This is why the documentation is done with photos, videos and, if necessary, a presentation that can be used by management, for example.

What are the benefits and advantages of a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop?

LEGO® Serious Play® generates new ideas, improves communication within the team and reduces the time needed to solve problems.

Benefit:

  • Development of a vision, objectives, strategy behind which the entire team stands
  • Terms are defined and uniformly understood by all participants
  • This method helps with team building and the full potential of your team is raised

Advantages:

  • Tangible: perspectives and thought models are brought to life and are better remembered through metaphors
  • Comprehensible: The building blocks are used for prototyping to discuss models and create facts
  • Co-creative: Each participant is 100% integrated into the process and the joint understanding results in the joint further development of the vision, the target image or the strategy

How does an LSP workshop work?

An example of a workshop in which the three phases from skill-building to team model are integrated could look as follows:

AgendaTimeWork order
Skill building09:00By building low-complexity tasks, participants gain an understanding of mechanics and are introduced to working with LEGO®. After each construction phase, each participant presents their model. The round is concluded with a reflection. After the skill-building, the participants have learned to think in metaphors and storytelling with the models.
Individual models – construction stage 110:45The next step is to answer the key question. To do this, individual models are built and presented in the learned mechanics.
Lunch break12:30
Team model – construction stage 213:30In the second construction stage, the individual models are combined into a joint model. It is important that the important aspects of the individual models are retained. It is therefore important for each participant to be 100% present in the presentation of the models throughout the entire workshop day.
Implementation in concrete steps15:00The next phase is about deriving concrete measures or further questions from the creative process. The aim is to find a common way forward after the workshop.
Reflection16:00In most cases, the participants experience a new and creative workshop format. With LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, exciting aspects become visible on a meta-level and many aha-experiences are collected. These need to be reflected on and learned from as a team. The reflection concludes with a feedback round and the workshop day ends.

How was this method developed?

Bart Victor and Johan Roos were looking for a method to revolutionize strategy development. Both were professors at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

“In our teaching, research and consulting activities, we have repeatedly found that strategy discussions generally focus on objective analysis underpinned by hard figures. The subjective views of managers were usually pushed into the background or even ignored.”

The hour of birth

At the beginning of 1996, Johan Roos was commissioned to develop a strategy program for the top 300 LEGO® managers. After some discussions with LEGO®, he asked Bart Victor for his support. During the development, the two also looked at the LEGO® building blocks. The bricks made it possible to manifest thoughts and give the bricks their own meaning. A limited construction time (time boxing) and speaking time made it possible to involve each workshop participant equally in the development of the result. This was the birth of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®.

The method matures

More than twenty iterations of testing, learning and retesting refined this method before it was presented to the public in early 2022. This also resulted in an official product line. Since June 2010, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® has been made available for public use under a Creative Commons license. Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that publishes standard license agreements so that rights of use can be granted in a simple way. This has laid the foundation for consultants, workshop moderators and further development in a larger community.

Peter Prütting is a trained LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator and moderator. This workshop format is an optional part of the consulting process and can also be booked separately for individual questions on vision, objectives and strategy.

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Conclusion

“If you want to go fast, then go alone. If you want to go far, go together with others.” LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is a very good method for anyone who wants to go far and answer complex questions in a team. The clear and appreciative process allows every participant to have their say. This makes use of all the knowledge in the room. At the same time, the participants become stakeholders, as the shared model contains the aspects that are very important to them. As a facilitator of such workshops, I also find that it helps participants to focus on the model. It is no longer about people, but about models. This makes for honest discussions. LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is the method if you want to go far with your team.

B2B E-Commece Expert

Peter Prütting is an expert in value-oriented and digital business development. With over 15 years of sales experience in wholesale, manufacturing and e-marketplaces, he takes a holistic view. His colleagues value him as a customer-centric and focused leader who guides teams through digital change. Away from his day-to-day work, he recharges his batteries by mountain biking.

FAQ – Frequently asked questions

What is meant by Creative Commons?

Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that publishes standard license agreements to make it easy to grant rights of use. For example, the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop method is freely usable under a Creative Commons license.

What are the benefits of a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop?

Development of a vision, objectives, strategy behind which the whole team stands.
Terms are defined and uniformly understood by all participants. This method helps with team building and the entire potential of your team is raised.

What are the advantages of a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop?

A LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop ensures that content can be experienced, understood and co-created. In this way, perspectives and thought models are brought to life and are better remembered through metaphors. The building blocks are used for prototyping to discuss models and create facts. Each participant is 100% integrated into the process and the shared understanding results in the joint further development of the vision, the target image or the strategy.

Who invented LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®?

Bart Victor and Johan Roos were looking for a method to revolutionize strategy development. Both were professors at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). The idea for this workshop format was born in 1996 through a consultancy assignment for LEGO®.

How does LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP for short) work?

LSP is a well-structured and moderated process that helps teams to work on visions, objectives or strategies. During the workshop, various questions are addressed and answered in a recurring process by each participant and the team. These questions are based on the core question, which has been agreed in advance between the client and the moderator. The answers are built with the building blocks as metaphors and are given meaning by the “builder” in a short round of introductions.

Sources

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Preventing maverick buying or why the essential user is the real decision-maker!

If you want to change purchasing, you have to inspire your colleagues from the specialist departments. C-items are process cost drivers and behind the supposed objectivity lies a high degree of emotionality. What influence does this have on the development of your own procurement and how can employees be involved in this?

As a supplier, we have an important appointment with one of the leading industrial companies. After arriving in the meeting room and being provided with coffee, the purchasing manager gets straight to the point: “We would like you to show us further savings potential!” In order to enable a “price” reduction, we talk about the three brand strategy. This approach consists of three brands in two different quality levels. The branded product and the quality own brand are positioned at the highest level. The price difference is in the double-digit percentage range for the same quality. In the second level, the second own brand is positioned, which as a private label focuses on price.

The model arrives and we arrange a test between a branded product and a quality own brand. The choice falls on the hand tool: wrenches. The two brands are sent to the specialist department for the test. The result is surprising, the branded product clearly wins the test. Both wrenches are made from the same material and have the same geometry. We were astonished, because from a factual point of view there is no drastic “difference in quality”.

Objectivity meets emotionality

This incident took place at an important key account customer in the Nuremberg metropolitan region. By “we” I am referring to my former employer, the leading tool retailer in Europe. The quality own brand was introduced in 1973 to create an alternative to branded products. The approach is to be able to offer a price advantage by increasing quantities and concentrating on top-selling items while maintaining high quality. Incidentally, the wrench featured in this story can also be found in my logo.

We are talking here about C-articles, which are also often called C-parts. The “C” initially indicates a less important category. From a business perspective, materials and services can be valued according to the ABC analysis. The evaluation is based on the total purchase value and the total quantity. As a rule, this evaluation results in an A-item share of approx. 60-80% of the purchase value and approx. 15-25% of the total quantity of items to be procured. In the case of B items, the share of the purchase value is 10-25% with a quantity share of 30-40%. C-parts are therefore the items that ultimately account for 5-15% of the value, but 40-70% of the total quantity. The following diagram illustrates the ratio described.

Analysis of ABC parts
The ABC analysis in purchasing

C-items are the material group in the company with the highest process costs and therefore consume many hours of employee time. The supposedly simple items such as wrenches, notepads, pens or safety shoes are emotionally charged. The employee (consumer) who uses these items is the real decision-maker in the company because they work with these products on a daily basis. Successful C-parts management can only be implemented if the purchasing department manages to convince and involve these “internal customers”.

High litigation costs for C-articles: Myth or truth?

“Process costs are a milkmaid’s calculation” – I have been accused of this before. By process costs, I mean the working time employees spend on an activity, e.g. the ordering process. An order process begins with the employee’s need and ends, in the best case, with the successful booking in the accounting department. According to the study by Mercateo and HTWK Leipzig (Leipzig University of Applied Sciences), these are between €67 and €116 per order. Blumenbecker, an industrial service provider, states process costs of €86. The following graphic illustrates the problem in the key figure “Proportion of process costs”. These costs are significant for several hundreds or thousands of orders. Blumenbecker refers to C-articles as C-parts.

Comparison A-parts C-parts
Activity-based costing according to Blumenbecker.com

Regardless of whether the process costs are €115, €86 or €50, this shows that employees in the company spend a lot of time ordering “low-value” materials. No added value is created during this time. This is therefore wasted potential. My personal focus is to bring companies and employees into value-adding activities. According to the study mentioned above, high process costs are a reality for many medium-sized companies. But how can these be reduced?

Why the essential user is the real decision-maker!

If you take a closer look, the so-called “essential user” (employee) is the real decision-maker. In order to reduce process costs, they should be actively involved in purchasing. It is therefore important to look at the factors that lead to the acceptance of defined product ranges, suppliers and processes. The situation described at the beginning shows that with C-items, objectivity regularly clashes with emotionality.

