PRE QUACK

This book offers an array of creative "riffs" on one of the simplest, yet most pow-
erful, activities in the LEG0 8 SERIOUS PLAY® tool box-the duck exercise.

During the 1930s recession, carpenter, Ole Kirk Christiansen (1891-1958) started
to make toys, when his customers could no longer afford bigger carpentry pro-
jects. A wooden toy duck became the first product of the family-owned company
we now know as the LEGO® Group. Thus, the duck holds a special significance in
the LEGO® origins story. This book pays homage to the concept of the duck and
all of the creative possibilities it opens up.

What most people don't realize about ducks is thatthey are excellent bridge builders.
Not in the literal way that beavers are excellent dam builders-rather the specialty
of the particular type of duck in this book is to build bridges between people.

lnspired by Ayres (1994, 2016), who states that knowledge can be embodied in
physical structures, 1see each duck as a physical instantiation of the tacit knowl-
edge of the person who built it. From this perspective, the duck provides a visual
representation that we all have different mindsets, perceptions, and imaginations.
Bringing this awareness to the forefront of participants' minds typically leads
to an increased appreciation of diversity, motivates active listening, and makes
people more receptive to opposing points of view.

The mutant ducks in this book may take us even further, as they make duck-building
more collaborative and challenging.

Coming up with new duck exercises was a fun, collective activity at the annual
un-conference for LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitators in 2015. Thank you to
Jacquie, Stephen and Denise for taking our seedlings of ideas and growing them
into even more ideas for this book, which I think will become a great inspiration for
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitating duck-lovers all over the world.

Lastly, 1want to share how one workshop participant recently described her expe-
rience of the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® process: lt is like "thinking with my hands
and listening with my eyes". 1think she captured it!

Camilla N0rgaard Jensen

PhD Candidate
 PLAY
THE CREATIVE FACILITATOR'S GUIDE VOLUME#2

WHAT THE DUCK!

ACTIVITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LEGO@ DUCK BRICKS

Jacqueline Lloyd Smith, MA, MBA

Denise Meyerson, PhD
'
Stephen J. Walling, CEC
 1
THE DUCK:
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Although this collection of duck activities has a strong fun element, we do not
want it to sound like it is all just fun. There is, in fact, a wealth of solid theory that
forms the basis of why we developed this stream of uses for duck bricks in the
business environment.

The idea of using playful methods for a range of purposes to generate innovative
thinking is not new. For centuries, people have used artifacts like totems and pup-
pets to tell stories and share inform_ation, beliefs, and knowledge. We also know
that many facilitators and trainers are u~ing tools such as design thinking and
agile methodologies, where prototyping and games play an important role in the
processes of thinking and creating.

Whatever your goal, using 3D models is a great facilitation tool. lt allows you to
lead people through a process where they are able to examine their inside world
and relate these lessons to their work environment. These insights then lead to
opportunities for further exploration and discovery, and ultimately a more pro-
ductive and effective business.
 2

First, lets take a quick look into this idea of LEG08 SERIOUS PLAY8 .

Building with LEG08 bricks might seem similar to any modeling process. But our
experiences have taught us that something interesting occurs in the mind as people
snap the bricks into place. The process of building is both logical and creative. While
the bricks can only go together in one way, people can make anything they like.

The process is not only perfect for helping people to think and communicate,
but it also clears the way for the creativa mind to flourish while the subconscious
mind awakens. The awakening is something only the builders can control. They
will open up to allow the obscure to become obvious. And only the builders will be
able to identify when their aha moments happen.

When people use creativa tools that have color and shape, and they use their
hands to build something that tells a story, they are accessing more parts of the
brain than if they were simply talking. When people talk and listen they are only
using certain parts of their brains to think. Because we have been manipulating
our speech since we were children, talking does not always work. We often get
stuck talking about the same things. And what happens? We wind up going in
conversational circles or we fall down a rabbit hole with no way out.

3
4 I STRATEGIC PLAY

In sorne cases, we might explore new ideas and convince ourselves that we can
implement change. Change is difficult to implement, however, and as soon as we
are under stress we tend to default back to our old ways of thinking, feeling, and
behaving. We then feel frustrated when we get the same results.

Thinking with our hands changes these dynamics. As soon aswe start making things
in the world that we can examine, we enter into a new area of the brain. Different
functions are necessary to do the work. When we support our clients to play with
ideas and build models, we are allowing them to short-circuit the usual conversa-
tional roundabouts and move into deeper conversations and more intense insights.

There is no question the hand-mind connection shifts thinking from the mundane
and expected conversation to a new dimension, where the unexpected ideas, ah-ha
•
moments, and innovative thinking become possible. lntroducing the element of
play opens up enormous opportunities.

Why do businesses and organizations want to play with us? In most cases, it
is because they want to think differently. They have big problems they need to
better understand in order to solve, but they are stuck in a circular pattern. We use
play to assist companies as they strive to out-imagine the competition. We use
play to help NGOs, non-profits, transfer agencies, and government organizations
trying to provide better services and make the most of shrinking budgets. We
also use play while working with communities that are striving to push boundaries
and create a better world for people.
 WHY USE LEGO® BRICKS IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS? I 5

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How far does the influence of our playful work reach? We know when we introduce
play into the working world it helps lower stress, people smile, silos begin to break,
turf wars lessen, and people tend to take themselves less seriously. At the same
time, play raises the bar for both individual and group thinking. The application of
play improves working lives and the work people do. We are all hardwired to play. lt
is a natural and highly desired state after we have met our basic needs. Play helps
our brains develop the connections we need to learn.

The application of play stops the usual conversational and sometimes theoretical
roundabouts that trap even the smartest of people. And when you have smart
individuals dealing with messy and complex problems, they need this type of
applied play even more.

Over the years we have discovered that serious peo ple cannot imagine themselves
playing. But when they agree that what they are doing is not working, they are
usually willing to try something new.

This is the first step in dealing with resistance. lt paves the way for the hard play
we have planned. We use the terms, "hard play, serious play, strategic play, or hard
fun," because even though participants are engaged in a playful activity they are
6 I STRATEGIC PLAY

still learning, and atan accelerated leve!. This is because adults learn in the same
way as children, through experience and experimentation. This is applied play. lt is
not play for play's sake, but rather a thoughtfully designad process that considers
the current situation and the desired outcome.

Even the most skeptical participants find it difficult to stop after they get started in
this playful process. One of the most amazing slghts is when we announce break
time and participants find it hard to break from the applied play state, waiting until
the last moments to run for coffee.

The application of applied playimproves communication and deepens understand-

ing. Nothing is more validating or therapeutic than to feel heard and understood.
People do not need to have others agree with them, but they do need to have the
sense others are truly listening. This1s how peo ple connect to others and have the
sense their ideas, values, thinking, and ultimately their identities are appreciated. lt
is actually in the understanding of our differences, including our thinking, impres-
sions, and opinions, that helps us to make better decisions.

Management has a tendencyto assume that people leave their jobs dueto financia!
reasons. In fact, it is typically because people believe they do not have a voice. This
causes them to feel their ideas are not valuable to the organization and their work
accomplishments are insignificant. When people feel this way, they question why
they are staying. Given the high costs of attraction, recruitment hiring, training, and
retaining talent, management should easily be able to justify the introduction of play
intowork.
ame
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td in
·eak
until

md-
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the
the
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1cial
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nnovative management consultants spent years pondering the value of play within
rork
organizations, while working in isolation. lnitially many consultants and university
,vhy
professors used play in team building, with activities such as high ropes and obsta-
:1nd
ele courses. They also incorporated games into their programs to provide teachable
>lay
moments, which was miles ahead in terms of effectiveness and relevance.

