In the world of business, problem-solving at the senior leadership level can often feel like a never-ending cycle of meetings, discussions, and strategy sessions that don’t quite deliver the breakthroughs you need. Traditional approaches to tackling complex issues often rely heavily on logic and analysis, but what if the key to unlocking real solutions lies in something more hands-on and creative?
That’s where LEGO® Serious Play® comes in. And yes, I’m talking about the same LEGO bricks you may have played with as a child, but used in a structured, strategic way to unlock creativity, insight, and deeper problem-solving.
So, why does LEGO® Serious Play® work so well and why should you be using it in your organisation? Let me explain.
What is LEGO Serious Play?
LEGO® Serious Play® is a facilitated process designed to enhance business performance through play and creativity. Developed by LEGO® in the 1990s, it’s rooted in the idea that hands-on, three-dimensional thinking activates deeper cognitive processes, helping teams unlock new insights and solutions. Instead of simply talking through a problem, participants use LEGO bricks to build models that represent their thoughts, challenges, and solutions. This taps into both logical and creative thinking, allowing participants to express ideas that might not surface through traditional conversation alone. The process is grounded in key principles of neuroscience and play theory:
Hands-on engagement boosts learning and retention.
Metaphors and storytelling help people articulate complex ideas more clearly.
Equal contribution ensures every voice is heard, introverts and extroverts alike.
Psychological safety creates a space where people feel comfortable sharing and exploring ideas without fear of judgment.
Why LEGO® Serious Play® is So Effective for Senior Leadership Teams
This learning methodology can be applied to all teams and their problems. But in my experience, it seems to have the greatest impact on senior leadership teams. They are often under pressure to deliver solutions quickly while navigating the nuances of high-stakes decisions. The challenge? Traditional problem-solving methods often keep teams stuck in well-known thinking patterns, limiting creativity and fresh ideas.
Here’s why LEGO® Serious Play® works so well at the senior level:
1. Breaks Down Communication Barriers
In teams, certain voices can dominate conversations while others hold back. LEGO® Serious Play® levels the playing field, everyone builds and everyone shares their model, ensuring that all perspectives are valued equally. This leads to richer insights and better collective decision-making.
2. Unlocks Creative Thinking
When you engage your hands, you engage different parts of your brain, this helps unlock creative problem-solving and helps people see patterns and connections they wouldn’t have spotted otherwise. For senior leaders used to relying on logic, experience and data, this shift can be game-changing.
3. Makes Complex Problems Visible
Building models with LEGO bricks helps to externalise complex problems, making them easier to see, understand, and solve. Leaders can literally “see” the problem from different angles and test out solutions in a safe, low-risk way.
4. Creates Psychological Safety
Using LEGO® Serious Play® creates a playful, low-stakes environment where leaders feel more comfortable taking creative risks and exploring “what if” scenarios without fear of failure or judgment.
5. Drives Real Alignment and Action
The process naturally leads teams toward consensus and action. Once the models are built and discussed, people walk away with clearer insights and more aligned next steps.
How I Used LEGO® Serious Play® with a Senior Leadership Team
I recently facilitated a LEGO® Serious Play® session with a senior leadership team who were stuck on a strategic issue of how to reinvigorate their revenue. They had been going around in circles in meetings, struggling to get to the root of why it had dropped off and align on ideas and a way forward. In the session, I guided them through a structured process of building models to represent this challenge and their vision for success. Through building and storytelling, they uncovered hidden assumptions, perspectives and ideas that hadn’t surfaced in previous conversations. The result?
The team left the session with a unified understanding of the problem, clear next steps and commitments to move forward, and a renewed sense of collaboration and energy!
5 Reasons to Introduce LEGO® Serious Play® into Your Organisation
If you’re looking to unlock new levels of creativity and problem-solving in your organisation, here’s why LEGO® Serious Play® should be on your radar:
It makes the intangible tangible – Abstract challenges become easier to grasp and solve when you can see them in front of you.
It fosters creativity and innovation – Engaging both the hands and the mind encourages creative thinking and innovative solutions.
It builds psychological safety – A playful, hands-on approach helps people feel more comfortable sharing bold ideas.
It enhances team alignment – Everyone contributes, leading to deeper understanding and more cohesive decision-making, especially at senior or C-suite level.
It delivers fast results – The structured, creative process means teams often reach solutions faster and recall is better than through traditional methods.
Final Thoughts
Feeling stuck? Facing a complex strategic challenge? LEGO® Serious Play® might be exactly what your leadership team needs. It’s not about playing, people say this to me a lot! It’s about thinking differently, unlocking creativity, and driving meaningful results.
If you’re curious about how LEGO® Serious Play® could work for your team, let’s have a conversation. Trust me, once you see the impact, you’ll never approach problem-solving the same way again.
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