Now the objection could be raised that the consumer may only order defined items and therefore emotionality has no influence. This statement can be verified with the maverick buying rate. Maverick buying refers to uncontrolled purchasing by the employee that bypasses the specified procurement process. The term maverick is derived from the cattle breeder Samuel A. Maverick (1803 – 1870), who did not brand his cattle, unlike was customary at the time. The maverick buying rate determined in the study by Mercateo and HTWK Leipzig is between 20-31%. This means that in the end it is the employee who decides where the demand is met. Compliance with the procurement process is therefore not always guaranteed. In many companies, there are ways of ordering items that bypass the purchasing department.

After consultation with the line manager, the requirement can also be submitted via the travel expense report. Or a good contact in financial accounting pays the invoice without insisting on compliance with the procurement process. It is therefore important to maintain communication with specialist departments and requisitioners. If the needs are transparent, successful purchasing processes can be developed. Alham Schmidt, Account Manager at Baseware, also states the same: “A lack of or inadequate communication is probably one of the main triggers for problems (not only) in the professional environment. Who of us hasn’t experienced this? It is therefore essential that the purchasing department talks to the specialist departments, finds out about their needs, discusses the selection of suppliers and makes its own processes and requirements transparent.”

The second test

The purchasing manager understands our arguments and supports a second test. In this case, the wrenches are issued to the specialist department with the logos and identification numbers removed. After the test period, the result surprises us again. The quality own brand performed slightly better than the branded product. This proves the case for the private label. Based on this result, we are working with the purchasing department on approaches to promote the quality own brand. For example, it is included as an alternative product in the electronic catalog to increase awareness. In addition, Strategic Purchasing recommends that the relevant specialist departments concentrate on the quality own brand.

My conclusion

The situation outlined above shows that C-items have a high emotional component. Specialist departments often have a higher level of expertise than the buyer, who usually coordinates and procures many product groups. It is therefore becoming increasingly important for buyers to talk to their “internal customers”. Procurement is all about getting the right product quickly and easily. The fact that employees are used to the usability of providers such as Amazon and the like in their private lives also increases the hurdle. In my view, the success of efficient C-item procurement therefore depends on the ability of the purchasing department to pick up the specialist departments. Process costs and the maverick buying rate can be reduced if the employee can access the desired product quickly and easily.

Leverage potential and reduce maverick buying with Canvas!

A canvas was created in collaboration with Mr. Thomas Auer from UVEX Group Purchasing. Canvas means canvas and is intended to serve as a tool for the next steps. This tool is used for printing and can be filled with Post-it notes.

The canvas contains the following six steps:

  1. Internal customer
  2. Understand
  3. Summarize findings
  4. Analysis of framework conditions
  5. Identify quick wins
  6. Active steps

The first step revolves around the question: “Who are my internal customers or essential users?”. This first step is about identifying the relevant customers in your company. The second step, “Understanding”, is about how you can analyze the problems of internal customers, e.g. with the help of feedback discussions. The lunch table and the relaxed atmosphere can also be used for this purpose. In the back of your mind you can have the thought: “How do I position our purchasing department as a problem solver?”.

From the discussions held, it is important to summarize the findings and determine the greatest need for action. In this step, it is important to keep your internal customers up to date. Communication is crucial for the internal climate. Based on the greatest need for action, analyze the systems, processes and suppliers that are currently available to you. Once you know the needs of your internal customers and the corresponding framework conditions, it’s time for step 5. Define which quick wins you can leverage and now determine the active steps. You can find a few ideas for active steps under point 6.

B2B E-Commece Expert

Peter Prütting is an expert in value-oriented and digital business development. With over 15 years of sales experience in wholesale, manufacturing and e-marketplaces, he takes a holistic view. His colleagues value him as a customer-centric and focused leader who guides teams through digital change. Away from his day-to-day work, he recharges his batteries by mountain biking.

Sources

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What is maverick buying and what impact does it have on purchasing?

Purchasing-Department defines the suppliers and ensures a uniform procurement process. Nevertheless, it happens time and again that the finance department receives invoices from unknown suppliers. This situation is known as maverick buying. Find out what the reasons are and how you can deal with them.

Explanation of Maverick Buying

Maverick buying can occur in different forms. These are shown in the following diagram.

