Workshops

In addition to model building, Graeme leads the team at Dymond Bricks to support his clients by facilitating team building and training sessions geared towards leadership development, strategy and innovation.

Graeme brings his unique blend of training expertise and model building to every project, leveraging his diverse background to create engaging and interactive experiences.  In addition to being designated Canada’s first and original Master Model Builder, Graeme is trained as an adult educator and trainer.  Graeme spent over 4 years as a facilitator and learning consultant with a major financial institution, designing and facilitating training programs for executive development and team building, and has trained in adult education and facilitation through the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) out of the University of Toronto.

Workshops with Dymond Bricks:

Example #1 –Team building workshop for nearly 200 executives for major commercial real estate company

• Facilitated workshop for executives from across the country focused on designing the future of retail real estate using LEGO as a medium
• Maintained a fun and professional environment while client participants developed models of futuristic malls and integrated development sites while also having participants deal with simulated change management “curveballs”
• Aligned and revealed connections of all deliverables and objectives as clients presented their vision of the future to peers at conference
• Worked with conference leadership team consisting of senior legal counsel, HR director, and vice president of organizational design to customize the program, integrating feedback to ensure that program aligned to corporate culture as well as to conference theme of “Powering Possibilities”

Example #2 – Collaborative model creation for hundreds of partners at major internet search company event

• Designed large-scale interactive model of company emblem and designed a path to iterative completion with event attendees
• All guests received LEGO pieces upon entry which were used to contribute to the final model to create one large product together
• Facilitated build and engaged hundreds of guests as the initial interaction of launch event based around theme of “building relationships”

Example #3 – Workshop series for librarians of major municipal library service

• Developed a series of 3 hour, intensive workshops with over a half dozen activities for libraries as they launched new line of programming
• Structured classes increased librarians familiarity with LEGO building and comfort with facilitating construction-centered programs
• Unleashed creativity and innovation in librarians to understand how LEGO can be used as symbols and metaphors

Example #4 –Multi-layered workshops for over 150 marketing professionals for major food and beverage company

• Designed and facilitated four parallel workshops for a large group of marketing professionals designed to energize and engage their minds on design and collaboration
• Developed a high level of excitement and harnessed the groups’ competitive spirit to develop race cars that could achieve specific objectives within a fixed timeframe using limited resources
• Collaborated with conference team to simultaneously run three activities in addition to the main activity to ensure maximum participation and involvement of all attendees
• Created a series of brick-built trophies modeled after client products designed to reward participants for their achievements

Example #5 – Professional development series for college faculty

• Facilitated a series of 2 hour workshops with designed for college faculty to integrate the Serious Play methodology into their classroom and workplace environments
• Courses were designed to increase participants comfort with LEGO building as well as understandingthe educational theory and pedagogy behind LEGO’s ability to unleash student creativity through constructionism and constructivism