The idea of play at work in Western society seemed eccentric in the late 1990s
and early 2000s, and it was not widely valued. Executives may have been more
critica! of how to spend corporate funds for training and development after failed
experiments in the '70s and '80s, including. team activities such as walking on hot
coals and corporate golf games. Although many people thought the yearly off-
site activities for teams were fun, they recognized they had no real carryover into
business life. When they got back to the office on Monday they were still struggling
with business concerns such as how to solve supply chain issues.

By the mid-2000s a global movement was underway, where leading-edge con-

sultants were considering how to use play. They were searching for better tools,
techniques, methodologies, and frameworks. They wanted to find anything that
would helpto change howthey and people in organizational developmentdelivered
their services. These consultants were tired of strategy sessions that did not pro-
duce strong results.

7
8 1 STRATEG IC PLAY

Not only were those consultants frustrated but the majority of workers hated the
staff training. These yearly strategy retreats forced workers to endure a day or
entire weekend of extreme boredom. lndividuals in positions of authority were
the only ones who got to speak. And it seemed those who controlled the budgets
were the only ones being heard. Workers dreaded these meetings where they
frequentlyfelt oppressed and disconnected, even dehumanized. These meetings
were costly and rarely showed any value for the effort and expense.

Leadership books started to emerge in the mid-90s, encouraging CEOs to include

more middle managers in their strategic processes. This was a great idea, but lead-
ership teams still struggled to engage anyone in a meaningful way at this level. CEOs
were, and many still are, in the ha bit of telling instead of asking. And many managers
felt more comfortable following orders and pointing fingers when things failed.

When managers are not part of the thinking process they will be unable to fully
understand the reasons behind certain actions the company is taking. And when
they do not have a clear understanding about something they cannot communi-
cate about it with the next level, like frontline workers. lf the frontline workers see
no connection between what they do each day and the movement of the organ-
ization, it results in resistance, morale decreases, and an increase in the cost of
doing business. This results in a poor return on investment.

There was an increased interest in finding a new and creative methodology by the
time we connected in Billund, Denmark, in 2007. We collectively identified that not
onlywere business situations becoming more complex, but the old systems people
had depended on for years were dated and doomed for failure. Many organizations
continued to insist that old, successful patterns would continue to bring results.

Due to past successes that created a false sense of security, slow moving and
laborious organizations were still uncomfortable with the idea of change. We rec-
ognized resistance when we heard things like:

This is the way we do things here.

That's not practica/.
lt's always worked before so why change it?
We don't have a budget for that
lt's against our policies.
That won't work here.
We've tried that before.
Let me play the devil's advocate for a minute.
 BACKGROUND I 9

Dr. Min Basadur calls these types of statements killer phrases. What were they
killing? They were killing new ideas, energy, inspiration, new thinking, risk taking,
change, and innovation.

Change continued to happen so quickly that by the mid-2000s, most consultants

were making the same complaints. lt was incredibly demanding trying to work
with organizations where leadership wanted to maintain control. The consultants'
stress only grew as management expressed disappointment with the results.

We spent years educating our clients and trying to start a play movement. We
even had t-shirts printed that read "Join the play movement," and we wore them
to conferences our peers attended. We were leading the way, which in so many
ways was a painful process. Slowly and surely we noticed that more and more
organizations were starting to recognize their old approaches to work were
sabotaging their future successes. They started to come to us, open to trying a
new approach.

Joio ttlé pfaY movemeot!

10 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

CULTU

We are now seeing a trend as the traditionalists retire and the next generation
of leaders takes the helm. These new leaders want to move their organizations
forward in ways that increase collaboration, fun, and engagement while deliver-
ing more results.

Leaders are more sophisticated than ever befare, and this trend will continue.
They understand that people want to have a say in how their organizations move
forward. They know that within a successful organization everyone's voice has
value. They recognize the high costs of human resources añd know they need
to take full advantage of their people. They recognize that the people closest to
the problems are also those best ~uited to understanding options and testing or
prototyping solutions. They have a mindset that supports a concept where
people's voices are not only included but their input is valued. Now leaders share
responsibility for the organization's success with the people that deliver day in
and day out. They do not just give lip service and use buzz words from the 90s,
like empowerment. They actually want to activate their greatest resource, their
people.
 4

successfully adapt to a changing business world, people need to be able to

their stories, engage their imaginations, and play with ideas in a place that is
safe. This allows the player to have a type of dress rehearsal and prepare for the
SliJtleties of the changing business environment. This teaches them to function
comfortably with ambiguity. Within the playroom everyone in the group can test
a theory, a hunch, or a tried and true method and see if it will continua to bring
successful results, without putting their reputations or the company's assets
on the line. After an individual introduces an idea or concept, everyone owns it.
ilothing is precious or controlled. We explore ideas as far as possible by using
phrases that begin with "Yes, and ..." When we rea ch the end of this discovery
stage, everything is open for scrutiny and convergence t<? select the best options.

In this playful way, participants can gather information from scenario testing that
they can adjust add to, or scrap all together, without doing any damage. Play allows
their imaginations to gain the ability to form new cognitiva combinations, which
can develop innovative ideas. The groups can then springboard into the next
combination of ideas, bringing great clarity to the situation. Using a playful approach,
nothing is lost but much is gained and the group leaves the playroom feeling
engaged, activated, and focused, with an accurate and shared mental model.

This is not just play for play's sake, as we use applied systematic creativa play.
The creativa facilitator sets both the stage and the rules of engagement. The play

13
14 I STRATEG IC PLAY

is focused and structured, using developed etiquettes that creates layers. These
layers are essentially building blocks that take the player into deeper and deeper
levels, where the brain continues to function at both conscious and subconscious
levels.

The play we use incorporates all three approaches to learning: auditory, kin-
aesthetic, and visual. The players do not need to have any pre-skills or creative
acumen. In fact, the less they know about our tools the better. We use 3-D thinking
tools and take advantage of four stages of play:

1 Sensory and tactile

2 Storytelling and/or role-playing, with prototypes
3 Making 3-D artifacts that hold complex information
4 Games with rules, to test scenarios and to change pattems of thinking

lt is through this process that participants emerge with new insights. These
insights may bring immediately actionable items or they may percolate as the
neurons within the brain connect, get tested and then sometimes break away and
reconnect, getting stronger and ready to put ideas into action when the situa-
tion changes. Our brains are like complex computar systems that hold massive
amounts of information, from facts to emotions, which allow us to think for survival
and to decode the most complex puzzles. At the same time our frontal cortex,
 HOW APPLIED PLAY WORKS 1 15

-hese
:!eper
cious

~ kin-
1ative
nking

hese
:. the
r and
,itua-
:.sive
vival
irtex, processes logical thoughts, is limited when it comes to problem solving.
s is why we see people--in business and organizations-making the same
stakes repeatedly or in slightly different ways.

