Team Building, Leadership & LEGO Serious Play | Build Better Teams Podcast

Shannon Russell | Strategic Leadership & Team Facilitator, Strategic Planning Consultant & Certified LEGO Serious Play Facilitator
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Management

The Build Better Teams Podcast is for HR professionals, executives, managers, business owners, and event planners looking for practical strategies for team building workshops, leadership development, employee engagement, workplace culture, strategic planning, and team alignment.Hosted by Shannon Russell, Strategic Leadership & Team Facilitator and certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator, each episode shares practical strategies, real-world experiences, and innovative facilitation techniques to help organizations strengthen communication, improve collaboration, align leadership teams, and build high-performing teams. Go behind the scenes of real leadership retreats, strategic planning sessions, team building workshops, and LEGO® Serious Play® experiences to discover what works, what doesn't, and how you can create more meaningful experiences for your own team. Whether you're planning a leadership retreat, corporate team building workshop, strategic planning session, or company offsite, you'll discover actionable ideas you can bring back to your organization. Topics include: • Team building workshops that improve communication and collaboration • Leadership development and management strategies • Strategic planning sessions and leadership retreats • Employee engagement and workplace culture • LEGO® Serious Play® and innovation through play • Team communication, trust, and psychological safety • Organizational alignment and change management • Corporate event facilitation and interactive workshops If you want to create stronger teams, more productive conversations, and a workplace where people feel engaged and heard, Build Better Teams will give you practical ideas you can put into action. Whether you lead a Fortune 500 company, nonprofit organization, growing small business, or remote team, you'll learn new ways to build trust, strengthen communication, encourage innovation, and help your people perform at their best. Learn more about our team building workshops, leadership retreats, strategic planning facilitation, keynote speaking, and LEGO® Serious Play® workshops at BuildBetterTeamsConsulting.com.

  1. 5d ago

    Leadership Retreat Ideas: Creative Activities to Build Stronger, More Aligned Teams | #24

    Planning a leadership retreat or executive offsite? Don't bring your leaders together just to spend eight hours sitting around a conference table listening to presentations. In this episode of the Build Better Teams podcast, strategic leadership and team-building facilitator Shannon Russell shares creative leadership retreat ideas and activities designed to get leaders out of their seats, away from their screens, and actively communicating, collaborating, problem-solving, and planning for the future. From LEGO® Serious Play® and strategic planning exercises to cross-department challenges, improv, future visioning, and facilitated conversations, Shannon shares practical ways to create a leadership retreat that feels different from a normal workday and produces meaningful results. You'll learn how to design a retreat around the conversations your leaders actually need to have, encourage cross-functional collaboration, address challenges that may be holding your organization back, and create a shared outcome your team can take back to work. Whether you're planning a leadership retreat, executive offsite, strategic planning session, or corporate team-building workshop, this episode will help you create an engaging experience that strengthens communication, team alignment, employee engagement, and organizational strategy. Because the best leadership retreats don't just give people a day away from the office. They help change what happens when everyone gets back. 🔗 Learn more about Build Better Teams Consulting, LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, events, and experiences, and book a strategy call with Shannon Russell at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

  2. Sep 7

    Imagination at Work: How Play and Creativity Help Leaders Build More Innovative Teams | #23

    What happens when we stop using our imagination at work? After recently stepping onto the TEDx stage, strategic leadership and team-building facilitator Shannon Russell is reflecting on the idea at the center of her talk: The Imagination Recession. As adults, we become focused on productivity, efficiency, deadlines, and getting more done. Somewhere along the way, many of us stop making time to play, experiment, create, and imagine what else might be possible. But organizations still expect employees to innovate, solve problems, adapt to change, and develop new ideas. So how can leaders expect creativity without creating space for it? In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon shares lessons from her TEDx experience and explores why imagination at work is essential for leadership, workplace innovation, team collaboration, and the future of work. Drawing from her experience facilitating LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, leadership retreats, and strategic planning sessions, Shannon explains how hands-on play can help teams move beyond traditional brainstorming, unlock new ideas, and get every person in the room participating. You'll discover why imagination isn't something adults lose. It's something we stop using, and something leaders can intentionally bring back into the workplace. If you're a leader, executive, HR professional, or manager looking for new ways to encourage creativity, innovation, employee engagement, communication, and collaboration, this episode will challenge you to rethink the relationship between work and play. Because before we can build better teams and better organizations, we have to be able to imagine them first. 🔗 Learn more about Build Better Teams Consulting, LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, events, and experiences, and book a strategy call with Shannon Russell at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

  3. Aug 24

    Building Better Leaders: How Empathy and Self-Awareness Create Stronger Teams | #22

