How we build the foundation
of Congruent Decisions in our daily actions.
Most people think the “work” happens in the loud moments: the applause or the public validation. I’ve realised the most profound shifts happen behind the scenes, where the internal and external worlds finally meet.
Last week at the Bella Centre, we were with a high-performing sales team. They needed a “Portfolio First” approach going forward. This was the external goal of the workshop: a new plan, a new direction.
As people walked back into the hall after lunch, the air was filled with curious questions: “Why is there LEGO here?” As we expect, sales teams are naturally competitive and target-driven. I watched them try to pre-empt the next step, trying to be first, trying to build the “best” model. But LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is a disruptor. Playing with LEGO® It’s not about winning; it’s about the safety to share and the external rewiring of a team’s perspective through their hands.
The moment their hands touched the bricks, the room went silent. There is something sacred about that silence; adults SOOOOOO focused on the task that they forget to perform. This is where the internal rewiring begins. As they build, they aren’t just making models; they are processing their own thoughts in 3D.
During the storytelling, even the “quiet ones” began to speak. Some, struggle to verbalise what they’ve built at first. I observe this with a simple truth: nothing is insignificant. Sometimes, it takes a while for a person to fully settle and share, that is the internal rewire taking place.
The workshop continues, we gain insights, the team finds a shared language, and the client is happy. The workshop ends in applause. The external rewire is complete.
But for the facilitator, the process continues.
As we cleared up, a sudden snowstorm in Copenhagen hit. We had to find a way to get the gear to the car; this was a test of grit and external logistics. (Well done Per!) One that we didn’t forget to laugh through. Even in the chaos of a blizzard, you have to stay playful and agile.
A late flight turned into a gift: a long, wholesome dinner at Sommelier with Beatrix. We spoke about our journeys in corporate, the becoming and finding your space in our craft, and our plans for the season ahead. It was an honest exchange that rewired my understanding of our industry.
We left for our flights internally warmer, despite the freezing weather outside. No networking event could replicate this IRL dinner catch up.
Even in the final delays at my boarding gate, I found myself asking a stranger about the book she was reading. A new title for my collection; a final bout of connection to the world around me before my social battery hit zero.
I landed in London in the early hours. The drive home was silent. I heated up some rice and stew, and left out the sour strawberry liquorice I bought to “bribe” my children for my 24-hour absence.
As I sat in the quiet of my kitchen, I realised that we are constantly navigating two world views: our internal and external. We can’t control the snowstorms life throws at us, but we can control how we rewire ourselves in response. When we align our internal truth with our external actions, we move beyond just reacting to circumstances. We make congruent decisions.
Why We Build
We build models to ensure our internal truths remain steady, regardless of the external weather. Whether it is a team sharpening its strategic direction or a leader navigating a delayed flight, we build the path to better decisions by:
- Refining the Pace: To access the deep insights that high-speed execution can sometimes bypass.
- Externalising the Vision: To turn individual brilliance into a shared, concrete language.
- Governing the Response: To ensure our actions always (mostly) match our values, no matter how the external environment shifts.
This alignment is what helps me trust my own decision-making, even when the path is obscured. The path to making better decisions is being congruent within yourself. Recognising the moves and the shifts.
Who would have thought that in 24 hours, I could do so much rewiring? Connecting to my craft, to others, and ultimately back to myself.
How are you making space for your own rewire this week? Are you living by your values, or reacting to the storm? Let’s play our way to better, more human decisions. I invite you to a virtual tea.
Let’s play our way to better, more human decisions.
I invite you to a virtual tea.