~ using applied playful tools we enable people to be creative with new ideas in
lisual and 3D ways, which actas placeholders for the mind. This process frees up
working memory so we can manage complex information within the system
• our own thoughts, and in conjunction with the ideas and thoughts of others. lt
is difficult enough for one person to work on a puzzle, le~ alone a team of people
a coming with different perspectives, background information, and skills. When
teams work in traditional ways, many people drop out of the process and let those
'fflO seem to have more energy, or louder voices, take over. In the play process we
hear everyone's voice and incorporate their ideas. Everyone owns the outcome.

Toe fact that people enjoy the process of strategic play so much they lose track
of time is notan accident, it is built into the approach. When we find ourselves fully
in this creative zone, this is the state that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
referred to as flow or the flow zone. This zone allows the brain to think better and
faster, and this is where group genius can flourish (Csikszentmihalyi 1987).
16 I STRATEG IC PLAY

Research indicates those who engage in this process of play are not only better
able to problem solve, they are actually developing a higher social IQ. Businesses
are trying to operate in a constantly changing global economic environment.
Those who can think quickly and respond strategically will be in high demand.

- vouR BRAIN ON PLAv - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The process in a play workshop has been specifically developed to help individu-
als and teams perform at the highest level, in order to reach their strategic goals
and objectives through an innovative thinking process.

We use highly visual, tactile, and auditory methods to engage minds at a deeper
thinking level. This creates emotional responses within an experiential framework.
The process allows the brain to discover new information and then store this
information in long-term memory, where it can be pulled back later to use in a real-
time, work-related situation.

Many workshop sessions put information into short-term or working memory,

only to be forgotten. Research conducted on cognitive load concluded that the
impact of traditional training, using primarily PowerPoint or lectures, may only last
for hours. In an applied play process, we take advantage of all learning styles and
engage people in a process where they can experience the learning and lock the
information they gain into the subconscious mind. lt is hardwired and accessible
when needed. Those learnings are ready to be put into action when required back
at the office (Rock 2007).

While problem solving the brain stores information in the prefrontal cortex, which
is relatively inefficient because this area of the brain can only effectively store up
to seven things at one time. Play allows our brains to develop the connections
we need in order to learn. Our prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that
processes things like logic, judgement, and planning, can be quickly overloaded.
When we use play, including making models and artifacts, we create placeholders
that allow us to think more efficiently.

Using 3D LEGO• models allows the participants create artifacts that hold large
amounts of information, freeing up their working memory. Participants use these
artifacts to communicate and process information quickly. While problem solving,
the brain needs a visual in order to enable thinking at a deeper level. Within the
workshop we use multiple tools and techniques to apply creative problem solving
so complex, messy problems can be solved effectively.
 HOW APPLIED PLAY WORKS I 17

Currentchange management research indicates thatto create real change in behavior,

we need to help people experience concepts and to think about them for themselves.
Simply presenting concepts to people in traditional training sessions confuses the
brain, which can freeze up and reject new ideas. The brain does not like learning and
experiencing new, unknown things; lt sees them as dangerous. Enacting situations in
a playful way allows people the opportunityto experience fear, failure, and excltement
with fewer risks. The process still allows for mild discomfort, fear, and uncertainty. But
it is in a way where anxiety stays in check, enabling people to experience learning
while the inforrnation solidifies in the hardwiring of the subconscious mind.

Through the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, we also know when people experi-
ence too much anxiety or boredom they cannot learn at ali. They need to be in the
flow zone, with the added component of emotions, to ~llow the experience to be
memorable (LeDoux, 2002).

Applied play with a purpose gets people into the learning zone quickly. We are
not playing or creating for fun or sheer joy, but for learning connected directly
to the objectives of the workshop. The process occurs in real time, meaning it is
relevant now and that action items are immediately ready for implementation. The
true power of this application comes from the ability of the process to help people
think for themselves in experiential situations. The fact that people enjoy these
workshops so much they lose track of time is no accident, it is part of the design
(Csikszentmihalyi 1987).

In today's complex business environment, employees are prirnarily hired to think. Yet
most organizations continue to use an old style of leadership that does not engage
smart minds. High-functioning organizations require leaders who can improve think-
ing processes, because that is what the organization is paying them to do. Strong
organizations assist people in doing this well. Most employees are capable individu-
als who will thrive when leaders use this approach; they want to become smarter and
work srnarter, and they are hungry for this type of leadership support (Rock, 2007).

Each individual enters the workforce with complex thinking processes and well-
defined mental maps. The challenge of teamwork is that we expect everyone to be
thinking inthesameway. Whentopmanagementprovides directiontheyassume each
person will take that information and come to the same conclusions. Unfortunately,
the opposite is true. We integrate information into our complex thinking system and
make assumptions that are hard to check. Developing well understood and accurate
shared mental models is one of the most difficult challenges of teamwork. Using
play in workshops holds the key to unlocking this mystery.
 HOW APPLIED PLAY WORKS I 19

- EARLV RESEARCH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - •

Piaget's theory of constructivism explains that people are not passive learners
who receive information from teachers. They are active learners who need to use
knowledge in the world in order to further understand and make sense of complex
concepts. He believed people leverage what they already know in order to gain
more information and add to that body of knowledge. Seymour Papert developed
the theory of constructionism, which goes one step further. He believed people
are more likely to gather new knowledge and ideas when they build things in the
world. He further proposed that people use artifacts to communicate meaning
within their environments and that people use this process to problem solve.

Constructivism theory explains how people build knowledge in their heads,

whereas constructionism theory explains how they take that knowledge and
solidify it by building in the real world. Through this process Papert believed
people could create things that were tangible for other people to see, question,
critique, and also use for their understanding. The value of these theories is clear
within the hands-on interactive process. Throughout the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
process, the builder creates business metaphors using building blocks and gives
meaning to the models. They then formulate and share stories as the builder uses
their model to expand thinking while sharing information and allowing others to
question (Tangdhanakanond, Pitiyanuwat, & Archwamety, 2006).
20 I STRATEGIC PLAY

- PLAYFUL TOOLs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

According to Adam Blatner, author of The Art of Play, when we play in a safe and
friendly environment part of our brain actually opens up pathways for creativity
and inspiration to flourish. This is when we become less guarded and competitive,
while becoming more open and flexible. Our subconscious mind is freed up and
we can gain access to our natural imagination and creative thinking, which are
needed for problem solving. When we play and engage in pleasurable activities,
our brains release dopamine (Blatner 1996).

The other side of this coin is that when we are in high-risk situations, such as
feeling a threat from a competitor or even a co-worker, the same part of the brain
shuts down and the brain moves into flght or flight mode, producing the adrenaline
needed for fast actions like running or fighting. The brain is hardwired for survival
and cannot tell the difference between being attacked on a city street and a
perceived attack, such as learning that next year's budget has been cut. Clearly
you do not want to run or physically fight over the budget cut. This is a situation
that requires problem solving skills and creative thinking.

Applied play creates a safe opportunity for each participant to engage in thinking,
testing, and planning that is highly visual and interactive but with limited risks. This
allows you to be very creative and use all your thinking potential when most needed.

The process takes intangible concepts and brings them into the present, where
peo ple can test concrete ideas and change solutionsas needed. Once people have
developed a clear and accurate mental model, they can develop goals and create
action steps to implement immediately. Because participants create strategies
in a three-dimensional model, they can also make adjustments in real time (Burgi
& Roos, 2003).

This is a facilitated thinking, communication, and problem-solving technique that

uses hands-on visual and interactive methodology for use with organizations,
teams, and individuals. lt draws on extensive research from the fields of business,
organization development, psychology, and learning, and it is based on the concept
of hand knowledge.

