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Lucio Margulis _ The Economist-LSP “Management- Piecing thin...ogether | The Economist”

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Lucio Margulis
Lucio Margulis

Lego pieces are being used by management consultancies to help companies explore their strategies and organizational issues through metaphorical models. Companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers and Google use Lego building exercises in recruiting to demonstrate a creative work environment. The Danish Lego company has a "Serious Play" program where consultants use Lego to coach managers, having them build representations of concepts like corporate strategy. These workshops can produce insightful revelations for participants about issues within their companies. The use of Lego is effective because play allows unconscious thoughts to emerge in "Eureka" moments of understanding.

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19/12/2014 Management: Piecing things together | The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/9443583?story_id=9443583 1/3 Our  cookie  policy  has  changed.  Review  our  cookies  policy  for  more  details  and  to  change  your  cookie  preference. By  continuing  to  browse  this  site  you  are  agreeing  to  our  use  of  cookies. × More  from  The  Economist My  Subscription Log  in  or  registerSubscribe World  politics Business  &  finance Economics Science  &  technology Culture Blogs Debate Multimedia Print  edition Jul  5th  2007  |   From  the  print  edition In  this  section A  high-­speed  revolution The  diddle  kingdom No  ketchup,  please A  change  of  tune Where  would  Jesus  queue? Roll  up,  roll  up Piecing  things  together The  man  who  bought  trouble Clarification:  Barilla Reprints Related  items Theme  parks:  Roll  up,  roll  up Management Piecing things together What  companies  can  learn  from  playing  with  Lego WHEN  recruiting  at  British  universities,  PricewaterhouseCoopers,  a  consultancy, presents  candidates  with  an  unusual  exercise.  They  are  asked  to  build  a  tall  and  sturdy tower  using  the  smallest  possible  number  of  snap-­together  Lego  bricks.  Similarly,  at Google  Games,  a  recruiting  event  first  staged  by  the  search-­engine  giant  in  April, candidates  are  invited  to  build  Lego  bridges—the  stronger  the  better.  In  each  case,  the company  is  trying  to  convey  the  idea  that  it  offers  a  creative,  fun  working  environment.  “It was  as  much  advertising  as  a  way  of  trying  to  get  recruits,”  says  Brett  Daniel,  a  student  at the  University  of  Illinois  at  Urbana-­Champaign  who  built  the  Google  Games'  weakest bridge. The  eponymous  Danish  firm,  based  in  Billund,  Denmark,  has  embraced  the  corporate use  of  its  coloured  plastic  bricks.  As  part  of  a  scheme  called  “Serious  Play”  it  is  certifying a  growing  number  of  professional  Lego  consultants,  now  present  in  25  countries.  They coach  managers  by  getting  them  to  build  “metaphorical  abstractions”  of  such  things  as corporate  strategy,  says  Lego's  Jesper  Jensen,  who  runs  the  scheme.  Hisham  El-­Gamal of  Quest,  a  management  consultancy  based  in  Cairo  that  offers  Serious  Play  workshops, says  demand  for  the  two-­day,  $7,000  courses  is  booming. Firms  in  crisis,  such  as  those  besmirched  by  scandal  or  in  the  throes  of  a  takeover,  tend to  be  most  receptive  to  the  idea  of  Lego  workshops,  says  François  de  Boissezon  of Imagics,  a  consultancy  based  in  Brussels.  The  results  can  be  embarrassing,  particularly for  senior  managers.  Tsai  Yu-­Chen  of  UGene  Mentor,  a  Serious  Play  consultancy  based in  Taipei,  says  a  common  exercise  is  modelling,  but  not  naming,  “the  people  you  hate most”.  One  chief  executive  was  modelled  as  a  figure  so  fat  that  he  blocked  a  hallway, suggesting  he  was  clogging  up  the  company. Lego  workshops  are  effective  because  child-­like  play  is  a form  of  instinctive  behaviour  not  regulated  by  conscious thought,  says  Lucio  Margulis  of  Juego  Serio,  a  consultancy in  Buenos  Aires.  