Building Teams Through Play
w Brandon Wetzstein
Guest Speaker Session: Building Teams Through Play - Brandon from IN8 Create
Session Overview
Brandon from IN8 Create joined CUNY Baruch and Yeshiva University students to discuss his unconventional approach to team development through LEGO Serious Play. In this engaging session, you'll discover why traditional team dynamics fail, how physical building unlocks hidden insights, and practical strategies for making every team member's voice count. Brandon shares real stories from corporate transformations, explains the psychology behind why "playing with toys" creates breakthrough moments, and demonstrates why the best team solutions often come from the quietest voices in the room.
Key Timestamps & Highlights
[5:42] - The "Quote Unquote Failure" Story: Brandon shares a senior leadership workshop where using LEGO revealed three competing viewpoints - psychological safety, candor, and rigor - but the CEO refused to find common ground, leading to clarity rather than harmony.
[18:45] - Breaking Team Dynamics with Physical Building: Using LEGO to demonstrate how normal team roles (the two extroverts who dominate, two introverts who stay quiet, four people in between) get completely reshuffled when you introduce physical building.
[21:30] - The Magic of "No Wrong Answers": How LEGO Serious Play eliminates the competition to be right because everyone gets to share their unique perspective without disagreement.
[25:15] - The Externalization Power: "When we take our ideas and pull them outside of ourselves, it becomes so much easier to see and understand and honestly pick apart a little bit."
[39:20] - Why Introverts Thrive: Eye contact shifts to the model, sharing is limited to 90 seconds, everyone gets equal time, and you must touch your model while talking (which stops extroverts from over-elaborating).
[45:30] - The Basketball Connection: Brandon explains how learning basketball as an adult connects to his team building work and provides constant content about team dynamics.
[52:40] - Personality Assessments That Actually Work: StrengthsFinder and Principles (by Ray Dalio/Adam Grant) - tools that give you English explanations, not color codes or mystical interpretations.
[58:15] - When to Use Team Building: It doesn't have to be problem-solving - it's useful "whenever it makes sense to get unique points of view on the table and understand how everyone thinks."
Memorable Quotes
"I like to consider myself a team enthusiast. I help organizations get the best out of their teams... and everything I do is play-based."
"When we take our ideas and pull them outside of ourselves, it becomes so much easier to see and understand and honestly pick apart a little bit."
"You're going to have two extroverts that dominate the conversation, two introverts that talk less, and four people somewhere in the middle. These dynamics really influence how much we can share."
"The key is not calling it improv because that freaks people out, but PowerPoint karaoke where everyone has to present on 'Why Cats Rule the Moon' - you can't be wrong, you're the expert."
"You can only be craggy for so long around people having fun. It becomes contagious."
"Nobody wants to be around and be unhappy when you're playing with toys. Come on, people."
Resources Mentioned
Free Personality Assessment: Principles.us - Created by Ray Dalio and Adam Grant
LEGO Serious Play Kits: Available on LEGO's website (must buy by the box of 100)
Brandon's LinkedIn: Connect for team building insights and basketball-meets-teamwork content
Never Too Late Basketball League: NYC adult basketball classes for beginners
This session was recorded live for Sarah's students at CUNY Baruch and Yeshiva University. Brandon demonstrates why the future of team building isn't trust falls or rope courses - it's giving smart people the right environment to share what they really think.