According to Dr. Stewart Brown, author of Play: How it Shapes Our Brain, Opens
the lmagination, and lnvigorates the Soul, our hands are connected to between
70% - 80% of our brain cells. Our brains are limited in how much information they
can consciously handle at one time. But with the help of all the neural connections
in our hands, we know a lot more at any given moment than we think we do. By
using both hands we engage both sides of our brains (Brown 2006).
 HOW APPLIED PLAY WORKS 1 21

Play helps people to make sense of the situation at hand, to initiate change and
improvement, and even to create something radically new. When we use our
hands in learning, a complicated process takes place that generates a powerful
emotional charge. As a result, the thoughts and ideas we build are expressed in
greater detail and they are easier to understand and remember.

The process is not reliant on the typical verbaljousting that goes on in meetings or
while filling upa blank page. lnstead, participants use a carefully chosen selection
of art materials where they make something new and unique. This is where people
think through their fingers, unleashing insight, inspiration, and imagination.

Applied play workshops are based on the belief that everyone has something
unique and valuable to contribute to discussions, decisions, and outcomes. lts
methodology releases and enables individual and team insights and imagination.
People gain understanding and clarity regarding the identity and dynamics of
their organization. They are empowered to make effective decisions and to do so
with confidence and commitment.

Think of the many times people meet during the business day to have a conver-
sation to solve a problem, brainstorm ideas, initiate a project, develop a team, deal
with a crisis, or create a new strategy. Regardless of the purpose, it is the people
within the organizations who have the potential to contribute to the solutions.
They also have the natural desire to influence and impact the things important to
them.

Traditional ways of working together do not always offer an opportunity for each
person to express critica! insights. In particular, the overreliance on assertiveverbal
interactions that characterizes Western business practices creates inevitable
winners and losers. Applied play levels the playing field, engaging 100% attention
andparticipation.Wiseleadersrecognizetheonlysustainablesourceofcompetitive
advantage is the experience, knowledge, and imagination present in the people of
the organization. Too often, it remains an untapped capacity.

Using the applied play process helps groups make better use of their time. Within
justa few days a group or team can have a clear, shared direction with people who
are confidently aligned and committed to a course of action. lnsights suddenly
have a real impact on their work and choice of actions. lmplementation begins to
happen naturally, and there is no need for a complex Gantt chart of accountabilities.
22 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

- APPLIED PLAY IS BASED ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT - - -

• Leaders need everyone's input to get better information to make decisions:

• We need to hear all voices:
• People naturally want to contribute and be part of something bigger and to
have ownership over their work;
• People need to be heard. They do not always need to have their way but they
do need others to listen to and acknowledge them;
• Turn taking and gaining all ideas will result in better decisions and the
development of innovation.

As you integrate duck activities into your work, you will notice how what we have
summarized as the power of play will indeed transform into reality. The ducks
are your gateway into the world of play and all the possibilities you can unleash.
People often ask us, "How do you get executives to play with you?" We can easily
illustrate the power of play with the six duck bricks. lt only takes one minute to
build a duck and then you can deconstruct each step and illustrate the powerful
process of play and the hand-brain connections.
 5

- READY FOR SOME DUCKING FUN? - - - - - - - - - -

Take six srnall LEGO® bricks and add sorne interesting instructions. You can pro-
vide your group with sorne wonderful activities. Don't be fooled into thinking you
need a large nurnber of bricks. lt is arnazing what you can do withjust six.

Here are just a few of the activities you can do with a set of LEGO® Duck Bricks.

23
24 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

- TRANSFORMATION THROUGH SERIOUS P L A Y ® - - - - - -

Well look, just our luck,

lt's the LEGO® people with the LEGO• duck.
They come to play
But never stay
Whentheyleave
We're all thinking in a whole new way!
 ACTIVITES 1 25

Time to use the "duck" word!

ACTIVITY NAME: CALLING ALL DUCKS! - - - - - - - - •

WhyUse
To provide immediate evidence of the power of diversity of thought and to illus-
trate that everyone is creative.

When to Use
Anytime you want to take people out of their comfort zones and use a new modal-
ity and function for learning and experiencing.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

Time
Approximately 5 minutes:
0.5 minute to give the instructions
1 minute to build a duck
2 minutes for the debrief
1 minute to remind people of the power of creative thinking

GroupSize
1+

lnstructions
1 Give the builder(s) the six LEGO® duck bricks
2 Tell them they have one minute to build a duck.
3 When the duck is complete (or in one minute) stop the building and comment
on how the duck is perfect.

Remember, if the builder says they built a duck we ali consider it to be a duck.
There is no right or wrong duck builder.
26 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

Debrief One
Congratulate everyone for making such great ducks.

Have people look at their ducks and compare them with the other ducks. Ask if
any two ducks look exactly the same.

Of course, all ducks are going to be different given the multiple mathematical
combinations of bricks.

Now make the point that to think of solutions to problems facing the world today,
we need all types of thinking and all ideas. The ducks represent the different ways
to salve a problem when everyone has the same resources. We need all the ideas
to be successful as we try to salve more and more complex problems.

Debrief Two
Ask what happened in one minute. What did they need to do to build the duck?
You will get a variety of answers, including but not limited to:

1 1had to think of what a duck looks like (information retrieval from long-term
memory).
2 1needed to look at my inventory and consider how I might build a duck (symbolic
representation).
3 1needed to put the bricks together (fine motor skills).
4 1needed to build and change the ideas (rapid ideation and prototyping).
5 1needed to defer judgment and try to build.
6 1needed to control my emotions (panic, fear, and excitement) to stay focused
(executive functioning).
7 1had to encourage myself to keep going and relax.
8 1started to look at other people's ducks (resiliency and the ability to encourage
self to stay with a difficult task).
9 1had to do something--so many times we do nothing.
 ,
ACTIVITES L

AII this happens in only one minute. You have demonstrated the power of play and
the diversity of thought. Many organization focus on cultural diversity but diversity
of thought seems to create the most conflicts. Using this one minute duck build is
an excellent way to demonstrate sorne simple points:

• You ali had the same materials.

• You ali had the same amount of time.
• You ali had the same instructions.
• You all built something different.

The ducks are ali very different, why? When people can answer and say it is beca use
we think differently, you can build on the concept that this is what frequently hap-
pens in organizations and communities. We ali think differently and interpret things
differently. This is one of the most interesting points of human nature.

What would the world look like if we all thought alike? Would we have good ideas?
Would we have different ways to solve problems? Would our thinking be narrow or
broad?
28 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

How often does the leader send out a memo, which everyone then reads and
interprets differently? After reading it, they take that information and feel one
way or another about it and then behave accordingly, thus affecting the results.
When people get the same information but interpret it differently, they make
assumptions that are hard to check because they think everyone made the same
assumptions. When people see others doing things they interpret as wrong they
then make the assumption these wrong people are acting with the intention to
cause harm. This gives us the makings of a conflict.

When you use the duck to illustrate diversity of thought you can make the point
that everyone's duck is perfect. We can learn so much from people who have built
ducks that are different from ours.

lt is not about having the same duck. lt is about having the freedom and openness
to build a duck that belongs to us, that has our fingerprint, and that we can value
and appreciate just like our ideas, thoughts, methods, and opinions. Having differ-
ent ducks and stories does not make anyone wrong. This is about understanding
that people think differently. Diversity of thought gives us the power to build a
duck and build a better organization, a better community, and a better world.