This  produces  “Eureka”  moments:  a perfectionist  who  realises  the  absurdity  of  frustration  over  an imperfect  Lego  construction;;  the  owner  of  a  firm  with  dismal customer  relations  who  models  headquarters  as  a  fort  under siege;;  or  an  overbearing  boss  who  depicts  his  staff  as soldiers  headed  into  battle.  Even  in  the  office,  it  seems, Lego  has  a  part  to  play. From  the  print  edition:  Business Tweet 1 Advertisement Follow The  Economist Timekeeper  reading  list E-­mail Reprints  &  permissions Print Latest updates » New  film:  "The  Theory  of  Everything":  A short  history  of  Hawking Prospero  |  Dec  19th,  09:53 Transparency:  Cracking  the  shells Business  and  finance  |  Dec  19th,  00:45 The  Economist  explains:  Why  electric cars  aren't  always  greener The  Economist  explains  |  Dec  18th,  23:50 Baseball  in  Cuba:  A  looming  brawn  drain Game  theory  |  Dec  18th,  23:07 Cuba:  On  the  rocks The  Americas  |  Dec  18th,  17:30 Atrocities,  culture  and  religion:  War's many  victims Erasmus  |  Dec  18th,  17:04 Ebola  in  graphics:  The  toll  of  a  tragedy 2Like Next  in  Business X Face  value The  man  who  bought  trouble Rafael  del  Pino's  nightmare  purchase:  Heathrow  airport From  the  print  edition  Jul  7th  2007
19/12/2014 Management: Piecing things together | The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/9443583?story_id=9443583 2/3 Jul  5th  2007 Related  topics Lego Want  more?  Subscribe  to  The  Economist  and  get  the  week's  most relevant  news  and  analysis. Tweet 1 Share 0 More  from  The  Economist The  world's  richest economies:  China  no more The  Economist  explains: Why  the  oil  price  is  falling The  Economist  explains: Why  prisoners  join  gangs The  Russian  economy:  The  end  of  the line German  xenophobia:  Peaceful,  but menacing Atheism,  belief  and  persecution:  The cost  of  unbelief The  Muslim  Brotherhood:  Islamism  is  no longer  the  answer Charlemagne:  The  battle  of  the  scientists The  Economist  explains:  What’s  gone wrong  with  Russia’s  economy Commented Most popular Advertisement Products and events Have  you  listened  to  The  Economist  Radio  on Facebook? The  Economist  Radio  is  an  on-­demand  social listening  platform  that  allows  you  to  listen,  share  and recommend  The  Economist  audio  content Test  your  EQ Take  our  weekly  news  quiz  to  stay  on  top  of  the headlines In  Other  Words Graphic  detail  |  Dec  18th,  15:59 More  latest  updates  » Russia  and  Ukraine Putin’s  people Atheism,  belief  and  persecution:  The  cost  of unbelief The  Nanjing  massacre:  Lest  they  forget Russia  and  the  rouble:  As  ye  sow,  so  shall  ye reap Russia’s  rouble  crisis:  Going  over  the  edge 1 2 3 4 5 2Like
19/12/2014 Management: Piecing things together | The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/9443583?story_id=9443583 3/3 American  Student Assistance President  of  SALT Jobs.economist.com Lecturer  /  Senior Lecturer  in  Decis… Jobs.economist.com Deputy  Director General,  Research Jobs.economist.com Chief  Economist vacancy  at  the  IPO Jobs.economist.com Copyright  ©  The  Economist  Newspaper  Limited  2014.  All  rights  reserved. Classified  ads   Try  our  new  audio  app  and  website,  providing reporting  and  analysis  from  our  correspondents around  the  world  every  weekday Want  more  from  The  Economist? Visit  The  Economist  e-­store  and  you’ll  find  a  range  of carefully  selected  products  for  business  and pleasure,  Economist  books  and  diaries,  and  much more Sections Debate  and  discussion Blogs Research  and  insights Contact us Help My account Subscribe Print edition Digital editions Events Jobs.Economist.com Timekeeper saved articles United  States Britain Europe China Asia Americas Middle  East  &  Africa International Business  &  finance Economics Markets  &  data Science  &  technology Special  reports Culture Multimedia  library The  Economist  debates What  the  world  thinks Letters  to  the  editor The  Economist  Quiz Americas  view Buttonwood's  notebook Democracy  in  America Erasmus Free  exchange Game  theory Graphic  detail Gulliver Prospero The  Economist  explains Topics Economics  A-­Z Style  guide The  World  in  2015 Which  MBA? The  Economist  GMAT  Tutor Reprints  and  permissions The  Economist  Group  » The  Economist  Intelligence  Unit The  Economist  Intelligence  Unit  Store The  Economist  Corporate  Network Ideas  People  Media Intelligent  Life Roll  Call CQ EuroFinance The  Economist  Store View  complete  site  index  »