    Why do organizations promote great employees into management roles and then expect them to automatically know how to lead? Being excellent at your job doesn't necessarily mean you know how to manage people, delegate effectively, communicate with empathy, or build an engaged team. In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell sits down with leadership development coach and Lightspark Leadership founder Risa Seelenfreund to discuss the leadership skills managers need to build stronger, more engaged teams. Risa shares why the traditional command-and-control leadership model no longer works, especially in today's multigenerational workplace, and why empathy, self-awareness, delegation, communication, and relationship-building are essential leadership skills. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why great employees don't automatically become great managers • The leadership skills new managers need to develop • Why empathy is essential for employee engagement and retention • How to hold employees accountable while still leading with empathy • Why self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership • How to delegate without simply handing off work • Why leaders need to support employees after delegating • How DISC and team assessments can improve team communication • Why different working styles can strengthen a team • How leaders can help employees grow without feeling threatened by their success Risa also explains why developing your people doesn't diminish your role as a leader. It can make your entire team, and ultimately your organization, stronger. If you're a new manager, executive, HR professional, nonprofit leader, or business owner looking to improve leadership development, employee engagement, team communication, and workplace culture, this conversation is packed with practical advice you can use. 🔗 Learn more about Build Better Teams Consulting, LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, events, and experiences, and book a strategy call with Shannon Russell at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

  4. Aug 17

    Behind the Scenes of a Strategic Planning Workshop with LEGO Serious Play | #21

    What makes a strategic planning session actually lead to change? In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell takes you behind the scenes of a recent three-hour strategic planning workshop she facilitated for a leadership team in Oklahoma City using the LEGO® Serious Play® method. Instead of spending hours talking through PowerPoint slides, taking notes, and leaving with more questions than answers, the leadership team used hands-on strategic planning to explore where their organization is today, identify challenges and opportunities, and build a shared vision for the future. Shannon explains how visual thinking, equal participation, and collaborative problem-solving can help leadership teams create stronger alignment, clearer priorities, and greater accountability after the meeting ends. In This Episode You'll Learn: • What an interactive strategic planning workshop actually looks like • Why traditional strategic planning meetings often fail to create action • How LEGO® Serious Play® helps teams visualize complex ideas and challenges • Why every voice should be included in strategic planning • How leaders can create a shared organizational vision • Why hands-on facilitation encourages curiosity instead of defensiveness • How strategic planning improves team alignment and accountability • Why people are more invested in strategies they help create • Three strategic planning lessons every leader can use with their own team If you're planning a leadership retreat, company offsite, strategic planning session, or executive team workshop, this episode offers a different way to create meaningful conversations and turn ideas into clear direction. 🔗 Learn more about Build Better Teams Consulting, LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, events, and experiences, and book a strategy call with Shannon Russell at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

  5. Aug 10

    Play Is a Leadership Strategy: How Creative Team Building Drives Innovation and Employee Engagement | #20

    What if play wasn't a distraction from work, but one of the most powerful leadership strategies you could use to build a stronger team? In this episode of Build Better Teams, strategic leadership and team-building facilitator Shannon Russell explores why play at work can increase creativity, improve employee engagement, strengthen communication, and help teams innovate in ways traditional meetings often can't. As workplaces become increasingly influenced by AI, technology, remote communication, and automation, human skills like imagination, curiosity, collaboration, empathy, and creative problem-solving are becoming even more valuable. Shannon shares why she uses LEGO® Serious Play® with organizations, leadership teams, corporate retreats, and strategic planning sessions to help employees think with their hands, communicate ideas visually, and ensure every voice in the room has an opportunity to contribute. Play isn't about being unprofessional. It's about creating an environment where employees feel safe enough to experiment, imagine, contribute, and solve problems differently. Because when people think differently, organizations innovate differently. 🔗 Learn more about Build Better Teams Consulting, LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, events, and experiences, and book a strategy call with Shannon Russell at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

  6. Jul 27

    The 10 Best Questions Leaders Should Ask Their Team Members | #19

    Do you really know the people on your team? Not just their job title or daily responsibilities, but their hidden strengths, untapped skills, career goals, and what truly motivates them? In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell shares 10 powerful leadership questions that can transform your one-on-one meetings, improve employee engagement, strengthen workplace communication, and help you uncover talents that may already exist within your organization. As a strategic leadership facilitator and certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator, Shannon has worked with organizations across industries and has seen firsthand how asking better questions leads to stronger relationships, more engaged employees, and higher-performing teams. If you're a manager, executive, HR leader, or business owner looking to improve leadership communication and build a stronger workplace culture, this episode is full of practical ideas you can use immediately. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why great leadership starts with curiosity • How asking better questions improves employee engagement • The 10 questions every leader should ask their team • How to uncover hidden skills and untapped talent • Why psychological safety encourages honest conversations • How meaningful one-on-one conversations strengthen workplace culture • Ways to improve communication without another employee survey • Why hands-on facilitation helps teams think more creatively Discover how the right questions can unlock better communication, stronger relationships, and more engaged employees. 🔗 Learn more about Build Better Teams Consulting, LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, events, and experiences, and book a strategy call with Shannon Russell at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