- LEGO® SERIOUS P L A Y ® - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There are so many problems,
At times a big mess.
lt's so complicated,
Creating big stress.
lt's easy and fun
When your brain gets a hand.
lf you build it and show us,
We'II all understand.
lf you listen to me
1'11 listen to you.
You made a great point,
Now I have a few.
ACTIVITES
"
Time goes by quickly,
We fall into flow.
With a LEGO® design,
To go fast you start slow.
You have your story
And I have mine too.
We learn so much more
When we see a new view.
We don't need to be right
But we do need our say,
And it's easy to do
With LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
 ACTIVITES

ACTIVITY NAME: DUCK THE PLAN! - - - - - - - - - -

Source: This activity was one of the first to use the duck bricks within the LEGO-
SERIOUS PLAY® toolkit, developed by the LEGO® SYSTEMS Group.

hyUse
To illustrate the power and value of rapid prototyping in small iterations.

When to Use
When you want to illustrate that too much planning can stall processes or that
planning and careful building are needed for success-it's your debrief.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

A sheet of paper, pencils or pens

Time
Approximately 5 minutes:
1 minute to give the instructions
2 minutes for planning and building
2 minutes for the debrief

Group Size
2+

lnstructions
1 Divide the room into three equal parts.
2 Ask one-third of the room to draw as many ducks as they can in one minute.
After one minute they can build whatever they were able to draw during the
final minute that remains.
3 The next one-third of the room will be building as many ducks as they can.
They will start by drawing a duck and then building it; they will then repeat the
process for the remaining time.
4 The last one-third of the room will only build, keeping track of how many
different iterations they build or change.
32 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

Remember, the same rules apply. lf the builder says they built a duck we all consider
it to be a duck.

Debrief
Ask the room to answer these questions:

1 What happened?
2 What does that tell us?
3 Now what will you do differently?

You can use your own debrief for anything from illustrating agile project man-
agement or learning style preferences. This is a fun activity that is as powerful as
your imagination. When do we plan too much? When do we rush to build without
thinking? Is there value in short sprints and feedback loops?
 ACTIVITES I 33

- RELEASE THE PRISONERS - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There's a quiet cry

Across the nation.
Boring meetings,
People want salvation!
Please, no more PowerPoint stagnation.
You bring the bricks,
A new creation.
That's how we roll toward innovation.

Please end these boring meetings!

34 I STRATE GIC PL AY

- ACTIVITY NAME: DUCKING AROUND - - - - - - - - -

Why Use
This is a fun activity to use when you want to stress the importance of using visual
tools to aid the process of clear communication.

When to Use
When you want people to think about and reflect on how we all communicate and
how different thinking styles cause people to make different assumptions while
providing information.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

lnstructions
1 Give everyone a set of LEGO® duck bricks.
2 Ask half the participants to stand with their LEGO- bricks and turn their backs
to those who are building so they cannot observe.
3 Ask the other half to build a duck (hidden from the others) and remind them,
"Whatever you build is a perfect duck. There is no right or wrong duck build."
4 Have everyone who built a duck stand back-to-back with someone who has
yet to build a duck.
5 The one who built a duck instructs their partner on how to build the exact same
duck. No peeking and no peking!
 ACTIVITES 1 35

Debrief
Ask the room to answer these questions:

1 What happened?
2 How did you work together to understand what you needed to build?
3 Did you learn anything new about the other person?
4 What does that tell us?
5 Now what might you do differently?

Here is a great twist, from participants at the 2015 LEGOLAND Unconference:

Do not allow people to mention the color or the eyes, this will add a leve/ ofchal/enge
to the process.
38 I STRATEGIC PLAY

-THE LONELY Guv----------------

The lost resource,
The lonely guy.
She has an idea
But is quiet and shy.
She started to work,
With a gleam in her eye.
But passed over again,
She doesn't know why.
Her inspiration lost,
"Why._ should I try?"
She feels quite caged,
The years go by.
She could be engaged
This is true, not a lie.
She may have the answer,
A piece to your pie.
 ACTIVITES 39

- ACTIVITY NAME: JUST DUCK IT! - - - - - - - - - - -

Why Use
To provide a sensory experience. to build trust, to create fun. and enable an inter-
esting debrief for different learning styles.

When to Use
Anytime you want to take people out of their comfort zones and use a new modality
and function for learning and experiencing. This is great for facilitating prior to
brainstorming both products and services to get people's brains prepared for the
workahead.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

Time
Approximately 1O minutes:
0.5 minute to give the instructions
1 minute to build a duck
2 - 3 minutes for the new builder to build the duck
5 minutes for the debrief

GroupSize
2+

lnstructions
1 Find a partner, you are working in pairs.
2 Partner number one turns their back while partner two builds a duck.
3 Partner one, with eyes closed, holds the duck and feels it-no peeking!
4 Partner two hides the duck again.
5 Now it is partner one's turn to try to build the same duck they felt.

Remember, the same rules apply. lf the builder says they builta duck we ali consider
it to be a duck.
40 I STRATEGIC PLAY

Debrief
How easy was it to feel the duck and copy it? What did you do to try to help yourself
remember how the duck felt and how it might have been built? How did you feel
when you were trying to build the duck? Consider using the flow chart here to help
people process what happened during the building. Where were they in the state
of flow?

Added Build
Depending on your goal, the partners can help guide each other with verbal
instructions as they build the duck. You can design this any way you like.

A) This is a great tool for teaching SCARF (http://www.scarf360.com). Those who

value Certainty (the 'C' in SCARF) will feel stressed; those who do not will LOVE
the challenge.
B) This is also a great wayto introduce Christopher Avery's Responsibility process.

Stage One: Participants will externalize blame

Example: This is stupid. There's no point to this. 80000 facilitator!

Stage Two: Participants might try to justify why they could not do it
Example: lt's impossible. You can't do it if you can't see the bricks.

Stage Three: The participants may reframe

Example: You know, 1didn't really try, 1suck.

Stage Four: Obligation is where they may feel / HAVE TO fix this. lt might be
followed by Responsibility and questions like "What would I do next time?"
Note: Jason Little (The Agile Dude) shared the above thoughts and ideas.
 ACTIVITES .4

- LEGO® PEOPLE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You're ali plastic

But your smile is true.
Your head is yellow
Your shirt is blue.
You stick to bricks
And they stick to you.
You say things
Nooneknew!
42 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

- ACTIVITY NAME: ALL DUCKED UP! - - - - - - - - - -

WhyUse
To illustrate the power of the story and how quickly our brains can work when we
have a visual.

When to Use
You can use this whenever you want to take people out of their comfort zones
and use a new modality and function for learning and experiencing with a twisty
challenge.

Resources
The LEG0 8 duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

Time
Approximately 5 minutes:
1 minute to give the instructions
1 minute to build something
1 minute for people to guess
1 minute for the debrief

Group Size
1+

lnstructions
1 Give the builder(s) the six LEG0 8 duck bricks.
2 Tell them they have one minute to build something, but it cannot be a duck.
3 Now they have to tell the story in a convincing way about what their model
reallyis.
Remember, everyone will agree the creation is what the builder says it is.
5 You can have people guess what the model might be - before the story maker
tells the story.
 ACTIVITES 1 43

Debrief One
Congratulate everyone for making such great models.
Ask them why they think you did this activity with them.

