What does it take to shift mindsets in just 2 hours, with 120 people, and 9 facilitators on what real teamwork looks and feels like?
That was the challenge I took on with the National University of Singapore Ecosystem and Enterprise Academy, a newly merged department on a mission to transform NUS into a world-class startup university, powered by synergy, strategy, and a shared sense of purpose.
The brief:
🎯 Help 120 individuals
🤝 Get to know one another to support startup growth
🌱 Understand the role of teamwork in building an entrepreneurial ecosystem
🧠 And most difficult of all, shift their mindset about what teamwork truly means
All in 2 hours.
As someone who believes in deep, embodied learning, I knew a PowerPoint or keynote wouldn’t cut it.
Instead, I co-designed a series of LEGO® Six Bricks-based games and reflection arcs, inspired by Theory U, to take people from open mind, to open heart, to open gut with the sponsors.
And yes, there were challenges.
The scale. The logistics. The facilitation. The risk of things not going as planned. But there were also breakthroughs in the words of the participants:
🧱 “There are multiple solutions to limited-resource problems. But someone in the organisation must hold the most context to make decisions.”
🧱 “We need clear communication of objectives. A shared vision. That’s how teamwork and collaboration become real.”
We read every reflection note. We analysed the post-workshop data.
🔍 More than 70% showed clear signs of meeting the objectives.
⭐ Nearly 90% rated the facilitators and the workshop design as excellent.
But stats don’t capture everything.
They don’t show the moments of silent insight.
The laughter during chaos.
The discomfort that led to clarity.
The subtle, profound shift in how people saw each other and themselves.
Teamwork isn’t just about collaboration.
It’s about clarity, communication, and shared context. And most importantly, it begins with each of us being willing to shift.
To the team at NUS Ecosystem and Enterprise Academy (Benjamin C.K. Tee, Fifi Pang, Sin En Soh, Susan Chung and Inez): Thank you for trusting me. For co-designing this experience. For being open to transformation, even in just 2 hours.
👋 To those reading this…
If you’re facing a similar challenge in your organisation:
🔸 Shifting mindsets
🔸 Building a culture of trust and collaboration
🔸 Getting people to know and understand each other deeply
🔸 Translating insight into transformative action
… and you need an outside-in, expertly facilitated intervention using play, deep reflection, and over 2.5 decades of experience designing such breakthroughs, I hope this story shows you what’s possible. And perhaps, why I may just be the partner you’ve been looking for. Let’s talk if this intrigues you.
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