As I mentioned in my LEGO® Serious Play® blog, haptics also play a particular role when it comes to handling Teams and the Modern Workplace.

We learn differently though our hands than with our heads, because they have the most neural connections with the brain, and so when we were developing a Modern Workplace workshop, it was absolutely clear that haptics had to play a part. The result? A simulation game. How does it work?

To kick off, everyone was told the rules. During the game, everyone takes on a persona—a “fictional character created to represent a user type that might use a site, brand, or product in a similar way” as Wikipedia describes it.

Let’s take Frank from field sales, who—surprise, surprise—spends most of his time on the road and therefore has differing needs than, for example, Michelle who is either working from the office or home. So, Frank has a challenge and it’s his job to try and solve it with the group during the workshop. To do so, each participant is given several “change” cards with locations (where the task can be solved) or applications (with which tools the task can be solved.

Using these cards, a story is created that is then presented to the workshop group. In this game, there isn’t one right and many wrong ways to tackle the issue because there are normally several ways to approach it. The trainer is on hand in a supporting role before demonstrating the most ideal method. In this way, the participants learn how to effectively integrate Teams, Whiteboard and other Microsoft products in a fun way. The workshop can, of course, be tailored to the tools and needs of  particular companies as there’s no point demonstrating how to use Whiteboard when it isn’t even used!

Before the fun, comes some theory.

There’s no way of getting around the presentations I mentioned at the start of this blog during the workshops, which have the motto “Understand. Experience. Use”. The first step is to understand. What is the Modern Workplace? What opportunities does it offer? And what’s all this chat about user adoption? What impact does this new way of working have on the company and its culture? All of this is tackled in the morning session before a (virtual) break for lunch, during which people can fuel up for the hands-on afternoon sessions.

For on the move: Games to go.

The great news is everyone can try out the game. Completely free! All you have to do is download it and do some cutting and sticking and you’re ready to go! It’s played in the same way as the workshop version, the only difference being the explanations for how to solve the challenge are slightly more limited. Play alone, with friends or colleagues!

Once you’ve got everything prepared, here’s what you have to do:

  • Select a challenge (Warning: The solution is printed on the back).
  • Choose the “chance” cards (persona, location, applications) you think will meet your persona’s requirements.
  • Turn the cards over to see from the symbols on the back if you were right. As mentioned in point 1, you can also follow the solution step by step.

The game was created and published under the Creative Commons Licence. That means you can share it, but the name of the creator must always be visible on the cards and the game must not be changed in any way. Have fun!