Microsoft programmer/evangelist Asli Bilgin had a flash of insight during a TV interview. Asli was asked what women would like about software development. Alsi responded, "Women who like to solve problems and build with LEGOs would be great software developers." This sparked the idea that Microsoft might be able to form a relationship with LEGO SERIOUS PLAY, weaving together the metaphors of "building" software with LEGO brick building to build creativity and connections among the community of software developers. Asli immediately began speaking to Karen Wilkins-Mickey, Ali Parker and others at Microsoft to gain support for the idea.

October 26, 2008, their vision came to fruition when WomenBuild was launched at the Los Angeles Professional Developers Conference (PDC 2008). The aspiration for Asli and her team is to make WomenBuild part of all their major technology conferences. The goal of the WomenBuild program is to help foster creativity, team-building, and community among the global network of software developers, especially developers who are women or from under-represented groups. "Software is about communicating, not just sitting in a cubicle with your head down." The WomenBuild program also has a strong programmatic connection to diversity and working together to create an organizational culture that will attract and hold a diverse labor force. It turns out LEGO bricks are also the perfect metaphor for diversity.

The workshop participants felt the workshop was a resounding success. There was enthusiastic agreement about the power of the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY process to create a natural bridge facilitating conversation about the value of different points of view, build on the benefits of diversity through conversation, encourage respect of other people's opinions, and provide a structure which supports the voices of women. Women leaders throughout the Microsoft community felt inspired to apply their natural skills of connecting, supporting and moving forward to make technology accessible to everyone.

WomenBuild is already creating a buzz in the software community. The program attracted the attention of journalists, podcasters and bloggers and established a growing community on Facebook. In the words of Microsoft's Mark Hindsbo, the LEGO name, Danish for "play well together", is the perfect context for Microsoft's aspirations for the WomenBuild program.

Recently Lewis Pinault and Mark Hansen from the LEGO Company presented at the Google Zeitgeist event to share LEGO SERIOUS PLAY and LEGOs approach to creating a more collaborative future. You can see their presentation on YOUTUBE

We wish you a joyful holiday season and a successful and playful new year.

Robert Rasmussen & Associates LLC is a LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Consultancy.
We unlock the collaborative power of teams by building answers in real-time to workplace challenges related to Teambuilding, Diversity, Merger, Strategy, Innovation, Culture and Systems. We are part of global network of consultancies offering services with LEGO SERIOUS PLAY. www.rasmus.us

USA +1.413.348.7190
DK + 45.64.47.20.80
robert@rasmus. us