Answers will likely include:

1 To have us use long-term memory.

2 To use the parts we have in creative ways.
3 To hear other people think about what they are seeing.
4 To think creatively, both as the builder and the guesser.
5 To have us think quickly.

Every answer is great. Whatever they come up with is right, beca use it is based on
what they experienced.
44 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

- ACTIVITY NAME: DUCK THE INSTRUCTIONS - - - - - - -

Why Use
To illustrate the value of following or ignoring instructions.

When to Use
You can use this anytime you want to take people out of their comfort zones and
use a new modality and function for learning and experiencing.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

lnstructions for building

Time
Approximately 5 minutes:
1 minute to give the instructions
3 minutes to build

Group Size
2+

lnstructions
1 Give the builder(s) the six LEGO® duck bricks.
2 One-half of the room builds from specific instructions on how exactly to build
a duck.
3 The other half of the room gets instructions that are very vague.
4 Both sides build their ducks.

These are the ducking instructions!

 ACTIVITES I 45

GroupOne
1 Take the red 2x3 brick and use as the base-this will be the duck's feet.
2 Place the yellow 2x2 brick on top (use the one without eyes) but leave 2x1
showing of the red base below for the duck's feet.
3 Put the 2x4 brick on top of the 2x2, right in the center.
4 Add the second red 2x3 brick, only covering four of the nobs on the yellow
brick below. The red brick should hang over and this forms the beak. Make sure
it is on the same side as the feet.
5 Now take the yellow 2x2 brick with the eyes and add that over the red beak, but
keep it in line with the yellow brick below. The eye should be on either side of
the duck, facing forward.
6 Now make the duck's tail by taking the 2x1 brick and placing it on the end of
the yellow 2x4 brick.

Note: Feel free to copy and hand out these instructions, but please be nice and
keep our names on the sheet to give credit to the source.
46 I STRATEGIC PLAY

Group Two
Build a duck with the bricks you have.

Debrief One
Congratulate everyone for making such great models.
Have the participants show their ducks to each other.

Ask everyone:

1 What happened?
2 How were the instructions different?
3 What did you learn?
4 Did you prefer following the instructions or not?
5 What would have made this easier (a photograph)?
6 Ask where in their work it is important to follow instructions exactly. Where in
their work would it be more helpful to NOT have instructions but to encourage
people to think creatively?

This activity carne directly out of the 2015 LEGOLAND Unconference, where
25 brilliant people gathered, played, and brainstormed about LEGO® ducks and
duckyness.
 CO ME ONE, COME ALL! ---------r=::::~!:!!!!!!!!!i--=•
Game changers,
ovators, Forget about the
Nonconformists and Doubters,
Makers. Regreters,
Resisters and such,
Brick lovers,
Creators, Know-it-alls, showoffs,
Moversand They don't have much.
Shakers.
Contraria ns,
Tinkersand Opposers,
Builders, Antagonists too,
Collectors and fans. The devil's advocates,
Come one and come all Disputants,
with LEGO® in hand! They're all anti-new!
48 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

- ACTIVITY NAME: DUCK YOU & YOU TOO! - - - - - - - -

Thanks, Roberto!

Why Use
To illustrate the diversity of learning styles and preferences and/or to consider
ways to improve work processes.

When to Use
Anytime you want to take people out of their comfort zones and use a new modality
and function for learning and experier:icing.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

lnstructions for building

Time
You need to do the math!
1 minute to give the instructions
3 minutes to build
? Minutes to conduct the debrief or rotate

GroupSize
4+

Note: lf the group is big you will need to have people sit at different tables to give
them different instructions.

lnstructions
1 Give the builder(s) the six LEGO® duck bricks
2 Each table will build from the different instructions below on how to build a duck.
3 Everyone builds at the same time but sorne tables will likely have more fun than
others.
4 lf you want to have a fuller debrief you can have the tables conduct a table
discussion and present to the group and/or have the people rotate around the
tables to experience it all!
 ACTIVITES

ble one: Build from the detailed instructions below.

ble two: No instructions other than the verbal instruction, "Build as many ducks
asyou can."

able three: Rather than give instructions, show the participants a finished LEGO•
duck and let them decide what to do.

Table four: The participants will close their eyes while building with the duck bricks.
You decide if you will give them any indication they are building a duck.

Table five: Draw a duck, build a duck.

Table six: Use the detailed instructions, but do not give a copy to the table. The
facilitator will read the instructions to them, one at a time.

Table seven: You need to do the work here. Lay out the method to build the duck
in stages and take photos. Give the photo instructions to the participants (like the
LEGO® instructions made for children).

Table eight: One person builds a duck but does not let anyone see the finished
product. Without watching the group, they then give verbal instructions on how
to build the same duck. When the group is done, the original builder examines the
ducks to learn where their directions did or didn't work.

Table One
Feel free to copy and hand out, but please be nice and keep our names on the
sheet to give credit to the book.

1 Take the red 2x3 brick and use as the base. This will be the duck's feet.
2 Place the yellow 2x2 brick on top (use the one without eyes) but leave 2x1
showing of the red base below for the duck's feet.
3 Put the 2x4 brick on top of the 2x2, right in the center.
4 Add the second red 2x3 brick, only covering tour of the knobs on the yellow
brick below. The red brick should hang over and this forms the beak. Make sure
it is on the same side as the feet.
5 Now take the yellow 2x2 brick with the eyes and add that over the red beak, but
keep it in line with the yellow brick below. The eyes should be on either side of
the duck, facing forward.
6 Now take the 2x1 brick and place it on the end of the yellow 2x4 brick, for the
duck's tail.
50 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

Debrief One
Congratulate everyone for making such great models.
Have them show each other their ducks.

Askthem:

1 What happened?
2 How were the instructions different?
3 What did you learn about yourself?

Note: You can rotate tables so everyone gets a chance to see which table they
liked best.

Debrief Two
Find out what each table thought of the duck build. We use a simple debrief like this:

1 What happened?
2 What does that mean?
3 Now what might you do differently?

Note: You can let people rotate to see which table they like best. When using this
approach, ask people to partner up and share their favorite and least favorite
duck builds.
 ACTIVITES 1 5.

- ACTIVITY NAME: THE DUCK POND - - - - - - - - - -

Imaginad by: Siri Lynn

WhyUse
To conducta check in or a debrief, orto get feedback.

When to Use
Anytime you want to know how people are doing or how they are feeling within a
process.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

Set of instructions for building

Time
5 minutes:
1 minute to give the instructions
1 minute to build a duck
1 minute to place your duck in the pond

Group Size
2+

lnstructions
1 Give the builder(s) the six LEGO® duck bricks and have them build any duck in
one minute.
2 Draw a big duck pond on flip chart paper with different areas (fresh water for
relaxing and resting, fun area for splashing and playing, deep water indicating
"over my head," shallow area indicating too easy and not challenging enough,
stagnant or polluted water for trouble, and so on.
3 Put the paper on a table or flat surface.
4 Have the participants place their ducks indicating how they think they are
doing at any given time in the session (they can write their names by their
duck) or in a debrief at the end of the session. Ask them to make at least one
recommendation to improve the session.
52 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

This is an instant feedback loop regarding how your session is flowing! You can
choose to make adjustments or have a conversation, only you know what fits and
makes sense once you see your duck pond scattergram.

