Prometheus stole fire for humanity. He certainly went down in a blaze of glory!
Conformity is the jailor of freedom and the enemy of growth John F Kennedy
In October 2021 Promethean Play was born as a Limited Company. Play will be a topic we talk about a lot, but why Promethean?
Prometheus, a Greek God of Fire and one of the Titans, is said to have stolen back fire that Zeus had hidden from humans. He returned it to humanity and was subsequently punished by Zeus, who sought to control and dominate mortals.
The name Prometheus means "foresight" or “forethought” (careful consideration of what may happen in the future) and his desire centred on bettering the lives of people with a quest to expand scientific knowledge. Check out this short video to learn more.
To be ‘Promethean’ is to share characteristics of Prometheus, with a focus on improving human interactions and being rebelliously creative and innovative. And that’s what we aim to do – break down any barriers, stretch thinking, consider future state, and build better outcomes.
Jacob Morgan, in his book Future Leader, found that companies who see their staff in terms of “heart count, not head count” generate better outcomes. It is probable that the culture of some organisations, and leaders within, view their employees like the way Zeus saw mortals. However, in considering the person, just like Prometheus did, creates an environment that supports alignment to cause, innovation and change. Morgan went on to say that his research found “people are still looking for a human experience” at work.
What does this mean for us now, where remote working has replaced the need to be physically together?
A human experience at work need not be in the lap of the Gods! Prometheus gave fire to humanity, and the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® approach ignites ideas, emotions, and relationships. It can improve communication, team dynamic and alleviate the ‘growing pains’ that many teams and organisations face.
Communication: We’ve all been there where a few voices in the room takeover and others make the choice to stop contributing, whether it be fear, embarrassment, apathy. Or attended that important meeting/workshop and walked away questioning what was achieved or agreed upon. Often key messages get lost in translation due to silo working or teams not considering the interdependencies across the organisation.
The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® process creates an environment conducive to better communication by including, engaging, and connecting every voice. It provides a platform, framed for clarity, that enables greater listening and learning. Peter Drucker said, “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said”. Being mindful of how you involve others has the potential to unearth so many unknown perspectives. A simple and useful tool you could also try to kickstart this in your team, is 1-2-4-ALL, developed by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless.
Team dynamic: The way we work has changed, particularly over the last couple of years, and that can result in us feeling disconnected and struggle with a sense of belonging, something that GALLUP, in their engagement surveys, rate as important. And there are often times where the team aren’t fully aligned, some individuals are relied on more than others, or tension is holding things back.
LEGO® bricks provide a fun and alternative way to draw out conflict, understand how others may feel and move forward collectively. Patrick Lencioni said, “Teamwork begins by building trust”. In a previous post we talked about how LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® helped with this, it’s positive impact on psychological safety, and how teams collaborated more post such a workshop. Another useful tool to help is the Johari Window – use it to continue building trust and understanding within your team.
Growing pains: There are often early warning signs that trigger the decision for an ‘intervention’ of sorts. Sometimes our organisations get stuck in a rut and as we grow, change shape, or move in a different direction, there are issues that arise. It could be, for example, about deciding or refining a plan, needing to dig deeper for solutions, defining how you want to be, or navigating complexity. Elon Musk is quoted as saying, “You shouldn’t do things differently just because they are different. They need to be better”.
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® adds a dimension to discussions that support future state thinking. An intentional collaboration, focused on specific issues, is often needed, and using a tool that can help with ideation, innovation, that sparks creativity in everyone, does bring out better. It helps you reach the answers that you, and the people closest to your problems, already have – something that firms such as Google can attest to. And, returning to the question of "why Promethean", it is something that those who know the stories of Prometheus could relate to.
The figure of Prometheus was multifaceted, with specific eras and contexts shaping how this Greek God was viewed. Similarly, the application of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is varied and context dependent. So, in our view, if it can bring out a bit of Promethean in all of us, that must be positive.
Visit www.prometheanplay.co.uk to find out more.
Promethean Play Ltd | Company registration no. 13687926 | VAT no. 437 3419 89
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