Building Better Teams at Minnebar 19

In May, I presented at Minnebar 19, Minnesota's premier tech unconference. Over 1000 people gathered to learn from each other, and I facilitated a room through hands-on team exploration using LEGO Serious Play. The One-Minute Tower Challenge We started simple: "Build a tower with 10 pieces or less. You have one minute. Go!" The room erupted into focused energy. LEGO bricks clicked together as software engineers, designers, and tech leaders frantically constructed towers—from elegant minimalist spires to complex architectural marvels. Here's what was fascinating—every person had a story about WHY they built their tower that way. The developer who built wide for stability. The startup founder who went tall and risky. The engineering manager who created perfect balance. That's the magic of LEGO Serious Play—it's not about building. It's about externalizing thinking through our hands. The Best and Worst Teams Exercise Next, participants built models of their best team experiences: startup teams pulling energizing all-nighters, open source collaborations, emergency response teams where collective genius emerged. Then the gut punch: "Build your worst team experience." People built models of silos, communication breakdowns, leadership failures. But something powerful happened—we realized the patterns. The worst teams weren't bad people; they were good people trapped in bad systems. This hands-on approach transforms abstract teamwork concepts into tangible insights that stick.