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Lucio Margulis _ The Economist-LSP “Management- Piecing thin...ogether | The Economist”

  • 1. 19/12/2014 Management: Piecing things together | The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/9443583?story_id=9443583 1/3 Our  cookie  policy  has  changed.  Review  our  cookies  policy  for  more  details  and  to  change  your  cookie  preference. By  continuing  to  browse  this  site  you  are  agreeing  to  our  use  of  cookies. × More  from  The  Economist My  Subscription Log  in  or  registerSubscribe World  politics Business  &  finance Economics Science  &  technology Culture Blogs Debate Multimedia Print  edition Jul  5th  2007  |   From  the  print  edition In  this  section A  high-­speed  revolution The  diddle  kingdom No  ketchup,  please A  change  of  tune Where  would  Jesus  queue? Roll  up,  roll  up Piecing  things  together The  man  who  bought  trouble Clarification:  Barilla Reprints Related  items Theme  parks:  Roll  up,  roll  up Management Piecing things together What  companies  can  learn  from  playing  with  Lego WHEN  recruiting  at  British  universities,  PricewaterhouseCoopers,  a  consultancy, presents  candidates  with  an  unusual  exercise.  They  are  asked  to  build  a  tall  and  sturdy tower  using  the  smallest  possible  number  of  snap-­together  Lego  bricks.  Similarly,  at Google  Games,  a  recruiting  event  first  staged  by  the  search-­engine  giant  in  April, candidates  are  invited  to  build  Lego  bridges—the  stronger  the  better.  In  each  case,  the company  is  trying  to  convey  the  idea  that  it  offers  a  creative,  fun  working  environment.  “It was  as  much  advertising  as  a  way  of  trying  to  get  recruits,”  says  Brett  Daniel,  a  student  at the  University  of  Illinois  at  Urbana-­Champaign  who  built  the  Google  Games'  weakest bridge. The  eponymous  Danish  firm,  based  in  Billund,  Denmark,  has  embraced  the  corporate use  of  its  coloured  plastic  bricks.  As  part  of  a  scheme  called  “Serious  Play”  it  is  certifying a  growing  number  of  professional  Lego  consultants,  now  present  in  25  countries.  They coach  managers  by  getting  them  to  build  “metaphorical  abstractions”  of  such  things  as corporate  strategy,  says  Lego's  Jesper  Jensen,  who  runs  the  scheme.  Hisham  El-­Gamal of  Quest,  a  management  consultancy  based  in  Cairo  that  offers  Serious  Play  workshops, says  demand  for  the  two-­day,  $7,000  courses  is  booming. Firms  in  crisis,  such  as  those  besmirched  by  scandal  or  in  the  throes  of  a  takeover,  tend to  be  most  receptive  to  the  idea  of  Lego  workshops,  says  François  de  Boissezon  of Imagics,  a  consultancy  based  in  Brussels.  The  results  can  be  embarrassing,  particularly for  senior  managers.  Tsai  Yu-­Chen  of  UGene  Mentor,  a  Serious  Play  consultancy  based in  Taipei,  says  a  common  exercise  is  modelling,  but  not  naming,  “the  people  you  hate most”.  One  chief  executive  was  modelled  as  a  figure  so  fat  that  he  blocked  a  hallway, suggesting  he  was  clogging  up  the  company. Lego  workshops  are  effective  because  child-­like  play  is  a form  of  instinctive  behaviour  not  regulated  by  conscious thought,  says  Lucio  Margulis  of  Juego  Serio,  a  consultancy in  Buenos  Aires.  This  produces  “Eureka”  moments:  a perfectionist  who  realises  the  absurdity  of  frustration  over  an imperfect  Lego  construction;;  the  owner  of  a  firm  with  dismal customer  relations  who  models  headquarters  as  a  fort  under siege;;  or  an  overbearing  boss  who  depicts  his  staff  as soldiers  headed  into  battle.  