Option Two: Use the Flow Chart and have the ducks placed on the chart to see
where people are in the state of flow or the zone.

Option Three: lf you know anything about polarity management or Theory U, use
the polarity management diagram and have people place their ducks in the polar-
ity loop.
 ACTI VITES 1 53

ACTIVITY NAME: DUCKED TOGETHER! - - - - - - - - -

hyUse
To facilitate an opportunity to collaborate and co-create.

When to Use
Anytime you want to create sorne fun and bonding by illustrating communication
styles within dyads.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

Time
6 minutes:
1 minute to give the instructions
4 minutes to build a duck
1 minute to discuss the process or method used

Group Size
2+

lnstructions
Pair off the group. lfyou have an odd number, the extra person can be the observer.
Have the pairs sit side-by-side, wrapping their inside arms behind the backs of
their chairs. The pair will now build the super duck using two sets of duck bricks,
using only the free outside hands (one right and one left).
54 I STRATEGIC PLAY

Debrief
Congratulate everyone for making such great models. Have them show each
other their team ducks.

Askthem:

1 What happened?
2 How did you work together?
3 What did you learn about yourself and the other person?
4 What methods did you use? How did you communicate? Did you create a plan
or was it spontaneous? Did you take turns or just organically build? How is this
the same or different from the wor~ you do or how you work with others?

Camilla Jensen and Jason Little suggested this extended version. The teams
build with both duck sets and build a new and improved duck.

Ata conference in Buffalo we tested this and then added the following rules:
Rule one: No talking!
Rule two: No looking!

And then we tried no talking and no looking. WARNING, if you do this you should
also get ready for spontaneous, uncontrollable laughter!
 ACTIVITES 55

BRICK-BY-BRICK TO A NEW DESTINATION - - - - - - - -

A brand new day,

A new occasion,
We're going to move
From this limitation.
With great ideas and imagination
Our thinking styles are a great combination,
Snap those bricks into a new formation.
Now our brains are engaged,
We're back from vacation!
56 I STRATEGI C PLAY

- ACTIVITY NAME: SUPER DUCKED! - - - - - - - - - -

lmagined by: Jason Litt/e

Why Use
To expand this to teach Cynefin ( https:llen.wikipedia.orglwiki/Cynefin)

When to Use
This is a great ice-breaker exercise when you have strong functional silos.

You can pair up developers with testers, or sales with engineering, or doctors and
nurses-you decide.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make a duck (for each person)

Time
6 minutes:
1 minute to give the instructions
4 minutes to build a duck
1 minute to discuss the process or method used

Group Size
Even numbers of pairs. lf you have an odd number of participants, someone can
help be the observer and report back to the group.

Method
Roundone
Simple: Give the groups instructions (with or without a picture) for building a duck.
Tell them to build it.

Roundtwo
Complicated: Now they pair up with someone, lock arms, and pair-build the super
duck with two duck sets. You can assign the pairs if you like.
 A CTIVIT ES 1 57

Roundfhree
Complex: This is like round two, but this time the partners are not allowed to talk
and you can change the pairings so they do not know what the other wants to
build.

Roundfour
Chaos: The same as round three, but this time only one person can touch the
yellow bricks and the other can only touch the red bricks.

Debrief
Congratulate everyone for making such great models. Have them show each
other their team ducks.

Askthem:

1 What happened?
2 How did you work together?
3 What did you learn about yourself and the other person?
4 What methods did you use? How did you communicate? Did you create a plan
or was it spontaneous? Did you take turns or just organically build? How is this
the same or different from the work you do or how you work with others?
58 J STRATEGIC PLAY

- ACTIVITY NAME: MANAGEMENT, DUCK - - - - - - - -

lmagined by: Cheryl Joslin

Why Use
To facilitate an opportunity to consider better ways to manage or work with prod-
uct owners or project owners.

When to Use
Anytime you want to create sorne fun and opportunities for leadership reflection.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make two small ducks

Time
Do the math based on the numbers in your group:
3 minutes to give the instructions
1 minute for the manager to build the first duck
30 seconds for each person to give instructions to the next player
1 minute for the last builder to build the final duck product
5 - 1O minutes to discuss the process or method used and compare and contrast
to the work environment.

Group Size
3+

You can add more players if you think it is valuable. Be creative and give them roles
based on the environment where you are working, such as consultant, project
manager, team leader, supervisor, CEO, or board member.

lnstructions
Note: This game is p/ayed in a similar way to the childhood game of "telephone."

One person is assigned the manager role.

One person is assigned the builder role.

AII other players are middle managers and only pass on information about the
building of the duck.
 ACTIVITES 1 59

Everyone stands in a long line. The manager is at one end of a line and the builder
is at the other end of the line.

Step one: The manager builds a duck without anyone seeing the duck.

Step two: The manager tells the first person in line how to make the duck and
quickly shows person one the duck they want the builder to build.

Step three: The first "middle manager" tells the next "middle manager" how to
build the duck with no model.

Step four: The middle managers continue down the line, relaying the information,
until the last middle manager describes the process to the builder.

Debrief
Compare the first duck to the final duck, and see if the result is anywhere close to
what the manager wanted.

Ask the participants:

1 What happened?
2 What went right? What went wrong?
3 What can we learn about this and how is it the same or different from the way
we are working right now?
 ACTIVITES o

ACTIVITY NAME: DUCKING TECHNOLOGY - - - - - - -

lfhy Use
To facilitate an opportunity to consider the digital age and its implications in
miscommunication.

When to Use
Anytime you want to create sorne fun and opportunities for reflection or discus-
sions on the use of technology.

Resources
The LEGO® duck bricks to make two small ducks

Two cell phones, with data

Time: 20 minutes
3 minutes to give the instructions
1 minute for the first person to build a duck
5 minutes to build the duck using technology, because when you use technology
itjust takes longer
5-1 O minutes to discuss the process or method used and compare and contrast
how this is the same or different from work situations

GroupSize
2+

lnstructions
1 Person one builds a duck without person two seeing it.
2 Both people take out their hand held and go to different parts of the room or
building so they cannot see the duck being built.
3 Person one builds the duck. They then text instructions to person two.
4 Person two builds from the text directions.
62 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

Debrief
Take the first duck person one wanted built and then see if it is anywhere close to
the final project person two built.

Askthem:

What happened?

What went right? What went wrong?

What can we learn about this and how is it the same or different from the way we
are working right now?

Did you ask clarifying questions or just take the instructions? Did anyone pickup
the phone? Did anyone think to take ii photo and send it to the other person?
 ACTIVITES 1 63

THIS IS ABOUT SHARING THE DUCK! - - - - - - - - - -

lmagined by: Anibal Santos Viegas, from Brazil

A great way to have your large groups share their ducks is to use an online tool
like Twitter. When you (the facilitator) are connected to a projector and screen, you
can log in and open your Twitter account. After everyone has built their ducks, ask
them to snap a photograph and Tweet their creations using #WhatTheDuck.

As everyone Tweets, their ducks will show up on the feed for all to see. Not every-
one is on Twitter, so ask people to take photos and share photos for those who
are not. Be sure everyone shares their photos with all the other ducks @SP_
WhatTheDuck so we can start documenting the global ducking 3D movement.

Another option, the facilitator may opt to use the app WhatsApp, which the partic-
ipants can use in the same way.

lt's ali duckíng fun!