  7. Jul 20

    Team Management vs. Leadership: 5 Ways to Build High-Performing Teams That Last | #18

    Is managing your team enough to create a high-performing workplace? Not anymore. Today's leaders are navigating hybrid work, remote employees, multiple generations in the workplace, AI, and changing employee expectations. Simply managing projects and checking off tasks isn't enough to build engaged, collaborative teams. In this episode of Build Better Teams Podcast , Shannon Russell explores the difference between management and leadership and shares the five characteristics she sees in every high-performing team she's worked with through leadership retreats, strategic planning sessions, and LEGO® Serious Play® workshops. If you want stronger communication, better collaboration, and employees who feel connected to your organization's mission, this episode is for you. In This Episode You'll Learn: • The difference between managing people and leading people • Why leadership matters more than ever in today's workplace • The five traits of high-performing teams • How clear communication improves team performance • Why psychological safety drives innovation and employee engagement • How shared experiences strengthen workplace culture • Why accountability creates ownership instead of micromanagement • How team-building workshops improve communication long after the event ends Whether you're an executive, manager, HR leader, entrepreneur, or team leader, you'll walk away with practical leadership strategies you can begin using immediately. 🔗 Learn more about Build Better Teams Consulting, LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, events, and experiences, and book a strategy call with Shannon Russell at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

  8. Jul 13

    Why Networking Makes You a Better Leader: How Meaningful Relationships Build Stronger Teams | #17

    Does the word networking make you cringe? You're not alone. For many professionals, networking feels forced, transactional, and awkward. But what if networking wasn't about collecting business cards or making sales? What if it was simply about building meaningful relationships that make you a better leader? In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell explores why networking has earned a bad reputation, how leaders can reframe it as relationship-building, and why expanding your professional community can strengthen your leadership, improve team communication, and create new opportunities for your organization. Drawing from her own experiences as a business owner, leadership facilitator, speaker, podcast host, and certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator, Shannon shares practical ways leaders can build authentic connections that benefit both themselves and their teams. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why networking gets such a bad reputation • How relationship-building makes you a stronger leader • Why fresh perspectives improve team innovation and problem-solving • How networking benefits your employees, not just your career • Simple conversation starters that create genuine connections • Why leaders should build their network before they need it • How generosity builds trust and long-term professional relationships • Easy ways to grow your professional community online and in person Whether you're a business owner, manager, executive, entrepreneur, or team leader, this episode will change the way you think about networking and inspire you to build relationships that help both you and your team succeed. 🔗 Learn more about Build Better Teams Consulting, LEGO® Serious Play® workshops, events, and experiences, and book a strategy call with Shannon Russell at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

See All (25)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

About

The Build Better Teams Podcast is for HR professionals, executives, managers, business owners, and event planners looking for practical strategies for team building workshops, leadership development, employee engagement, workplace culture, strategic planning, and team alignment.Hosted by Shannon Russell, Strategic Leadership & Team Facilitator and certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator, each episode shares practical strategies, real-world experiences, and innovative facilitation techniques to help organizations strengthen communication, improve collaboration, align leadership teams, and build high-performing teams. Go behind the scenes of real leadership retreats, strategic planning sessions, team building workshops, and LEGO® Serious Play® experiences to discover what works, what doesn't, and how you can create more meaningful experiences for your own team. Whether you're planning a leadership retreat, corporate team building workshop, strategic planning session, or company offsite, you'll discover actionable ideas you can bring back to your organization. Topics include: • Team building workshops that improve communication and collaboration • Leadership development and management strategies • Strategic planning sessions and leadership retreats • Employee engagement and workplace culture • LEGO® Serious Play® and innovation through play • Team communication, trust, and psychological safety • Organizational alignment and change management • Corporate event facilitation and interactive workshops If you want to create stronger teams, more productive conversations, and a workplace where people feel engaged and heard, Build Better Teams will give you practical ideas you can put into action. Whether you lead a Fortune 500 company, nonprofit organization, growing small business, or remote team, you'll learn new ways to build trust, strengthen communication, encourage innovation, and help your people perform at their best. Learn more about our team building workshops, leadership retreats, strategic planning facilitation, keynote speaking, and LEGO® Serious Play® workshops at BuildBetterTeamsConsulting.com.

Information

You Might Also Like