Organizational change is no longer an occasional disruption—it’s the rhythm of today’s business landscape. When navigating such shifts, from new leadership structures to digital transformations, the LEGO® Serious Play® Method offers a unique pathway. These changes can challenge team dynamics, rattle confidence, and stall progress if not handled with tools that foster clarity and collaboration.
What teams need is not more noise but a powerful tool that brings clarity, focus, and collective understanding. That’s where the LEGO® Serious Play® Method comes in—a science-based process grounded in research by Johan Roos and Bart Victor in the late 1990s, designed to unlock critical thinking, spark creative solutions, and build organizational success.
Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short (And How LEGO® Serious Play® Differs)
Traditional approaches to change management often rely on PowerPoint decks and impersonal announcements. They fail to capture the abstract ideas, emotional realities, and complex challenges faced by individuals on the ground.
LEGO® Serious Play® turns that around by using physical models and metaphorical models to represent real dynamics, ideas, and ambitions. It invites everyone—from team leaders to new hires—into an interactive session where the core principles of engagement, story, and reflection drive deep insight.
What is the LEGO® Serious Play® Method?
Developed as a creative thinking and strategy development tool, the LEGO® Serious Play® Method uses Lego bricks as a medium for building models of thoughts, experiences, and systems.
Participants create individual models, 3D models, and collaborative scenes to express abstract concepts, identify potential challenges, and co-design innovative solutions. This hands-on, experiential process is grounded in psychological safety, critical imagination, and collective intelligence.
Core Benefits of LEGO® Serious Play® for Organizational Change
Workshops using this method offer a flexible framework to explore transformation in real time. Benefits include:
- Enhanced communication through storytelling and metaphor
- Team alignment across silos and departments
- Team cohesion built through shared expression
- Deeper understanding of roles and responsibilities
- Effective leadership development for managers
- Fresh perspectives on complex concepts
The method is a valuable tool in any organizational development initiative, leadership development session, or team-building effort.
Sample LEGO® Serious Play® Workshop for Change
Here’s a proven format for a LEGO® Serious Play® organizational change workshop:
Initial Skills-Building Exercises
Warm up communication skills and creative imagination with small building challenges.
Core Session Prompts
“Build a model in response to the current change initiative.”
“Represent a potential challenge your team may face during this transition.”
“Use tangible models to show how success would look after this change.”
Rich Dialogue & Honesty
Facilitated sessions prompt honest exchange and meaningful dialogue, allowing collaboration among participants and surfacing fresh ideas.
Collective Model Building
Teams move from individual perspectives to a shared core model of a unified future.
Debrief & Action Planning
Translate symbolic models into concrete actions and action plans for the coming weeks.
LEGO® Serious Play® Use Cases Across Industries
LEGO® Serious Play® workshops have been used across:
- Sales Development departments embracing new markets
- Agile teams adapting to shifting priorities
- Career development initiatives needing creative approaches
- People Business Partners seeking mutual understanding across teams
- Organizations with hybrid or online meetings facing disengagement
- Groups exploring the art of product ownership or product ownership waltz
Each case proves its strength as a tool for exploration, alignment, and transformation.
The Role of Facilitation Training in LEGO® Serious Play®
To implement these workshops effectively, facilitation training or enrollment in Facilitator training programs is highly recommended. Advanced facilitators know how to use open-ended questions, challenge questions, and thinking tools to maximize session impact.
For facilitators, LEGO® Serious Play® becomes more than a technique—it’s a must-have resource that drives ongoing success in modern operating environments.
LEGO® Serious Play®: From Abstract Ideas to Actionable Strategies
Using models in response to real questions, participants engage in solution discovery that’s rooted in personal insight and team-wide collaboration. It’s cohesive, tactile, and rooted in the transformative power of play.
This isn’t a fruitless exercise or another planning meeting—it’s a rollercoaster of innovation that gives teams language, clarity, and confidence to move forward together.
Conclusion: Build Change with LEGO® Serious Play®
In the face of organizational challenges, LEGO® Serious Play® turns stress into strategy. It enables effective dialogue, nurtures a culture of innovation, and grounds abstract transformations in hands-on experience.
For teams looking to upgrade from traditional concepts to innovative processes, this method is a practical tool that meets complexity with creativity—and builds the future, one brick at a time.
FAQs
Is this method only for large companies?
No. It scales beautifully for small teams, startups, and enterprises alike.
Can we use this in digital product development?
Yes. It’s often used to map user flows, team interactions, and Agile backlogs.
How long does a session last?
Anywhere from 90 minutes to multi-day advanced training formats.
Do we need certified facilitators?
Facilitator training ensures the core before benefits approach is upheld, ensuring maximum impact.
Can I get downloadable session plans?
Yes. Reach out to Serious Play Business for templates aligned to your business strategy or training experience.