Even  in  the  office,  it  seems, Lego  has  a  part  to  play. From  the  print  edition:  Business Tweet 1 Advertisement Follow The  Economist Timekeeper  reading  list E-­mail Reprints  &  permissions Print Latest updates » New  film:  "The  Theory  of  Everything":  A short  history  of  Hawking Prospero  |  Dec  19th,  09:53 Transparency:  Cracking  the  shells Business  and  finance  |  Dec  19th,  00:45 The  Economist  explains:  Why  electric cars  aren't  always  greener The  Economist  explains  |  Dec  18th,  23:50 Baseball  in  Cuba:  A  looming  brawn  drain Game  theory  |  Dec  18th,  23:07 Cuba:  On  the  rocks The  Americas  |  Dec  18th,  17:30 Atrocities,  culture  and  religion:  War's many  victims Erasmus  |  Dec  18th,  17:04 Ebola  in  graphics:  The  toll  of  a  tragedy 2Like Next  in  Business X Face  value The  man  who  bought  trouble Rafael  del  Pino's  nightmare  purchase:  Heathrow  airport From  the  print  edition  Jul  7th  2007
  • 2. 19/12/2014 Management: Piecing things together | The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/9443583?story_id=9443583 2/3 Jul  5th  2007 Related  topics Lego Want  more?  Subscribe  to  The  Economist  and  get  the  week's  most relevant  news  and  analysis. Tweet 1 Share 0 More  from  The  Economist The  world's  richest economies:  China  no more The  Economist  explains: Why  the  oil  price  is  falling The  Economist  explains: Why  prisoners  join  gangs The  Russian  economy:  The  end  of  the line German  xenophobia:  Peaceful,  but menacing Atheism,  belief  and  persecution:  The cost  of  unbelief The  Muslim  Brotherhood:  Islamism  is  no longer  the  answer Charlemagne:  The  battle  of  the  scientists The  Economist  explains:  What’s  gone wrong  with  Russia’s  economy Commented Most popular Advertisement Products and events Have  you  listened  to  The  Economist  Radio  on Facebook? The  Economist  Radio  is  an  on-­demand  social listening  platform  that  allows  you  to  listen,  share  and recommend  The  Economist  audio  content Test  your  EQ Take  our  weekly  news  quiz  to  stay  on  top  of  the headlines In  Other  Words Graphic  detail  |  Dec  18th,  15:59 More  latest  updates  » Russia  and  Ukraine Putin’s  people Atheism,  belief  and  persecution:  The  cost  of unbelief The  Nanjing  massacre:  Lest  they  forget Russia  and  the  rouble:  As  ye  sow,  so  shall  ye reap Russia’s  rouble  crisis:  Going  over  the  edge 1 2 3 4 5 2Like
  • 3. 19/12/2014 Management: Piecing things together | The Economist http://www.economist.com/node/9443583?story_id=9443583 3/3 American  Student Assistance President  of  SALT Jobs.economist.com Lecturer  /  Senior Lecturer  in  Decis… Jobs.economist.com Deputy  Director General,  Research Jobs.economist.com Chief  Economist vacancy  at  the  IPO Jobs.economist.com Copyright  ©  The  Economist  Newspaper  Limited  2014.  All  rights  reserved. Classified  ads   Try  our  new  audio  app  and  website,  providing reporting  and  analysis  from  our  correspondents around  the  world  every  weekday Want  more  from  The  Economist? Visit  The  Economist  e-­store  and  you’ll  find  a  range  of carefully  selected  products  for  business  and pleasure,  Economist  books  and  diaries,  and  much more Sections Debate  and  discussion Blogs Research  and  insights Contact us Help My account Subscribe Print edition Digital editions Events Jobs.Economist.com Timekeeper saved articles United  States Britain Europe China Asia Americas Middle  East  &  Africa International Business  &  finance Economics Markets  &  data Science  &  technology Special  reports Culture Multimedia  library The  Economist  debates What  the  world  thinks Letters  to  the  editor The  Economist  Quiz Americas  view Buttonwood's  notebook Democracy  in  America Erasmus Free  exchange Game  theory Graphic  detail Gulliver Prospero The  Economist  explains Topics Economics  A-­Z Style  guide The  World  in  2015 Which  MBA? The  Economist  GMAT  Tutor Reprints  and  permissions The  Economist  Group  » The  Economist  Intelligence  Unit The  Economist  Intelligence  Unit  Store The  Economist  Corporate  Network Ideas  People  Media Intelligent  Life Roll  Call CQ EuroFinance The  Economist  Store View  complete  site  index  »