A clear purpose such as Lego's can inspire others
In my last post, I referenced the work of Karl Weick into sensemaking. A great insight from Weick is how, when it comes to sensemaking, simplicity can be very powerful. He noticed that people need plausibility rather than accuracy in order to believe in a cause. In our everyday lives, we need to filter noise to see clear understandable signals. So as leaders it is helpful to recognise that simplification enables action. And above all, a strong simple story energises action.
Lego is very clear about its purpose, which is to ‘inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow’. This encapsulates their role in both play and education and is part of why the Danish company has enjoyed such success all the way from simple plastic blocks to the widely-acclaimed Lego Movie. Lego aims to inspire and develop children to think creatively, reason systematically and release their potential. People can understand this. They get what Lego is all about, and they buy into it. Lego has successfully built on this purpose to the extent that in 2015 was rated as the world's most powerful brands by consultancy BrandFinance. It would appear that for Lego, everything really is awesome.
Why is Lego such a good example of sensemaking? Well, if we can provide plausible reasoning to fit the facts, we can energise others to act with greater understanding and commitment. This is typically more important than logical certainty. A story that puts the facts as we know them into perspective with a plausible level of certainty is more likely to inspire people than a detailed business case. The simpler, the better.