TACIT IDEAS™ workshops look like purposeful play. Participants build models with toy bricks and use them to tackle challenges through metaphor and storytelling. Using our Hands-On Brain-Off™ technique, participants learn to access hidden creativity, trust intuition, and communicate complex thoughts visually — unlocking insights traditional methods simply can't reach.

Most brainstorming workshops fail because they are language-dependent (i.e., sticky note) ideation-on-demand exercises. TACIT IDEAS™ workshops employ our Hands-On Brain-Off™ technique of mindfulness and hands-on activities to bypass cognitive barriers and access unconscious creativity. Our process is less about asking for ideas and more about fostering the conditions for breakthrough insights to emerge.

TACIT IDEAS™ workshops are most effective when you face complex, ambiguous challenges where the solution isn't obvious and requires fresh perspectives, including:

• Developing new strategies or visions.

• Tackling persistent operational roadblocks.

• Improving team alignment and collaboration on complex projects.

• Uncovering hidden customer needs or market opportunities.

• Defining solutions for "fuzzy" or ill-defined problems.

• Situations where you feel "stuck" and need genuinely new thinking.

• Essentially, whenever you could benefit from tapping into the diverse, often unspoken, knowledge within your team.

Research shows that play induces Flow, a focused mental state where analytical filters quiet down, allowing insights to surface (think athletes "in the zone" or musicians "in the groove"). Play is also used in high-stakes fields like military simulations and executive scenario planning, where it is referred to as "serious play." TACIT IDEAS™ builds on the LEGO® Serious Play problem-solving methodology, integrating our Hands-On Brain-Off™ technique to deliver a deeper, results-oriented outcome.

While incidental to our process, we use specific, non-representational LEGO® bricks — not the same as a child's building set. As a medium, toy bricks are versatile, accessible, and easily understood ("Anyone can click a brick"). They allow for the rapid expression of ideas without artistic intimidation, keeping the focus on thinking, not drawing or crafting. Toy bricks are ubiquitous across professional domains, from engineering prototypes to executive strategy sessions, and are as universal a material as one can find.

Yes! No prior experience or specific skills needed. Our Hands-On Brain-Off™ technique engages all personality types and ability levels. The only requirements are being present, open, and devices off. Interestingly, initial skeptics often become our biggest advocates after experiencing the process and seeing the results. To create a safe, collaborative space, we require full participation from every participant. No one watches from the sidelines, no one leaves early or arrives late. On a case-by-case basis, we can adapt our workshop for neurodiversity or disability.

Depending on the workshop's scope, we guide your team to produce the deliverables needed to reach your objective. Examples include:

• Strategic roadmaps and prioritized solution portfolios.

• System visualizations identifying leverage points and interdependencies.

• Scenario planning frameworks for uncertain futures.

• Innovation opportunity spaces and actionable concepts.

• Risk identification with mitigation pathways.

• Customer journey insights with experience enhancements.

• Essentially, any framework. Our technique will give it superpowers.

In addition, our workshops also cultivate:

• Team alignment around the challenge.

• Deeper understanding across functional roles.

• Stronger collaborative relationships and psychological safety.

• Implicit knowledge made explicit and shareable.

• Renewed creative confidence and problem-solving capabilities.

• Shared language for discussing abstract concepts.

• Simple guiding principles to improve decision-making.

While our core Hands-On Brain-Off™ technique remains consistent, every workshop is tailored to the client's needs. Before the session, we work closely with you to understand your specific objective and desired outcomes, team dynamics, and industry context. The workshop activities are then designed to ensure they directly address your unique situation and goals, maximizing relevance and impact.

TACIT IDEAS™ workshops are flexible based on your goals: a focused half-day (4 hrs), comprehensive full-day (8 hrs), or multi-day deep dives for complex issues. We also offer 2-hour 'quick takes' for trained teams tackling a specific targeted question. We'll recommend the optimal duration after our discovery call.

To ensure full participation, we keep core groups small (10-15 people). Larger teams are split into sub-groups with co-facilitators. Though this limits cross-team sharing, an extended engagement can help mitigate this. For very large audiences, we offer only a brief presentation, as a workshop at this scale isn't feasible.

The Hands-On Brain-Off™ technique is most successful when initiated in person as it significantly improves collaboration and trust-building. Virtual workshops are possible, but a team's first experience should be in person. We can discuss possibilities for virtual follow-up sessions during our discovery call.

While the Hands-On Brain-Off™ technique appears simple, its effectiveness depends on expert facilitation. An impartial third party is crucial in preventing confirmation bias. Without proper facilitation, teams rarely achieve the same depth of insight and fall into familiar patterns. TACIT IDEAS™ adds value beyond just conducting activities. We actively challenge your team’s thinking, stretching their imaginations, which is how we achieve the results we do.