  • Bypassing purchasing (#1): The employee selects the supplier himself and negotiates conditions. Purchasing is completely bypassed and only becomes aware of the process when the finance department makes a query (we don’t have an order in the system).
  • Bypassing the framework agreement (#2): Purchasing is included in the supplier selection process. However, the conditions of the contract are not used. For example, alternatives to the negotiated parts are purchased or the already negotiated prices are not used.
What is Maverick Buying?

Uncontrolled purchasing by the employee that bypasses the specified procurement process. The term maverick is derived from the cattle breeder Samuel A. Maverick (1803 – 1870), who did not brand his cattle, unlike was customary at the time.

Types of Maverick Buying
Types of Maverick Buying

Reasons for Maverick Buying

Why is the purchasing or procurement process not being used? There can be various reasons for this:

  • Ignorance: Employees do not know the procurement process and framework agreements with suppliers
  • Total costs are not taken into account: The costs from the part and the procurement process are not taken into account. Therefore, a cheaper part or item is chosen and the high costs of the procurement process are disregarded.
  • Subjective perception of the specialist department: The specialist department is of the opinion that the parts from another supplier are more suitable or that there is better personal contact there
  • Employee experience: Due to a lack of trust and bad experiences with the focus supplier, the employee will opt for another supplier
  • Availability: Lack of availability of a certain variant or, in the case of an assembly assignment, the defined procurement processes cannot be used due to time pressure.
  • Cooperation: Purchasing does not see itself as a partner of the specialist departments and focuses on the key figure “savings”.
  • Usability: The systems or processes used are difficult for employees to operate

What are the disadvantages of maverick buying?

The consequences of buying wildly at the point of purchase have a financial impact on the company. The following disadvantages can be cited:

  • Increase in process costs, as goods receipt, finance department and purchasing have to carry out unnecessary activities
  • Purchasing cannot take purchased parts into account in supplier discussions
  • Due to the invisible demand, Purchasing cannot define the appropriate suppliers or framework agreements in supplier management
  • Legal certainty for complaints
  • Risk management by the purchasing department is not effective
  • High number of suppliers
  • Lack of cost transparency

How is the maverick buying rate calculated?

With the maverick buying rate, the question arises as to which key figure should be recorded? As described above, there are two types. The purchase bypassing the purchasing department or the purchase bypassing the framework agreement.

vThe following formula can be used to quickly calculate the purchase bypass. In my opinion, you need a clear internal definition and a suitable system that makes the definition evaluable for the rate for the “purchase bypassing the framework agreement”.

Maverick buying invoice
Maverick buying rate

You can determine the purchasing volume via your procurement system. With a purchasing volume of 1.0 million euros and a financial volume of 1.4 million euros (settled invoices), you get a rate of 71%. According to the study by Mercateo and HTWK Leipzig, your company would therefore correspond to the maverick buying rate of companies with a non-standardized and manual purchasing process.

Would you like to reduce the maverick buying rate?

Get help now and make an appointment.

I offer these advantages:

  • Over 10 years of experience as a process consultant for purchasing processes
  • Experienced workshop moderator
  • In-house training for your internal customers

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How can maverick buying be prevented?

The approaches range from consistent monitoring and sanctions for violations (confrontational) to perceiving the employee as an internal customer (partnership-based). In this case, Purchasing sees itself as a service provider that wants to inspire the employee. Depending on the approach, the following approaches can be implemented:

Conclusion

Maverick buying owes its name to a cattle farmer who did not follow the rules of the time. Maverick buying can be caused by reasons such as the employee’s ignorance or the lack of usability of the purchasing system. This has a negative impact on the company’s success, as purchasing depends on the transparency of requirements. Only on this basis can purchasing be managed effectively.

➡️ Find out why the employee from the specialist department is the real decision-maker

Many approaches describe that the solution is to control the employee or department in order to get a grip on maverick buying. I am of the opinion that the maverick buying rate represents the ability of the purchasing department to manage the specialist departments. Because if employees and specialist departments are involved and their needs are met, then the rate will automatically fall. This is because the user or the specialist department is the real decision-maker. Why?

B2B E-Commece Expert

Peter Prütting is an expert in value-oriented and digital business development. With over 15 years of sales experience in wholesale, manufacturing and e-marketplaces, he takes a holistic view. His colleagues value him as a customer-centric and focused leader who guides teams through digital change. Away from his day-to-day work, he recharges his batteries by mountain biking.

Sources

Topics

  • Leading Change
  • Innovation Culture
  • B2B E-Commerce
  • Product Data
  • AI & Automation

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