The one where CellRev built their values
It's not hard to make decisions once you know what your values are. Roy. E. Disney
The words vision, mission, and purpose are often used interchangeably, then throw values into the mix. We say that vision is the picture you want to create, mission is the road map to do that, purpose is the feeling people will get, and values are how you want to be to realise it all.
The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® approach is a proven way to help teams and organisations define each of these. Involving all key individuals in this way drives greater commitment, meaning people will be more motivated to deliver and it’s more likely to stick!
We were really excited when CellRev approached us to design a workshop to help them define values – their ‘be’ state. Values are guiding principles that impact every aspect of an organisation: how it does business; how it makes decisions; how it treats its people, customers, and stakeholders.
CellRev was founded in 2019 by Dr Martina Miotto and Professor Che Connon, recognising that the future relies on the success of innovations that seem beyond imagination.
They are an ambitious company who push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of cell cultivation and, as a result, directly influence the wellbeing of the world. Wow!
The full team of 11 gathered as part of a broader two-day event. Time together is important, and the leadership put lots of emphasis on this. We designed a 3-hour workshop to:
- Learn more about each other and what’s important to every person
- Determine a shared view on how the organisation should be (values)
Every LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® session starts with a warm-up. It allows participants to get used to using the LEGO® bricks, learn ways to put pieces together, and recognise how the full LEGO® system can be combined i.e., DUPLO®, LEGO®, and LEGO® Technic parts.
It also gives people the confidence to tell stories through their models and encourages use of metaphor. As part of the skills build the group were asked to build a model that represented why they loved working at CellRev. As well as capturing the positives, which often get overlooked, the way individuals shared their stories enabled the team to learn more about each other e.g., reflections on past experiences, whether it be work or otherwise.
We then asked a series of questions where individuals built models that represented what was important to them as people. Values are your ‘be’ state – the beliefs that motivate you to act in a certain way. This provided further insight for the team, learning more about each other, but is also critical before aligning on organisation values. Whilst there was similarity, each person brought their uniqueness to the discussion. Some in the team had not previously considered this, resulting in a positive reflective and learning exercise for them.
In an organisation setting, if people have values that are completely opposite to the company it is likely there will be conflict and lack of progress. On paper, values may align, but if an organisation is not living those values that will cause disruption.
The group then built individual models surrounding what they wanted to see, hear, and feel at CellRev. These models represented how the team thought CellRev should ‘be’ and how the organisation should portray itself. Words such as togetherness, connectivity, innovation, solutions focused, were reflected in many of the builds.
After telling the story of their model, and what each part meant to them, individuals then combined their models to create a shared view on how they wanted CellRev to be. What organisation values were important that would enable the mission? In a shared build, group members can touch each other’s LEGO® models, even dismantle them, whilst explaining their reasons for doing so and fixing it on the large baseplate. The two groups then told their stories to each other – click here to hear those stories.
Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same, but you leave them over everything you do. Elvis Presley
Overall, there were 8 themes/words that arose from the LEGO® building. The team reflected on these and ranked the order of importance to arrive at 5 themes/words to serve as the basis for creating the organisational values. The 3 that were deemed least important could still be incorporated into the value statements.
The leadership team took these findings, crafted the values, and gained full agreement from the team. Do they resonate? Do they invoke emotion? Do you feel proud knowing that’s who we are?
This is what resulted:
In the space of 3 hours, through involving, connecting, and engaging every voice, the team were able to define what was important for them and the organisation to deliver its mission.
Chris, CEO, said, “through the medium of serious play, we had a really open and honest discussion. I was impressed by what we managed to achieve so quickly and the commitment from the team surrounding the values we have defined. Matt is a fantastic facilitator, and as well as a very worthwhile output, we had a lot of fun together as a team.”
The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® approach helps create memories that matter. As the team continue their journey to revolutionise cell cultivation, it’s clear that they are going to do it in an aligned and purposeful way.
Visit www.prometheanplay.co.uk to see what this could mean for your organisation.
Promethean Play Ltd | Company registration no. 13687926 | VAT no. 437 3419 89
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