64 I STRATEGIC PLAY

- BULLIES ON THE B L O C K ! - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are bullies

There are meanies
And they don't play fair
They sit in the towers and they hide everywhere

They say the toys are "mine"

They don't want to share
They draw the battle line
They pretend that they care

They may never see the light

Or changé their world view
They will die right
They threaten that they'II sue

They pretend to play well

But they can't hide their hate
And we thank them for that gift
They don't see it motivates!
 ACTIVITES I 65

- BULLIES ANO THE D U C K - - - - - - - - - - - - - •

Children are not the only ones who are bullied. lt happens everywhere, every
day, from world leaders, in boardrooms, classrooms, cyberspace, etc. Of course,
bullies never sees themselves as bullying. They see themselves using a strategy
ora personal strength, employing a tactic or using a power play.

The duck activities are one way to demonstrate the diversity in our world and how
we are all perfectly imperfect. lt reminds us to accept each other and to suspend
judgement of ourselves and others, and of ideas and concepts. We use the duck
and other LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® activities to encourage collaboration and new
ways to communicate.

Using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods we continue to look for ways to build and
support each other, to be good neighbors, to care for one another, and to encourage
and be proud of the collective accomplishments we are all working to make. lt might
be in sorne way our small fight against inclusiveness. elitism, misogyny, and other
oppressive behaviors.

You don't need a lot of materials to address negative behaviors in the world-six
small duck bricks pack a powerful punch.
We are aware the small packets of duck bricks from LEGO® are not available at this
time. But keep reading, we don't want this to be a limitation. The bricks are inside
the larger white LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Starter Kit boxes. There is one duck kit
per box, from what we can see.

We have spoken directly to key individuals at LEGO®, asking them to please find a
way to get these small boxes of duck bags out to the community for purchase. We
are still hopeful these will become available. In the meantime, we have used our
imaginations. Simply waiting is notan option.

Sorne people wonder why we need the six bricks that make up the duck kit. They
say, "Well you don't really need the kits, all the bricks are openly available." This is
true, but the one 2x2 brick with the eyes is difficult to find.

Why is this one small brick so important?

When working with adults the brick with the eyes acts as an indicator, a starting
point. lt hel13s adults step into the creative process easier. lt lowers the barrier
to being creative. When we say, "You have one minute to build a duck," we are
aware we have taken people out of their comfort zones and out of a state of flow.
Their anxiety might be quite high as soon as they open the package and see the
bricks. When they hear they only have one minute, this time pressure adds to their
excitement and anxiety.

67
 DUCK MATERIALS 69

The debrief process of this activity has shown us that when people see the brick
with the eyes, they feel assured. They know they can do this activity and it is not
a trick. This brick allows for the function of symbolic representation to happen
more quickly. People see the eyes and they know at least one brick is in reality a
duck part and they can go on. When they see the red plates they think, '~ha. Now
that must be a beak or feet." Regardless, the 2x2 brick with eyes is helpful.

These duck activities however, are too important to let one brick stop us cold.

We asked ourselves, "What are all the ways we can replace that 2x2 brick with
eyes?"
70 1 STRATE G IC PLAY

We carne up with the following solutions:

1 You can go to a craft shop and pick up sorne stickers (eyes} and put thern on.
2 You can use a Sharpie pen to carefully draw sorne eyes.
3 You can use the 1x1 eyes that are in the srnall exploration bag.

The last option gave us an idea that we decided to try. We experirnented with the
srnall LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Exploration Bag. lnside the bag there are yellow,
red, and orange bricks. There are two yellow eyes. So we thought, "Let's give it
a try." We tested it with the hardest group we could think of, PhDs. We asked a
group at the Acaderny of Managernent who were attending our session on LEGO®
SERIOUS PLAY® and rnaking rneaning in organizations. They loved it and were all
able to rnake DUCKS frorn the pieces they had.

So there you have it. You can rnake a duck out of any yellow, red, and orange bricks.
Is it perfect? No. Is it possible? Yes. Are there hidden rnessages here? Many.

Now as we read this What the Duck book, let us reflect and consider all the
possibilities.

What are all the ways you can use these ideas and rnake thern your own? Please
send us your stories at:

hello@strategicplay.com

Note: You can order individual bricks, this link will give you the exact code for each one:
http:llbrickset.comlinventories/2000416-1
 DUCK MATERIALS

FOR THE LOVE OF DUCK

We all know the duck is syrnbolic at the LEGO® Systerns Group in Denrnark. The
srnall wooden duck represents the hurnble beginnings of the LEGO® Cornpany.
For that reason we love the duck. But if you want to use sornething else, go
ahead. You do need to give each person a srnall bag of sornething that rnakes into
sornething easily and they rnust be the sarne bricks.

Here are a few alternative stories.

Austria
We were in Austria at the Austrian Marketing University of Applied Art and
Sciences. We used the duck and they pondered if this activity could also be done
with a cow. The cow is in fact their rnascot. So we quickly found sorne parts that
could perhaps be a cow and prototyped sorne ideas. The versions we created are
below.
74 1 STRATEGIC PLAY

ltaly
A lovelywoman carne to the training and wanted to use the duck but was frustrated
to see the eyes are hard to find. So off we went to the LEGO® store in Toronto to
see if we could find sorne bricks to make something else. We found just what we
needed to make frogs.

lf you have a story you would like to share, please let us know beca use we would
like to include it in our blog.

Did you know there is one more meaning for the duck?

Don't
. nderestimate
Constructivism
Kids!

Now grab your bricks and get out there and have sorne...

Duc g u 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to graciouslythank Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen for his kindness, openness.
and encouragement. We also want to thank The LEGO® Foundation for inviting us
to continue our learning journey as they connected us globally with other innova-
tors and game changers at their Idea Conference.

Special thanks goes to Jesper Just Jensen, who introduced us in 2007, when he
led the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Division. Jesper suggested we speak to each other
regarding ali the ways we could launch LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® into our respective
countries where it had yet to be introduced-Canada (2006) and Australia (2007).
His guidance and openness continues to encourage us today.

We also want to thank Helle Friberg who, back in 201 O when the open-source
model emerged, encouraged us to take the powerful LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY•
methods forward and to create new uses, build community, and share ideas!

We de di cate this book to these individua Is as well as to ali our friends at the LEGO•
Systems Group in Denmark who have supported our efforts throughout the years,
both directly and indirectly.

We also dedicate this book to the new emerging community of users who have
the best ideas and who are using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® in new and interesting
ways we could never have imagined. We hope they never stop building, tinkering,
connecting, stretching, creating, and visioning.

We smile as we watch them stand on the brick and reach for the sky!

75
PLAY DILEMMA
Business was rocky,
Times they were tough.
Kids wanted electronics,
Wires, and breakable stuff.
The owner sadly shook his head
And declared one day:
We need a new strategy,
A whole different way.
He was tired of whiteboards,
PowerPoint made him sick.
He wanted something better,
There must be a trick.
He searched the continent
And soon he did find
Professors to play with
They had curious minds.
They set out to discover
lf building would fix
The dysfunctional process-
They used colorful bricks.
They researched, they tested
They prototyped too,
'~ha" they declared,
Our hunches were true.
The stories appeared
About the power of play
lnterest grew globally
lt's a movement today!
We are delighted,
Problems? They can be fixed.
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
Let's talk through the bricks!