Legos, kindergarteners & Corporate America

I recently posted a newsletter about protecting your inner child and received powerful messages from friends and former colleagues about how much it resonated with them. In a similar vein, I wanted to explore why I bring props like Legos and markers to my in-person workshops. Here is a (hopefully) fun behind-the-scenes lens on my background as a workshop facilitator for national and global organizations.

It starts with Legos

One morning, I had a revelation while carrying two giant boxes of Legos to a team workshop: I lead my corporate trainings similarly to how I helped teach pre-k and kindergarten students.

There’s just one notable difference:

• Usually, when you bring out a box of Legos to kindergarteners,?there is no fear or trepidation on their faces.?
• On the other hand, when you bring out a box of Legos to adults in Corporate America, you get a mixed bag of emotions:?joy from some and then confusion and even rejection from others. It’s as if I hear them saying,?“Please do not make work fun, Phim. Work should be serious and respectable at all times!”

The “need” to justify play

I admit I may be exaggerating with the italicized text above. However, I will also tell you that I have often been instructed to explain and justify why I bring non-traditional elements of play and delight into my trainings. This is typically due to anticipated pushback and retaliation (either by members of leadership or workshop attendees who may be caught off guard). As a result of this, I have come up with a list of helpful, evidence-based responses such as:

• According to a study cited in Forbes and Fast Company, teams that incorporate fun and playful activities see a 20% increase in productivity.
• According to another Fast Company article, “a pile of scientific research reviewed by Kaufman and Gregoire suggests that… ‘the drive for exploration, in its many forms, may be the single most important personal factor predicting creative achievement.’” Play is simply a method of creative exploration.
• Mini side note: While researching this topic, I stumbled upon Harvard’s Pedagogy of Play program, ironically (??) sponsored by Lego. A core insight from the research states that “a growing body of evidence demonstrates that play supports children’s social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development, and that there is a positive connection between enjoying learning and academic success.” Although this information focuses more on youth, it points to the intersectional nature of learning and playfulness.

If we were to put aside stats and articles, I’d add one more note: I use playful props and elements to disrupt the non-creative workflow that usually results from stale, generic corporate training. The value I create is deeper than jet-setting productivity trends. Instead, I encourage people to give themselves permission to create and imagine on a larger scale. This enthusiasm and re-identification lead to significant breakthroughs in the short and long term.

Revisiting old stomping grounds

I was recently reminded of my Lego revelation and teaching roots when asked to define what I value as a workshop facilitator. I will share my response as a footnote at the end of this entry, but first, I wanted to provide a fun pitstop from my resume:

Instead of having conventional high school jobs in pizza delivery and retail customer service, I found myself interning at Clear Channel Radio and TA’ing in art classes and lessons at our local museum (shout out to the Everson Museum and Mrs. Lizzio). My initial TA experience gave me a crash course in pedagogy. It was reinforced when I started working for the?Literacy Corps?in college (on top of taking exploratory Education 101-type courses). I didn’t know then, but these experiences became my fundamental training grounds as a workshop facilitator and public speaker.?

Back to the future

You may think there isn’t a relevant overlap between working with adults and children. Still, as someone who has stood in front of young students, small meetings and large conferences, I can tell you that there are a lot of similarities between these two audiences. This includes:

• The desire for structure, respect, trust and psychological safety
• The preference for engaging storytelling over dry slides
• The need for fun and creative escape valves in between academic learning content

Before we close out, I want to state that I respect the intellect of grown adults and do not necessarily see them like kindergarteners. However, I appreciate the playful characteristics they cultivated as children. When I speak and train adult audiences, I challenge myself to invite their inner children into the room. This allows for more curiosity and a greater sense of adventure. What can we learn with fresh eyes and open hearts? This doesn’t have to sound or feel trite if you can see the value in the art and science of play.

It ends with a wish

According to the Lego Wikipedia page, “Lego” is “derived from the Danish phrase?leg godt,?which means “play well.” I hope you “Lego” today.

Promised footnote

Here is the full Q&A in case you are curious. I will italicize the teaching-related content below.

Q: When you offer training or a skill development workshop, what is most important for you as you consider how to design the learning experience?

A: When it comes to designing the learning experience as a facilitator, I care about three objectives: (1) psychological safety in the room, (2) making sure I serve the unique needs of my trainees, and (3) creating impact in and outside of the workshop.

On psychological safety: Before my corporate work, I studied education and TA'd in elementary schools and art classes. These experiences showed me the importance of meeting your students and trainees with a sense of humanity and respect. I am invested in creating spaces that feel psychologically safe so that everyone can learn "out loud" without fearing mistakes and "silly" or "dumb" questions. Although my training background started with pre-K and kindergarten students, I have realized that adults typically feel more afraid in learning environments. This is why my younger experiences are still relevant to my present-day work as a workshop facilitator, team trainer and public speaker.

On serving unique needs: I have a human centered-design background, which means I will always focus on centering my facilitations around the experiences and needs of my attendees. Before my workshops, I always ask questions about my attendees and how my training can support their needs. As an aside, design thinking (also known as human-centered design) believes in dismantling the ivory tower approach when facilitating trainings. The goal is to be curious, invite everyone to participate and gather and synthesize insights from the collective effort. As a facilitator, I make sure to spotlight everyone's voices (e.g., from the extroverts in the room to the introverts, from the managers in the room to the junior folks in the room).

On impact: I also weigh my ability to teach, inspire and create impact during and after my training. There is no point in gathering a group of people if we do not move the dial. An always pressing question: How can I provide helpful knowledge and momentum for my trainees to make a difference in the world?

On your way out

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever need a 1:1 coaching session on workshop facilitation and/or public speaking. I would also be happy to connect if you want to learn more about my public speaking workshops and facilitation topics.